Banker to the poor, Muhammad Yunus accepted this year’s Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo last Sunday.

The 66-year old Bangladeshi economist shared the award with his revolutionary “Grameen Bank.” For the past twenty years, Yunus and Grameen have helped impoverished people get out of debt, and go on to become self-sufficient entrepreneurs. Most recipients of the bank’s small loans (known as “microcredits”) are women.

“We must address the root causes of terrorism to end it for all time,” Yunus told guests at Oslo’s City Hall. “I believe putting resources into improving the lives of poor people is a better strategy than spending it on guns.”

Read the complete transcript of Yunus’s speech [1] here.

For more on the Grameen Foundation–and to find out how you can help this holiday season–visit their [2] website.