Development issue spotlight on transportation for credit unions

This is the first of a 12-part series on our blog in 2016 that will highlight a different development issue each month. Now you may be wondering, “what is a development issue and why is it important for credit unions?”

In our Development Education (DE) Program, the National Credit Union Foundation helps DE trainees delve into global development issues and recognize the ways in which credit unions can address these issues to improve the well-being of members and communities.  12 major development issues have been identified as barriers to economic growth and prosperity for the world’s families.  These issues do provide us with dilemmas and barriers, but more importantly, they provide us with challenges to overcome and opportunities to capitalize on. Working together can make a real difference in the lives of people in our local, national and global communities.  Click here to see a full listing of all 12 development issues.

Understanding and tackling global development issues can grow the economic prosperity for the world’s families.  These issues can be seen throughout the developing world, but these same issues affect households across American and other developed countries. Millions of Americans live in poverty. Some are thrown into poverty by illness or unemployment; others live in a seemingly endless cycle of poverty that spans lifetimes and generations.  Evidence suggests that despite concern for addressing development issues and thereby reducing poverty, most Americans have a limited understanding of the key issues that relate to domestic poverty.

Our goal with this 12 part series is to increase the awareness for these issues so that we as credit union organizations can be better informed on issues that face our members and communities.  This month, we will focus on the development issue of transportation.

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