Martin Burt, an uncommon hero starts microcredit in Paraguay

[appleshow1]

I concour with "guarani5", there are many forces behind the scenes when people are in office, personal interest backed by big bucks, always get their way no matter who you are, or represent. Igraduated ASA in '77 so I know people who pull strings to make things happen or not happen....

[guarani5]

Many well-intentioned politicians have failed in their time. Life is all about timing and circumstances! Martin Burt's circumstances may have been unsurmountable IN HIS TIME IN OFFICE.

However, there is no question that his agricultural school is a tremendous success. How many Paraguayans in high office, with personal resources turn to helping "los pobres del interior?"

[gouninou]

ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!! in every aspect, this is BEAUTIFUL! Thank you so much

[Molliepet]

MUCH RESPECT to Martin Burt...this is really good to see....start with dignity and good things happen....wonderful!!

[barbixy]

This is really a great video

[Corrosionic]

In the documentary seems all too true, I've lived there and some day I think back, I say that if you use the best land was obtained better gain, at present 80% of Paraguayan soil this in the hands of 20% of the population

a good plan of Agriculture has already made paraguay the second country with more supply of biofuel for export in the world

support the clean energy, support to bio-diesel

[giumarello]

...this is a joke, Burt trying to help poor people from rural areas, give me a break!!! this guy is one of the most corrupted politicians ever. American people please don't believe a word Burts says. I feel sorry for people at University of the Pacific in California. In that prestigious university from the west coast people think Martin Burt is a great paraguayan educated in their classrooms. No way!!!!!

[hoderegus]

BURT is a great Paraguayan. One of the catalysts for change in the country. Those opposed to change made his term difficult. They didn't want people to believe positive changes were possible. Giumarello, were you and your family benefitting from the previous regime? Where's proof that he was corrupt? He continues to do good to the country and its people. And you dont feel sorry for anyone at the University of the Pacific, yo either are repeating nonsense or you are making things up.

[appleshow1]

I went to school at ASA, you know me and hope fully I can help in your idea of bringing change to Paraguay. I was classmate with "Gato","Pulga" and others... Please contact me asap

[guarani5]

I also went to school in ASA. Do you support what Martin Burt is currently doing or do you not?

[guarani5]

The following question is directed to Appleshow1.

[cuantoes]

This guy is a clown and a liar, he presents himself as a modern and democratic politician of paraguay, but he was a goverment official in the time of the dictator stroessner already (he was undersecretary of commerce and industry) under the reign of the corrupt secretary of state Delfin Ugarte Centurion, who later returned 1 million USD to the paraguayan state (of course he kept a lot more to himself).

[cuantoes]

Hello Youtubers, I'm from Asuncion - Paraguay, and let me tell you, this guy is just another corrupt goverment official who left the City in ruins during his time as Mayor and stealed the public moneys, he was even on trial for that, but was acquitted because of the also corrupted judiciary.

[barbixy]

Can you point me to some proof of this? Evidence that can support your position? Other than just saying this in a comment on youtube? I would like to see some articles, or proof he was on trial...Just curious.

[Mark92456]

I am a Stronist. Therefore, I wouldn't have to agree with Mr. Burt who comes from an oppositionist family. But in spite of human flaws, he is trying to do his best for Paraguay. Maybe, if we were more optimistic and understanding, and if we offered a positive criticism instead of defaming Mr. Burt, this battle against poverty could be won.

[nkafka]

The reality is this school works. It's producing graduates who go on to succeed academically and financially and contribute to their countries success.

Visit the school, talk to the students, check out the accounts - it stands up to scrutiny.

Personal attacks on the individual behind this program won't help poor students - this school's approach really can!

[michelelparaguayo]

Nkafka, do you know Martin Burt? This guy will take international credits to support his "project" and then send the money to his personal bank account. Come on man... wake up!

[nkafka]

I've been to his house. It's a regular house. I've been in his car it's a regular car. For someone running an NGO with 140 employees I'd say he leads a pretty humble existence - I wish more charity directors here in the UK lived as modestly!

[hoderegus]

That is hearsay. Do you think he would be doing all the things he is doing if we did nto care. No one in Paraguay does what he does.

[vbrandenstein]

nkafka:

I fully agree with You AND with "micheleparaguayo", you both have good arguments. I actually lived in Asuncion during Mr. Burt's time as a mayor, and from what I remember ( I was 16 ) his time in office was not seen as the Best, as he highlighted it in his campaign. However, he is doing something for someone in Paraguay, and that in Material terms is BIG! Because not many do somehting or anything for that matter.

[michelelparaguayo]

The video is great and the cause is admirable but....this guy, Martin Burt, was one of the most incapable intendant in Asuncion. Everything was a mess in his administration. I'm a Paraguayan who lived in Asuncion when this "eloquent" sin verguenza turned an already disorganize city in a city full of garbage in the street. Shame on you Burt... now you try to get international attention? yeah.. that because we (Paraguayos)already know who you are.

[hoderegus]

he is seeking international attention because internally the country is so messed up that he can not get any help from within. have you seen any foreign investments before martin burt? NO

[iamreallyfree]

Of course he can't get any help from within and he'll never get it anymore because everyone in Paraguay already knows that he's a quack, a charlatan that has papers but no real skills to produce any change.

[basketboy81]

Seems a good model for sustainable food production for South Africa's and other countries' efforts to solve extreme poverty. Keep me posted

[peacenprogress]

Excellent, rural authorities must think about this to keep the young from coming to cities to beg.

[iamreallyfree]

yeah...right...as if rural young people's dreams nowadays would be to become farmers and spend their whole lives doing that..keep dreaming! There's a reason why young people migrate to the cities..they have different expectations..it has nothing to do with lack of abilities to do land work.

[hoderegus]

So what does it have to do with?

How do you know what people think? Do they all really go to the cities for the reasons you mention? Your thinking is awfully narrow. Let me gues, their dream is to go into a city and become a waiter?

[iamreallyfree]

I know what young paraguayans think because we have done extensive research in the paraguayan countryside for years trying to find out about their hopes and future expectations and how these evolved over time. Farming has a negative connotation for most rural young people and if there are still some of them getting into that field it's just because they didn't have any other choice. Agricultural schools in Paraguay are closing for the lack of students.

[iamreallyfree]

Please read the statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labor about Agricultural Education in Paraguay, get some factual arguments besides your hollow devotion to Martin Burt and then we can talk seriously. And please stop that non-sense about BURT being a great Paraguayan and one of the catalysts for change in the country. Are you insane? Have you even lived in Asuncion at the time he was major? Catalyst for what change???

[iamreallyfree]

There are no excuses for his lack of managerial skills and his huge blunder in office as major. With all his studies and credentials he was not able to run and improve a city of just a million inhabitants and that's something no paraguayan citizen can ever forget or forgive. Even Carlos Filizzola was a thousand times better major than him.

[apprentice0007]

Please redirect your anger with the world towards those who are screwing the country over and enjoying their freedom as they pay their way thru trials and every other problem they get themselves in. We have worse things to worry about; don't you remember that less than twenty years ago Paraguay was under one of the cruelest dictatorships in Latin America?

[apprentice0007]

I don't know who YOU are iamreallyfree but you have quite the nerves to go around writing blasphemous comments about, perhaps, the only well prepared individual to ever be elected in Asuncion/Paraguay.

[iamreallyfree]

Well I don't know about "well prepared", the only thing I can tell you is that we as citizens of Asunción never saw any kind of improvement in our life quality, the garbage service was a mess, transportation services never improved, public parks were always dirty and he never reached out to the people, as for example Carlos Filizzola did when he was Major. Martin Burt rejected working with the "comisiones vecinales" that had made tremendous progress to improve life in Asuncion's "barrios".

[iamreallyfree]

All in all to me All in all, to me this guy only hade had a lot of credentials...but the position of major turned out to be too big for him...and I won't allow YOU to tell me that I write blasphemous comments, cause everything I said I lived it through..nobody told me about it.

[iamreallyfree]

an uncommon hero of what? corruption? please..gimme a break!

[michelelparaguayo]

i'm 100% with you man..

[iamreallyfree]

and the heading for this video "an uncommon hero" honestly reads like a slap on the faces of all citizens of Asuncion.

[michelelparaguayo]

that's exactly how I felt went I saw the video.

[iamreallyfree]

i hope funding organizations that provide resources for development projects dont let themselves fool for the words of this guy and go to asuncion and ask the common people on the streets what they think about Martin Burt's performance as major.They'll know what I'm talking about.

[iamreallyfree]

he was always the chairman of this NGO where they got a lot of funding to implement these kind of "development" projects. I guess this video is just a way to put himself on the spot in order to capture more funding and make a big business of it...as he always has.

[iamreallyfree]

in the end, he barely escaped going to jail because of a corruption case he was involved in concerning mishandling of funds provided by international organizations for local development.

[apprentice0007]

You truly know nothing. Don't you know better than to believe in everything you read in the press? I was involved in the trial, and let me tell you, the overwhelming evidence indicated that the President wanted Burt's head to roll and "la fiscala" was trying really hard to follow orders. Thank God justice prevailed.

[iamreallyfree]

People in Asuncion really had a lot of hopes because he came with all his big academic background...a master in urban planning in America, etc. But then, it turned out to be just a big lie, he was never able to improve life conditions in our city and make it a nicer, safer and healthier place to live in.

[iamreallyfree]

i cant believe this guy has the guts to produce such a video to promote himself. I am a citizen of asuncion, and believe me, this guy was one of the worse majors we ever had. He never worked with people and he never cared about our city.

[nkafka]

A truly wonderful video - congratulations to the Skoll Foundation for enabling this story to be told in such a powerful format!

For anyone interested in how Martin is now helping to bring this unique approach to agricultural education to the rest of the developing world, visit the Teach A Man To Fish website (just Google the phrase to find us!)

Nik

[iamreallyfree]

I dont know who you are Nik or what kind of interest you have, but let me tell you something, this unique approach to agricultural education as you call it, nobody knows about it in Paraguay, except perhaps the people who were involved.

[iamreallyfree]

and I can assure you that because I am working in agricultural education and have travel all across paraguay visiting agricultural schools.

[apprentice0007]

You are not doing your job then. Go ahead and visit the Agricultural School San Francisco de Asis and see for yourself.

[iamreallyfree]

oh..you can be sure we will visit that school immediately. I want to know everything about this "revolutionary" experience.