DHAKA: Nobel laureate Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus encouraged country’s young generation asking them to be entrepreneurs instead of job-seekers.
He further promised that they will be partner if anybody approaches them with any social business plan or ideas.
Professor Yunus came up with the observations while addressing a programme on the occasion of the 6th annual Social Business Day.
With the theme “We Are Not Job-Seekers, We Are Job-Givers—Turning Unemployment into Entrepreneurship”, Yunus Centre started the program at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in the morning.
The founder of Grameen Bank also asked why the youth will crave for jobs when they have the potentiality to give jobs to others.
He also said, “We need to ensure the future of our children. We are talking about building a sustainable society through sustainable development.”
Dr Yunus also said the world will move forward if we can ensure three zeros: zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero emission of carbon.
A cultural program in the first part of the function highlighted the culture of Bangladesh.
The gathering is organised every year as an opportunity to meet, connect, have discussion among with the global social business community with the purpose of developing effective solutions to solve society's most pressing problems, for example, unemployment.
This event discusses the innovative ways to fight social and economic problems through social businesses.
More than 1600 participants, including over 250 international participants from 30 countries including Andrea Jung, President and CEO, Grameen America, Sharifah Hapsah Shahabudin, Senior Consultant, Prime Minister's Department of Malaysia, Hans Reitz Founder and Managing Director, Grameen Creative Lab, Alex Counts, Founder of Grameen Foundation, Peter Hunt, Chairman of Grameen Australia, Mitsuro Izumo, CEO, Euglena Japan, Robert Johnson, President of Becker College, USA, Nirvana Chaudhary, CEO Chaudhary Foundation/Nepal Social Business attended .
A Social Business Marketplace showcased the products and programs of social business. As a highlight, there will be special Mela or fair of Nobin Udyokta’s (new entrepreneurs) products which was displayed at the marketplace.
There are three plenary sessions including Meet the Nobin Udyoktas, Sharing Experiences in Social Business around the World, and the Road Map Forward, with speakers from around the world giving their insights and programmes in discussions moderated by Professor Muhammad Yunus.
In addition, 12 concurrent panel sessions such as Social Business and Academia, Methodology of Nobin Udyokta program, Microfinance as Social Business, Social Business and Technology, Sources of funds for Social Business, Meet the Nobin Udyoktas and Q & A on Social Business.
There will be a special panel on Social Business in Greater China. This year about 90 participants are attending from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. These panel sessions will cover concept and best practices, present status, future plans of social business around the globe and enable a rich interaction among speakers.
On May 29, an exclusive meeting of academics will take place as a follow up of the Social Business Day. It is expected to be attended by 120 academics including 50 from 26 international universities.
The meeting will review the progress made in offering social business courses, research programmes undertaken at various universities, academic publications around the world, and future plans.
BDST: 1350 HRS, MAY 28, 2015
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