Social business day: Yunus calls for building better world for all

Focusing on the transformative power of social business to bring about a positive impact, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday voiced his desire to break free from the current gloom and create a beautiful and better world for everyone.

"We're not responsible for creating this gloomy world. We want to create a beautiful world, and we can do that."

He made the remarks at the inaugural session of the 15th edition of Social Business Day, jointly organised by the Yunus Centre and Grameen Group at Samajik Convention Centre at Zirabo in Savar.

This year's theme of the two-day event is "Social Business is the Most Effective Way to Ensure Healthcare for All."

Speaking as the chief guest and keynote speaker, Prof Yunus reminded all that the world is on the wrong path and only through selflessness, imagination, and social business can a just and sustainable future be achieved.

From championing "healthcare as a human right" to reimagining education that inspires "creators, not job seekers", the 2006 Nobel Laureate called upon global changemakers to work together to build a world of three zeros: zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions.

Prof Yunus said Bangladesh is struggling to address healthcare issues like any other country in the world.

"No country has successfully resolved that issue -- healthcare for everybody. So, that's a challenging area that we have to tackle, and we can tackle it."

Saying that Bangladesh did something fantastic in spite of this gloomy world, the chief adviser said the young people sacrificed their lives, and in a very short period of time, they took the country from "extreme darkness to the path of light".

"The whole world -- and young people can do this just the same. Enough is enough. Get out of the way. You made enough problems for us. Let the world grow in its own way; we create a new world for us, and that's our promise."

A video message from Thomas Bach, the honorary president of the International Olympic Committee, was broadcast at the event, in which he praised the profound impact of Prof Yunus's social business movement.

The inaugural ceremony was also addressed by Gwyn Lewis, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, Mitsuru Izumo, founder of Japan's Euglena GG Ltd, Ismail Serageldin, former vice-president of the World Bank, and Ashraful Hassan, chairman of Grameen Group, among others.