Yunus Highlights the ‘Importance of Social Business’ at UN Side Event; Only a Handful of Guests Attended

New York Correspondent

New York, September 22: Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former chief advisor to the interim government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has called for building a positive world by harnessing the power of social business, young people, and technology at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Participating in the 11th edition of the high-level side event on ‘Social Business, Youth and Technology’, organized on the opening day of the UN General Assembly session on Monday (September 21), Dr. Yunus highlighted the current global reality, the language of diplomacy, the impact of microfinance and social business. The meeting was organized by renting a hall on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Guests present

The event was attended by UN General Assembly President and Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta, and Brazil’s Minister of Social Development and Assistance, Family and Hunger Relief Wellington Dias, among other dignitaries. Lamia Morshed, associated with the Yunus Center, was also present as an invited guest.

The main content of the speech

Speaking at the event, Professor Yunus said that in today’s global diplomacy, the true meaning of words is often lost, which creates confusion between basic concepts like war and peace. He expressed hope that this session of the General Assembly will play a role in restoring the clarity and true meaning of the word.

Drawing on the context of the 50th anniversary of microfinance, he said, the ‘Gramin America’ program run in the United States has shown how it is possible to stand by the marginalized people even in the developed world. This program, which started in New York in 2008 with a maximum limit of just $500, has today distributed more than $8 billion in loans, with a repayment rate of almost 100 percent.

Highlighting the significance of social business, he said, “Making money can make people happy, but it is extremely gratifying to be able to touch the lives of others in a positive way.” 153 health centers are being operated under this model in Bangladesh, and people in remote areas are getting services by talking directly to doctors through the convenience of Grameen Phone.

Addressing the youth, he said, “The conventional education system basically makes people job seekers, whereas people are born entrepreneurs. To implement this idea, the ‘Gramin University’ program is going to start next December, which is being established with the goal of building a ‘three-zero world’.”

Finally, Dr. Yunus called for working together to build a world free of poverty, unemployment, and net carbon emissions.

In addition, at the same event, Dr. Yunus expressed his excitement at being able to leave the small and cramped room at the UN headquarters last year and now be in the mainstream on a larger scale, calling it a ‘huge promotion’.