Photo: Collected
The 14th Social Business Day 2024, hosted by Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, was concluded in Manila on Friday (28 June) at the SMX Aura Convention Center in Philippines.
This year’s theme is “Social business- An Exit route from the current self-destructive civilization”.
On June 29, 2024, the Academia Dialogue and the 3ZERO Club Convention will be hosted as well, said a press release.
The theme of the conference, "Social Business: An Exit Route from the Current Self-Destructive Civilisation," revolves around the idea that social business can play a transformative role in steering humanity away from destructive practices.
Professor Yunus commended the efforts of local three zero club members.
Currently there are more than 3500 3Zero Clubs across 54 countries that involve around 16,000 youth who are globally working on environmental activism and raising awareness on social issues that impacts their own regions.
In the session “Driving an Inclusive, Green Economy Through Social Business”, Christina Jaeger, Co-founder & Managing Director, Yunus Environment Hub, Georginia Pascual, International Labour Organization, Sharmeen S Murshid, Founder, Brotee, Atty. Julie Ann Bedrio, Province of Negros Occidental Provincial Environment and Management Officer, Joesie Tumanda, Director, Naturland and Sohel Ahmed, Managing Director, Grameen Shakti talked about how to drive change through environmentally conscious social businesses in a changing economy.
Several breakout sessions encouraged discussions around “Education and Social Business: Bridging Gaps Through Innovative Models”, the “Social Business Ecosystem in the Philippines”, “Tech for Good: How Latest Technologies Can Supercharge the Social Sector’s Media Engagement” and “Health and Social Business: Innovations for a Sustainable Future”.
The plenary Women in Social Business: Driving Change and Creating Impact was moderated by Dr. Suraiya Hanim Mokhtar, Associate Professor and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Albukhary International University. Speakers such as Nini Daing, CEO, MyHarapan, Moushumi Khan, Executive Director, Asian Development Bank, Shiori Onishi, Co-CEO, Grameen Euglena and Kotchakorn Kwamchareon, Microfinance Lead, Yunus Thailand talked about the crucial role of women as change leaders for taking social business further.
A plenary on “Food, Agriculture and Social Business: Sustainable Practices for Rural Development” was held with Professor Yodmanee Tepanon, Associate Dean, Kasetsart Business School, Henry Sison, Agro Digital, Pathit Ongvasith, Program Specialist, Yunus Thailand, Farida Akhter, UBINIG and Dr. Gopal Dahit, Executive Director, Unique Nepal Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd. The discussions surrounded on how to sustainably solve current issues and crises in food and agriculture while incorporating growth of rural producers as well as building a more socially conscious agricultural supply chain.
A special presentation on Grameen Virunga and Virunga National Park was given by Emmanuel de Merode, Director, Virunga National Park, where he talked about the ongoing collaboration of promoting the Nobin Program and other initiatives in the DRC, and especially for the marginalized women in communities around the Virunga National Park.
A plenary session on “The Future Directions for Social Business Movement” was moderated by Professor Muhammad Ibrahim, Trustee with speakers: Professor Muhammad Yunus, Valérie Mazon, Managing Director, Danone Communities, Raymond Serios, Director Administration & Strategic Projects, Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, Inc., Dr. Tobias Silberzahn, Partner, McKinsey & Company, Inc, Suresh Krishna, Managing Director YSB Fund Bengaluru and Executive Chairman Global Leadership Team, Yunus Social Business, Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, Dean of School of Business & Economics, North South University, Bangladesh, Nazneen Sultana, Executive Vice Chairman, Grameen Communications and Dr. Faiz Shah, Head, Development Management & Director, Yunus Center, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
By recognizing and showcasing successful social businesses, which are non-dividend businesses aimed at solving human problems, the event highlighted the transformative potential of businesses in addressing pressing global challenges. Social Business Day continues to serve as a catalyst for discussions on how businesses can contribute to solutions for societal issues, ultimately fostering a collective commitment to positive change.
The conference was an exciting event that helped to move forward with the vision to build a world of three zeros -- zero net carbon emission, zero wealth concentration to ending poverty, and zero unemployment by unleashing entrepreneurship in all.
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