Yunus addresses Tata Group CEOs and Top Executives in Bhubaneshwar : What Kind of Future We Want --Yunus
Yunus Centre Press Release(January 9, 2017 ):
Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus on January 9, 2017 addressed the CEOs and top executives of some 240 Tata companies who had assembled in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, India at the Tata Sustainability Conclave Conference on Future- Proof Business.
During the speech Professor Yunus raised the question which future are we talking about? Should we prepare ourselves to fit ourselves into a future which was created by forces beyond our control, or we purposefully create a future to fit us. The real question is what kind of future we want and how do we create it?
He narrated the story of how he wanted to create a future for poor people by creating a new a financial institution, called Grameen Bank. He mentioned how as a university teacher in Chittagong University he faced the reality that made the poor helpless confronting a famine, age-old curse of loan sharking, poor health, illiteracy, lack of work etc.
When he found out the academic economics which he taught and the institution of banking were of no help, he took the unconventional steps of lending to the poor with his own personal fund. This led to the creation of a bank, known as Grameen Bank.
It led to other things, to solve the problems of sanitation, health care, nutrition and many more. For each of the problem he created a new kind of business -- social business. This concept of social business was born out of long experience -- business to solve problems, not to make personal profit.
The concept has spread over the world. Instead of accumulating profits and then giving in charity, social business gives a new sustainable option. He said making money is happiness but making other people happy is super happiness.
He said human beings are not born for working for other people. Human beings are born entrepreneurs. They are not job-seekers, they are job-creators, he said.
Young people should be encouraged to be entrepreneurs. Appropriate eco-system should be developed to make it possible for every young person to start business. An appropriate financial system must be an essential part of that ecosystem.
This will also reverse the dangerous trend of extreme concentration of wealth in the hands of fewer and fewer people. This trend is bound to bring social disaster soon. The businesses of millions of entrepreneurs will prevent the sucking up of all the wealth to the top.
Individuals, companies, and others are now showing interest in social business more and more, creating social business funds, and actually helping start social businesses to solve various problems. Professor Yunus gave several examples of these from all over the world. Many reputed business schools are now teaching social business and young people are showing tremendous enthusiasm.
It is through such actions and enthusiasm that Prof. Yunus believes that his goals of three zeroes will soon be achieved --zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero carbon emission.
The speech was followed by question and answer session. Professor Yunus thanked Tata Group of companies for getting involved in social business.
Photo Caption: Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus addressing the CEOs and top executives of some 240 Tata companies who had assembled in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, India at the Tata Sustainability Conclave Conference on Future- Proof Business on January 9, 2017.
Source: Yunus Centre
Updated Date: 22nd January, 2017