Archive for June 28th, 2012
Social Business Day
Today has been the third annual Social Business Day. With its showcase event taking place in Dhaka, Bangladesh, this celebration of social business – the brainchild of Professor Muhammad Yunus – was attended this year by many key figures from around the world, including NASA astronaut Ron Garan and the Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Shiro Sadoshima. The theme for the day was ‘Transforming Societies through Social Business’, and panel discussion topics included health, the environment, disabled people and youth. The day ended with a cultural performance. Tomorrow there will be a follow-up forum on ‘Evaluating Impacts’. Virtual events have also taken place simultaneously in various other parts of the world, and there have previously been actual, physical events of a similar kind in Vietnam and Austria (a few months ago), to mention just two. June the 28th was chosen specifically for today’s celebrations, as it is Professor Yunus’ birthday. The Professor currently runs the Yunus Centre, which has a “poverty-free world” as its ultimate goal. ‘Social business’ (in common with the related business model of ‘social enterprise’) is generally recognised as being a commercial activity undertaken with a social goal in mind: it also aims to be self-sufficient.
