The 14th Social Business Day 2024, hosted by Nobel peace laureate professor Muhammad Yunus, was concluded in Manila on June 28 at the SMX Aura Convention Center in the Philippines.
This year鈥檚 theme is 鈥楽ocial business- An
Exit route from the current self-destructive civilisation鈥�.
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, 鈥楽ocial Business: An Exit Route from the Current Self-Destructive Civilisation,鈥� 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 3,500 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 鈥楧riving an Inclusive, Green Economy Through Social Business鈥�, Christina Jaeger, co-founder and managing director, Yunus Environment Hub, Georginia Pascual, International Labour Organisation, 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 鈥楨ducation and Social Business: Bridging Gaps Through Innovative Models鈥�, the 鈥楽ocial Business Ecosystem in the Philippines鈥�, 鈥楾ech for Good: How Latest Technologies Can Supercharge the Social Sector鈥檚 Media Engagement鈥� and 鈥楬ealth and Social Business: Innovations for a Sustainable Future鈥�.
The plenary 鈥榃omen in Social Business: Driving Change and Creating Impact鈥� was moderated by 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 鈥楩ood, Agriculture and Social Business: Sustainable Practices for Rural Development鈥� was held with professor Yodmanee Tepanon, associate dean, Kasetsart Business School, Henry Sison, Agro Digital, Pathit Ongvasith, programme specialist, Yunus Thailand, Farida Akhter, UBINIG and Gopal Dahit, executive director, Unique Nepal Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd. The discussions surrounded how to sustainably solve current issues and crises in food and agriculture while incorporating the growth of rural producers and building a more socially conscious agricultural supply chain.
A special presentation on 鈥楪rameen Virunga and Virunga National Park鈥� was given by Emmanuel de Merode, director, Virunga National Park, where he talked about the ongoing collaboration of promoting the Nobin programme and other initiatives in the DRC, and especially for the marginalised women in communities around the Virunga National Park.
A plenary session on 鈥楾he Future Directions for Social Business Movement鈥� was moderated by professor Muhammad Ibrahim, trustee with speakers 鈥� professor Muhammad Yunus, Val茅rie Mazon, managing director, Danone Communities, Raymond Serios, director administration and strategic projects, Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, Inc, Tobias Silberzahn, partner, McKinsey and 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 and Economics, North South University, Bangladesh, Nazneen Sultana, executive vice-chairman, Grameen Communications and聽 Faiz Shah, head, development management and director, Yunus Center, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.
By recognising 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 鈥� zero net carbon emission, zero wealth concentration to ending poverty, and zero unemployment by unleashing entrepreneurship in all.