Yunus urges global shift toward justice, sustainability thru social business

Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus has called on the global community to reject despair and reimagine the world through the lens of social business, urging collective action to address inequality, climate change, and systemic injustice.

Speaking at the 15th Social Business Day, held at the Samajik Convention Centre in Savar, the Chief Adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government described the world’s current state as one of “manufactured gloom,” created by a system driven by narrow self-interest.

“We did not make this world gloomy — it was made for us,” Yunus told a packed audience. “But we can create a new one. A beautiful one. And we must.”

The annual event, jointly hosted by the Yunus Centre and the Grameen Group, brings together global changemakers, academics, and entrepreneurs. This year’s theme — “Social Business is the Most Effective Way to Ensure Healthcare for All” — underscores the role of inclusive economic models in solving critical public health challenges.

Yunus, widely regarded as the pioneer of microfinance and social business, emphasized the need to move away from profit-only models and build economies around selflessness and solidarity.

“The global system has been built on the assumption that human beings are purely selfish. That’s a dangerous myth,” he said. “We must recognize and activate the selfless side of humanity.”

Calling for a transformation of global priorities, Yunus reiterated his vision for a world of “three zeroes”: zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions.

He also warned that the world is on a “disastrous path,” citing conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and South Asia, as well as persistent global healthcare inequalities.

“No country has successfully guaranteed healthcare for all,” he said. “It’s one of the biggest challenges we face, but it’s a challenge we can overcome.”

Highlighting Bangladesh’s recent political transformation, Yunus praised the country’s youth for their courage and activism in pushing for systemic reform.

“They stood up and said, ‘Enough is enough.’ They brought this country from darkness into light — not just for Bangladesh, but for the world.”

He argued that Bangladesh’s experience could serve as a model for other nations seeking to break free from entrenched political and economic dysfunction.

“We are writing not just our history, but a history for the whole world,” he said.

Over 1,000 participants, including 180 international delegates from 38 countries, are attending this year’s conference, which features five plenary sessions and eight breakout discussions addressing healthcare, education, climate action, and youth empowerment.

The event opened with remarks from Md Ashraful Hassan, Chairman of Grameen Group, and included insights from several distinguished global figures: Ismail Serageldin, former Vice President of the World Bank, emphasized grassroots development driven by dignity and solidarity. Gwyn Lewis, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, described social business as a “critical response to global healthcare disparities.” Mitsuru Izumo, Founder of Euglena GG Ltd, shared how a promise made in Dhaka 27 years ago led to a nationwide nutrition campaign in Japan. Thomas Bach, Honorary President of the International Olympic Committee, praised Yunus’s enduring commitment to collaboration and human development. Kady Kanouté Tounkara, Olympian and social entrepreneur, delivered an impassioned call for youth and women’s empowerment, urging action to achieve the “three zeroes — with zero excuses.”

Also in attendance were prominent international guests including Omar Ishrak, former Chairman of Intel Corporation and CEO of Medtronic, Erik Solheim, former head of UN Environment, and Professor Md. Saidur Rahman, Health and Family Welfare Assistant to the Chief Adviser.

The event will continue with additional sessions focused on academic collaboration and youth-led innovation. A special Academia Dialogue, to be held on June 29 in partnership with North South University, will engage students and researchers on the role of social business in societal progress.

Meanwhile, the Three Zero Club Convention will focus on actionable strategies to reduce inequality, unemployment, and environmental degradation.

“We don’t have to tear everything down overnight,” Yunus concluded. “We just need to start walking in a different direction — one step at a time — toward a future that is fair, inclusive, and full of hope.”