Launching Social Business Day in his home country in Dhaka,
Bangladesh, Prof. Yunus presided over a one-day conference co-hosted by
AIESEC and Asian University for Women on 28 June 2010.
The first-of-its kind event is intended to become an annual
celebration and recognition of social business. The day was also
observed in New York, USA, and around the world with individual social
business representatives arranging celebrations.
The conference brought together leading academicians,
researchers, planners, implementers, politicians and business leaders
to share their insight and experience on all matters relating to social
business.
The Asian Institute of Technology, represented by Dr. Jonathan Shaw,
Director, AIT Extension, participated at the event. Joining Prof. Yunus
at the speakers’ table, Dr. Shaw addressed the conference by explaining
the social business initiatives being planned by AIT. He mentioned that
AIT’s main campus in Pathumthani province, Thailand, is now home
to the Yunus Center at AIT, which was founded in mid-2009 and is
focused on social business and poverty eradication work.
Prof. Yunus outlined that a social business is a non-loss,
non-dividend company which has a primary aim to reach a social
objective. Competing with profit-maximizing companies, social business
success is solely measured on the social-return of the investment.
Social business is a powerful and innovative concept to create a
lasting social impact, the 2006 Nobel Laureate indicated.
Social Business Day is intended to spread the message of social
business to a wider audience and to celebrate social business
achievements. Events such as the conference in Dhaka aim to explore
future social business opportunities, and inspire entrepreneurs,
students, and companies to create their own social businesses,
organizers said.
Professor Yunus and guests watch a video
message from Bill Clinton on the occasion of the first annual Social
Business Day
(28 June 2010)