Speakers at a discussion Friday urged the world community to acquaint the people with the spirit of Grameen Bank (GB) as it is an ideal model of social business (SB).
They also said though microfinance is a small initiative aimed at eradicating poverty, it has proved a big success before the world community thanks to the achievement of the GB.
The discussion was held at a city hotel marking the Social Business Day 2013. About 1,000 participants including 150 foreign guests attended it.
“The concept of microfinance has changed the culture and values of the society in Bangladesh. The agent of change is now being followed by many countries of the world,” said Managing Director (MD) of Grameen Trust Professor H I Latifee at the discussion.
Mr Latifee said the model of Dr Muhammad Yunus is now being followed by not only the poor countries but also the rich countries. “We are working in Madagaskar as well as in the USA,” he said.
“There are 16,000 women working with the Grameen America in the USA under nine branches,” he added.
GB Acting MD Mohammad Shahjahan said the SB would profit-oriented like other businesses and owned by all, not any individual.
Administrative and Financial Director of Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation of France, Pascal Webanck, said there is no business without risk and the SB also has the risk.
“A strong regulatory body should be formed to ensure smooth progress of SB,” he added.
He said some rules of business must be developed to reap the cherished profit from SB.
Asia-Pacific Regional Director of Whole Planet Foundation Daniel B Zoltani, MD of Grameen Shamogree Shamim Anowar, and Global Head of Microcredit Summit Campaign Larry Reed also participated in the discussion, among others.
UNB adds: Nobel Laureate Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus is a great dreamer, says US Ambassador in Dhaka Dan W Mozena.
“Indeed, Yunus is a great dreamer. He dreams that the poor people want better lives for themselves and their families, the poor people can invest money, the poor people can do battle, they can strive, the poor people can leave themselves out of poverty and the poor people can become truly contributing members of a society,” he told the opening session of the daylong conference Friday.
The Yunus Centre organised the conference at Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel, marking the 4th annual Social Business Day.
Mr Mozena said it was a conventional wisdom that the poor people have no skill and they only eat up money, but Prof Yunus came up with his dream (microcredit) and provides grants to the poor.
Seeing a mighty power of hope, Mr Mozena said Prof Yunus launched a new concept of social business, a beautiful simple idea that private companies can be reestablished into social projects.
The US Ambassador said Yunus is a dreamer, a believer in the poor, and he dreams of sending the poverty into museum. “On behalf of the people of Bangladesh and the USA, I thank Prof Mohammad Yunus.”
Source: Financial Express