Yunus Centre

A sustainable alternative to charity

  

Business with a social mission
100% dedicated to solving human problems

 

What is social business?       

 

A social business is a company with a social mission at its core. Set up to solve a specific problem to the benefit of poor or disadvantaged members of society, social businesses operate exactly like normal companies except for a few small differences.Unlike a charity, a social businesses generates profit and aims to be financially self sustaining. Removing the need for fundraising allows social businesses to re-invest profits back into generating sustainable social impact.

A social business is a company that either creates income for the poor or or provides them with essential products and services like healthcare, clean water or clean energy.

100% of the company profits are reinvested in continuing the company’s social mission.

 Who are we?

 

         Since October 2006, when Professor Yunus and Grameen Bank jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize, local and international interest in Professor Yunus’ work has continuously increased. In order to address this ever-growing attention, an organization aimed primarily at promoting and disseminating Professor Yunus’ philosophy, with a special focus on social business, was created in the form of the Yunus Secretariat. In July 2008, the Yunus Secretariat was renamed the Yunus Centre. The Yunus Centre has since been the one-stop resource centre for all Grameen social business related activities both globally and in Bangladesh. It keeps the spirit of the global social business move ment very high through various events, social media, publications, and websites. The Yunus Centre also helps forge lasting, productive relationships among all social business institutions around the world. The Centre is chaired by Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and its Executive Director is Ms. Lamiya Morshed.

 

What does the Yunus Centre do? 

         The Yunus Centre’s activities include, but certainly are not limited to, the following: Poverty-Free World Campaign Professor Yunus has long said that poverty is an unnecessary imposed by society on people, and that creating a matter of will. Yunus Centre will coordinate the Poverty-Free World Campaign encompassing partners and networks around the world. Yunus Centre will be working to promote the UN Millennium Development Goals in Bangladesh and around the world, and the campaign for Bangladesh to be free of poverty by 2030. International Communication and Networking The Centre also aims to aggrandize Professor Yunus’ existing international network of individuals and institutions that work in the field of poverty eradication. The development of social media (including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) focusing on the work of Professor Yunus will enhance the exposure of his ideas on a global scale. Social Business The Yunus Centre acts as a resource centre for existing and potential social businesses by assisting each venture in adhering to social business principles and, by extension, achieving the targeted social goal. Research & Publications Disseminating Professor Yunus’ ideas on poverty eradication by contributing articles and other media to renowned publications around the world is one of the Centre’s primary activities. Academic Programs The Yunus Centre assists in the development of academic programs focusing on social business within academic institutions. Museum/Archive/Library The Centre is currently working towards archiving the awards, honors, prizes, degrees and other distinctions that have been received by Professor Yunus, with the aim to create a museum showcasing the milestones of his career since the early 1970’s. A digital library comprised of a unique collection of video and audio tapes of Professor Yunus’ speeches and publications is also in the works.

 

About Us

       Yunus Social Business is a non-profit venture fund. We believe that business can be used to solve human problems. We turn donations into investments in social businesses that provide employment, education, healthcare, clean water and clean energy to over a million people worldwide.

Founded in 2016 by Assoc. Prof. Bordin Rassameethes, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof. Sarivimol Meeampol, Ph.D.,Assist. Prof. Haruthai Numprasertchai, Ph.D.,Kasetsart Yunus Centre Committee  and Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus, our mission is to promote social business as a sustainable alternative to long-term aid, bridging the gap between business and philanthropy.