Expand social business with the help of IT

Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday said information and technology should be used to expand social business.

He made the observation in a public speech at the third Global Social Business Summit in Vienna, Austria.

In his speech, Prof Yunus also emphasised on social business and urged different companies to come forward in this respect.

“Nowadays everybody holds the Genie of Aladin in hand. In the story, Genie emerges with the touch of hand… Genie is the cell phone having internet connection,” said Dr Yunus.

Citing example, he mentioned that cell phone enables a pregnant woman to know about the condition of her unborn child only by answering some questions through it.

“Cell phone should not be considered only as a medium of income but an opportunity to solve many problems,” said Prof Yunus.

Nasa astronaut Ronald John Garan, who returned to earth on last April after a six-month stay in the space, also expressed his support for social business during his speech.

“I extend my thanks to you [Yunus] for what you have done for the people of this fragile world. This book has travelled with me in the space mission. It rotated around the axis of the earth 2,624 times. The book has travelled 6,53,37,600 miles at a pace of 17,500 miles per hour,” Ronald wrote in the book before presenting it to its writer Prof Yunus.

The activities on the second day of the conference were followed by the presentation of success stories and projects of different companies involved in social business.

The companies are Intel, Violia, Mammu, Village Boom, BASF, Good B and Grameen Creative Club.

The presentation was followed by a video message sent by Hollywood star Hugh Jackman wishing the conference a success.

Prof Yunus also explained how Jackman became a Yunus-follower after reading his book 'Banker to the poor'.

UNTID Chief Philip Dousey Beji spoke on the occasion, focusing on poverty alleviation and Millennium Development Goal.

Two panel discussions--'Social Business and Globalization' and 'Civil Society and Political Structure for Social Business'--were included in the second day schedule of the summit.