The Social Business Forum in Osaka welcomed Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the Westin Hotel Osaka on Saturday, July 27. Over 400 students attended the forum from institutions such as Kwansei Gakuin University, Kansai University, Ritsumeikan University, Doshisha University, and Kobe College together with 100 students from 11 colleges in the Jikei Group of Colleges including Osaka College of Medical Technology, Osaka College of Health and Welfare, and Osaka Communication Arts. The forum was sponsored by UBS Bank and Kyushu University.

 

Dr. Yunus studied economics at Vanderbilt University and then returned to his home country of Bangledesh. He founded the Grameen Bank to spread social business and help poor women shackled by high-interest loans working in cottage industries to achieve independence and escape from poverty. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

 

The forum was held to help young people in Japan understand Dr. Yunas’ idea of social business. In attendance were students from Bangladesh engaged in social business as well as students from Kyushu University promoting social business in Japan.　Students from the Jikei Group interested in social business attended in response to calls from Kyushu University, together with Chairperson Ukifune, who had received an invitation from Dr. Yunus.

 

Students and faculty from Osaka College of High Technology, Shin Osaka Dental Hygienist College, Shin Osaka Dental Technician College, Toyo Medical College, Kyoto College of Medical Health, and Osaka School of Music also joined the forum. These included students studying health care and social welfare who want to be of help to others and students studying manga, anime, music and other subjects who need to possess an interest in all parts of society. Dr. Yunus took to the podium and spoke passionately saying, “Social business is solving social problems using business techniques. Your generation possesses information technology and tools with unprecedented potential and power. However, just like me, you will not be able to help many people at first. When you think there is a social problem, you should approach the problem first by considering what you can do to help the first person, using the power of youth and your sense of justice.” The audience listened sympathetically to Dr. Yunus’ powerful worlds.