Bangladesh wants to be beacon of hope for the world: CA

Bangladesh wants to stand as a beacon of hope for the world, he invited its friends and partners to rewrite inclusive social contracts and to explore the role of social business, financial inclusion, and microfinance in fostering sustainable development and economic opportunities for the marginalised.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus said this while delivering his keynote speech at Earthna Summit in Qatar on Tuesday (April 22).

He said first, the world must expand financial inclusion to reach all marginalised communities empowering individuals with the financial tools they need to build livelihoods and participate fully in the economy.

"Second, we must champion social business as a powerful tool for addressing social and environmental challenges, fostering enterprises that prioritise purpose over profit," the chief adviser said.

Thirdly, he said the world must recognise the crucial role of youth as agents of change, creating platforms for their voices to be heard and investing in their skills and potential.

"Fourthly, we must work towards peace and justice globally, recognising that these are fundamental prerequisites for sustainable development and the well-being of all humanity," he said.

In his fifth proposal, Prof Yunus said the moral obligation of the global community should not be forgotten for providing necessary financing for undertaking the aforementioned activities.

He said developed countries must meet their ODA commitments, particularly the 0.2% GNI target for the LDCs, which remains at 0.09%.

Enhanced concessional financing, with disaster clauses, is critical for sustaining development momentum including in the graduating countries," the chief adviser said.

"Finally, we must create another culture; a counter-culture based on a different lifestyle. This lifestyle will be rooted in zero waste, zero carbon, and an economy based primarily on zero personal profit, i.e., on social business," he said._(Inputs taken from BSS).