The 8th annual Global Social Business Summit (GSBS) took place in Paris, France on Monday 6 & 7 November 2017, bringing together over 700 delegates from around the world for the first time. Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus hosted the Summit organized by Yunus Centre, Grameen Creative Lab, Germany and the Paris Mayor’s office. The theme for this year’s Summit was: ‘New Wave of Hope!’
With the participation of delegates from the private sector, civil society, governments and academia, the event focused on discussion, collaboration and the sharing of best practices around social business and its positive impact.
While inaugurating the event, Mayor of Paris Ms. Anne Hidalgo acknowledged Professor Muhammad Yunus’s contribution to the entire world through his work for poverty alleviation, ensuring gender equality and environment. She also appreciated Professor Yunus’s initiative to bring sports and social business together by supporting Paris to host the Summer Olympic 2024 as the first-ever social business-centric Olympic. The Mayor reaffirmed her commitment to make Paris world’s social business city.
Her Excellency Queen Sofia of Spain, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Maria Theresa, Deputy Mayor of Paris Antoinette Guhl, UN Assistant Secretary General for SDGs Thomas Gass and President of World Business Council Perer Bakker were present at the inauguration ceremony. The Mayor of Paris formally handed over the honorary citizenship of the French capital to Professor Yunus at the inaugural session of the Summit.
The Summit focused on the following topics — Food and its Value, Plastic Pollution, Solidarity and Refugees and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
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Ms. Parveen Mahmud (Managing Director, Grameen Telecom Trust) presented at the Deep Dive session, a parallel session that took place on the 6 November 2017. There she presented a short video on Grameen Telecom Trust’s (GTT) activities and gave a power point presentation on the Joint Venture Programs of GTT. Ms Lamiya Morshed (Executive Director, Yunus Centre) inaugurated this session.
On the 2nd day of Global Social Business Summit a workshop on Nobin Udyokta Program was held. The four Grameen companies implementing the NU program gave presentation on the NU program. The workshop was moderated by Ms. Parveen Mahmud where she also presented a video on Nobin Udyokta Program and discussed about the statistical overview of the Nobin Udyokta Program. Mr. Abdul Hai Khan (Managing Director, Grameen Trust), Ms Nazneen Sultana (Managing Director, Grameen Communications), Ms. Saleha Begum (Managing Director, Grameen Shakti Shamajik Byabosha), Tazbinur Rahman (General Manager, Grameen Kalyan), Mr Amir Khashru (General Manager, Yunus Center) and Mr. Jayanta Kumer Bosu (Team Leader, Grameen Telecom Trust) were also among the panelists who presented about the Nobin Udyokta Program. Mr. Sultan Ahmed Bhuiyan (CFO & Board Secretary, Grameen Telecom Trust). Mr. Sultan Ahmed Bhuiyan (CFO & Board Secretary, Grameen Telecom Trust) also spoke about the importance of accounts and finance with respect to the Nobin Udyokta Program.
