Urging his audience to imagine a poverty-free world, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus has said no problem will remain unresolved when business gets involved with solving problems.
‘The distance between the possible and the impossible is shrinking. It’s just a matter of our imagination. Let’s imagine a world wherethere’s no poverty. Let’s imagine a world where there’s no unemployment,’ Yunus said.
He made the remarks while delivering the keynote address at the New Hampshire Social Business and Microfinance Forum at the University of New Hampshire on Monday, said a media release on Tuesday.
The conference was inaugurated by the speaker of the New Hampshire State legislature Terie Norellin, and the welcome speech was delivered by US congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter.
The conference was convened to discuss the top social business projects and select the winners of social innovation challenge competition which involved college students, community members and social entrepreneurs from across New Hampshire to develop business-oriented solutions to social and environmental issues at the state, national or global levels.
A total of 30 judges from various organisations around US were involved in selecting the winners in this competition.
Competitors participated in two groups – one among the organisations outside university and another for students of all universities and colleges of New Hampshire State.
A total of 122 projects were submitted, of which eight projects from each category were short-listed.
Projects were related to clean water, waste management, income generation among refugees, and others.
The top three prize winners received their awards from Muhammad Yunus.
‘With Muhammad Yunus’ vision and world-changing achievements to inspire us, the New Hampshire community embraces its commitment to innovation and progress in social business and celebrates the promise of the collaborations that we imagine, build and strengthen through today’s forum,’ UNH president Mark Huddleston said.
Some 300 representatives from all universities and colleges of New Hampshire attended the event.
Professor Huddleston announced that the university would make this competition an annual event considering the warm response it has received throughout the state.
-With UNB/New Age input
