Muhammad Yunus offers advice to young era on building a better planet
The “Three Zero Theory ” is a way for the younger generation to a sustainable new society, says Professor Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Laureate scholar and chief adviser to the state of Bangladesh.
Prof Yunus laid out his strong perception in a keynote talk at the first Bimstec Young Gen Forum: Where the Future Matches, hosted on Thursday in Bangkok by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs in partnership with TNN World.
He called on budding companies across the Bay of Bengal area represented by Bimstec to reject antiquated systems in favour of new models for growth.
“If we want to create a new culture, we must keep older ideas behind because they were the crib of the old culture, ” he said.
He proposed a creative foundation called “Three Zero”, referring to zero carbon emissions, zero money focus and zero employment.
Prof Yunus argued that company in this new society must not be driven by greed, which he warned eventually leads to success collecting among a select some.
“ When money becomes concentrated, energy follows. And if energy is not shared with the citizens, world collapses, ” he said.
“We usually brand rising success among the few as ‘development’, ‘economic growth’, or a ‘great economy’. But these are, in reality, seeds of decline. Without equal distribution, society may succeed. ”
He criticised present society’s deep-rooted materialism, stating that the attainment of this at all costs has led to unworkable waste and environmental degradation.
“Life should not be about producing spare, but conserving and protecting the environment, ” said Prof Yunus, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for founding the Grameen Bank and founding entrepreneurship and finance.
Central to his idea of zero employment is a definition of what career means.
Instead of seeking standard jobs, he urged community to motivate people, especially the younger generation, to be entrepreneurs.
“Every human being is born with an entrepreneurial talent, ” he asserted, challenging the current education program.
“Schools really teach kids how to be entrepreneurs, never job seekers. Today’s children have far more probable than earlier generations. ”
To help realise his, Prof Yunus encouraged people aged 12 to 35 to shape “Three Zero Clubs”, community activities dedicated to low-carbon life, success capital, and the entrepreneurial spirit.
“This idea must begin small, in communities, ” he said. “If it works, it can be expanded. Life is about building prototypes. Once you have a working model, the rest becomes easy. If one model works, it can be replicated thousands of times.
“Start small. If you succeed on a small scale, you can conquer the world. ”