Have you ever dreamt of a world without poverty, unemployment problems, and carbon emissions? There is a man who has not only imagined this visionary world but also created a model for promoting this world of imagination. He is our one and only Noble Laureate Dr. Mohammad Younus, the founder of Grameen Bank. He has introduced a concept called “The world of three zeroes” to the world. This model addresses three main problems of our society: poverty, unemployment, and carbon emissions. Let’s dive into this model.
Zero poverty
Poverty is not an inherent condition but the result of the failure of social structures and policies, according to Dr. Younus. To break the cycle of poverty, he advocates for especially women, to provide financial assistance and required opportunities to make them self-dependent. Some financial support and proper guidelines can help them grow in a way that will change their poverty-stricken life.
Zero unemployment
Dr. Younus believes that individuals can become job providers rather than job seekers. Through innovation and creativity, they can create employment opportunities not only for them but also for the other unemployed people.
Zero carbon emission
We all dream of a cleaner world, right? What if we used the concept of three zeroes to make the world more suitable for breathing fresh air? Through this three-zero concept, Dr. Younus has emphasized taking initiatives that will no longer add detrimental carbon dioxide to our planet.
What inspired Dr. Younus to bring up this concept?
Dr. Younus was dissatisfied with the self-centric concept of capitalization which mainly focuses on financial gain rather than social well-being. He had an utmost desire to build a world where human potential and talents would be fully leveraged and everyone would be committed to bringing positive social change. His desire turned to find a ray of light when the pioneering work of Grameen Bank to make people more self-reliant became evident and progressive. A thought about an urgent need to address three interrelated global problems clicked into his meritorious mind and he materialized that idea by introducing the whole world to a completely innovative and powerful concept of “ The world of three zeroes”.
Key strategies to materialize the model:
Exploiting the creativity of the youths
There is nothing that youth cannot do and the power of youth has been acknowledged by Dr. Younus time and again. According to him, youths are the biggest assets that have the power to change the whole world. They have to be given direction, freedom of speech, and required support to use their creativity and innovative mindset in creating new employment.
Using technological power for the well-fare
If technology is used for solving the crucial problems of the world, then a massive transformation will be seen in society. By ensuring the use of technology in the right way, we can ensure sustainable growth which further aligns with the model.
Transforming business into social business
Social business is not the same as traditional business. Self-sustaining enterprises that use their profits to maximize the social impact rather than for personal gain are known as social businesses. These businesses can solve social problems by empowering poor and marginalized people and this is how they can conquer all the obstacles to entrepreneurship.
Ensuring good governance
A society concentrated on accountability, transparency, law enforcement, gender equality, and fundamental rights of citizens is a society we all dream of. If we can ensure good governance, it will be easier to implement the model.
How far has this model been successful?
This model has been globally accepted by many renowned organizations that want to align with the three goals highlighted in the model. For example, Younus social business, Essilor’s social business, Grameen Bank, the Younus center, and many other organizations are actively promoting the initiatives in alignment with the goals of three zeroes. Moreover, Younus’s advocacy has motivated many to think about alternatives that focus on human welfare rather than financial gain only. In fact, a growing number of people worldwide have already started social businesses by realizing its benefits. Overall, the growth of social business in the world is massive, indicating a positive response from the world.
Criticisms of the model
Critics argue by saying that the concept of eliminating poverty, unemployment, and carbon emission is overtly idealistic as these may not be fully attainable under the current framework of the global economy.
Simply introducing the idea of social business may not dismantle profit-centered capitalism.
Critics argue that even if the concept is inspiring, it lacks a detailed roadmap of how to integrate social businesses into the existing economic systems.
The traditional businesses that benefit from the current economic system may resist transforming into a completely new economic paradigm.
There is a chance of this concept being misinterpreted and misapplied by businesses that do not authentically focus on social impact but claim to do so.
Even if the three-zero model is not free from criticism, the effectiveness of this model can no way be denied. So, let’s make wise choices to follow those things that can make the world a better place.
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Writer
Taspia
Intern, Content Writing Department
YSSE