New Social Business Paves Way for Clean Water

Professor Muhammad Yunus announced this week the launch of another social business, a joint venture between Grameen Bank and Veolia Water designed to bring drinking water to the poorest people of Bangladesh. Grameen-Veolia Water will supply clean water to more than 100,000 Bangladeshi and expand throughout Bangladesh. Bangladesh is already benefiting from social business ventures previously initiated by Professor Yunus that have been built around producing low-cost nutritious food for children and health care services, all while promoting the local economy and providing real employment opportunities. These ventures are proving that social business can be a revolutionary approach to affect social change.

With Grameen-Veolia Water poised to make clean water a common – rather than precious – commodity, Bangladesh has one more tool to ensure that it meets all the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations. This feat is sure to capture the attention of world leaders and serve as model for other countries seeking real development solutions.

Alex Counts is the President and CEO of Grameen Foundation.

Veolia Water Press Release

More Information

Inventing another pathway to a world without poverty (Pt 2 of 2)

Transforming the world of global business enterprise

Danone and Grameen are, in fact, changing the game of business. They have created a profit-making enterprise where societal contribution is more important than maximizing profit (a “social business”), and opened the door for other new inventions that move us towards a world without poverty.

What could happen in the world of profit-making business if societal contribution became at least the equal of mazimizing profit in boardrooms throughout the world?

Inventing another pathway to a world without poverty (Pt 1 of 2)

What if the enormous power and potential of global business enterprise could become a force for social and environmental transformation just as it has been for the expansion of global commerce?

Grameen Danone – the world’s first “social business” as conceived and presented by Dr. Yunus in his new book – is a brilliant invention. What Grameen and Danone have done with great courage and insight is open the door to a new future – and to a new whole landscape of possibility for creating a world without poverty. And perhaps much more.

Given this first landmark step, what else might now be possible?

For instance, what could happen in the world of profit-making business if “global viability” became the equal of “maximizing profit” in the boardroom?