From November 6th to November 9th, the ninth edition of the Global social Business Summit was held in Wolfsburg, Germany. The event organized by 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate professor Muhammad Yunus counted with the presence of Peace and Sport who encouraged attendants to invest in social business through sport.
Several themes were discussed, including plastic and circular economy, mobility, solidarity, food as well as sports and social business. About this last issue, Muhammad Yunus explained « I always felt amazed at the limitless power of sport. It is powerful because it is basic to human nature. Where there is power there is always a chance to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. »
Building in professor Yunus vision, Peace and Sport Managing Director Laurent Dupont stated at the session entitled “Sports and Social Business” that: « Social business through sport can help to tackle local social issues. Peace and Sport is currently working with the organization Amigos del Mar in Colombia to tackle poverty, social exclusion and environmental issues through surf. »
This year the Summit had an impressive line-up of speakers such as Ron Garan, Former NASA Astronaut, Gunnar Kilian, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen, Camille Zamora, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Sing for Hope, Dr. Maria Flachsbarth, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development and many others.
In 2017, Peace and Sport signed an MOU during the Peace and Sport International Forumwith the Yunus Centre and the Grameen Creative Lab. Peace and Sport and the Yunus Centre are seeking to reach the most vulnerable people around the world by stimulating both entrepreneurial activity and the practice of sport as a tool for peace. The Social Business Fund gathers the investments of people willing to contribute to the peace-through-sport movement, and reinvest them in social enterprises through sport.
More info on the Global Social Business Summit website here