Позитивные изменения. Том 3, № 4 (2023). Positive changes. Volume 3, Issue 4(2023) - Редакция журнала «Позитивные изменения»

The forum was organized and operated by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency. In his opening remarks, Mr. Lee Sung-hee, Deputy Minister Responsible, Ministry of Employment and Labor of the Republic of Korea, expressed his gratitude to the participants and highlighted the UN General Assembly resolution adopted in April of 2023. This resolution emphasizes strengthening the social and solidarity economy, thereby acknowledging its significant contribution to sustainable development.

A pioneer in this field, Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Prize winner[77] and founder of Grameen Bank, was the forum’s keynote speaker. He presented his famous concept of “A World of Three Zeros,”[78] addressing some of today’s most pressing global challenges.

CIVILIZATION 3–0

The prevailing economic model is inherently suicidal, leading inexorably to the destruction of humanity, Prof. Yunus believes. At the Forum, he outlined the three key threats posed by this model.

The first threat is an environmental catastrophe, which we are largely ignoring. Prof. Yunus likened our situation to a house on fire, where we continue to live our lives, blissfully unaware or in denial of the imminent danger of heat and smoke. He rhetorically asked the audience: “Wouldn’t it be wiser to leave the house, extinguish the fire, and then continue to enjoy life?” This echoes the words of French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, who once suggested that humanity seems destined to destroy itself, rendering the Earth uninhabitable in the process.”[79]

The second threat is the alarming concentration of global wealth in the hands of a few. Most of the world’s capital flows in one direction only — to the upper crust of the society. While the majority labor to produce goods like clothing, technology, and food, they receive only a fraction of the wealth generated, a trend that seems set to continue indefinitely. As wealth accumulates, those at the top grow richer, while the economic situation for those at the bottom remains largely unchanged.

An environmental catastrophe, the alarming concentration of global wealth in the hands of a few, the growing problem of unemployment — these global threats are a natural result of the current civilization’s philosophy.

The third issue is the growing problem of unemployment, exacerbated by the rapid development of artificial intelligence. AI’s proliferation is increasingly replacing human roles in the workforce, relegating humans to redundant positions and contributing to a society of waste producers.

Prof. Yunus argues for a fundamental reshaping of our civilization, where the world is “shared among all, not monopolized by some.” The current civilization’s philosophy, he argues, leads inevitably to these global threats. The new civilization should not just tweak but completely overhaul the existing system, prioritizing human values over profit — because we are humans, not machines for generating money. However, it is not enough to just talk about values; we must live them out daily. By doing so, we can reduce existing problems to ‘three zeros’ (3–0).

Yunus suggests starting with redefining business. Today’s businesses are primarily focused on maximizing profit, often ignoring the environmental and social costs of their operations, failing to pay attention to the waste and byproducts left behind. Prof. Yunus criticizes this ‘garbage-producing economy’ and proposes a shift towards businesses that are less focused on growth and more conscious of their environmental and social impact.

A key initiative Prof. Yunus proposes is the concept of “Three Zeros Clubs,” where groups of five individuals make three voluntary commitments: to reduce their contributions to global warming, wealth concentration, and unemployment. Gradually, club members start implementing these principles in their own lives, step by step, day by day, eventually becoming “zero contributors” to the existing world order and turning into “3–0 persons.” Once all five club members achieve zero contribution, this gradual approach can scale up to 3–0 families, 3–0 communities, and 3–0 cities. From there, it’s only a small step to creating a 3–0 world. The journey to these global changes starts with a small step — each person’s individual contribution. Alongside the 3–0 civilization is the idea of a “zero-waste” life, with people cutting down on their consumption levels, limiting their purchases, and minimizing waste production.

Prof. Yunus challenges the conventional aspiration of securing a prestigious job, likening traditional employment to a form of slavery that stifles human creativity and potential. He advocates for entrepreneurship as a path to self-realization, instead of subservient adherence to rules and orders, highlighting the importance of unleashing human creativity through activity. To achieve this, he says, one must be an entrepreneur, taking independent steps towards self-realization.

Comparing a profit-driven business with one aimed at addressing real-life problems, Prof. Yunus points out that true happiness comes from making others happy. This, according to Yunus, is the essence of social entrepreneurship.

BUILDING A SOCIAL BUSINESS AT EVERY LEVEL

François Bonnici, Director of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and Head of Foundations at WEF, expanded on the theme of social business. He refreshed the forum participants’ understanding of what constitutes a social economy and shared insights from the Schwab Foundation’s report “Unlocking the Social Economy.”

The social economy is a broad term encompassing enterprises that employ free market mechanisms to reach socially significant objectives. Currently, social entrepreneurship contributes up to 7 % of the global GDP, with some countries reaching as much as 10–12 %. Governments are increasingly pivoting towards sustainable development, and the social sector is playing a pivotal role in this shift. Bonnici presented a living example, joining the Forum online from Brazil, where he was engaged in high-level negotiations as an expert in launching the impact economy.

Since the turn of the millennium, over 20 countries have enacted laws related to social entrepreneurship and the social economy. In 2022, the International Labor Organization and the OECD issued their first recommendations on the social and solidarity