G 20 Initiative on Zero Hunger : German Minister Launches 'Berlin Charter" with Yunus

Yunus Centre Press Release (30 April, 2017)

Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus joined German Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, Dr. Gerd Müller, in launching the "Berlin Charter" on "One World No Hunger : Future  of the Rural World"  at the conclusion of a conference held in Berlin on April 28-29.  This conference was held at the end of a series of meetings to draft the Berlin Charter which will be presented at the upcoming G 20 Summit for its adoption as a G 20 strategy. Professor Yunus joined the Minister at the press conference to explain the Charter to the press and his future role in implementation of the Charter in African countries. Professor Yunus was a member of the Advisory Committee for drafting the Charter. The Charter, among other things, emphasizes the role of the youth, social business, microfinance, and technology in achieving the goals of zero hunger, zero malnutrition, zero poverty, youth entrepreneurship and employment, women participation, and fair price to the agricultural producers. This Charter was a part of the German Presidency of G20 and focuses on the future of youth in rural areas of Africa.

Professor Yunus took part in a high level panel entitled ​ "Jobs, jobs, jobs - but who does what?" during the conference on April 27, 2017.  Professor Yunus emphasized that the solution was actually to move away from jobs and focus on youth entrepreneurship. He elaborated his thoughts and experiences on achieving zero youth unemployment. He recounted his experience in creating social business venture capital fund to become partner with the youth to help them turn into entrepreneurs without the fear of loan burden. He also proposed the setting up of social businesses, the non dividend companies that address human problems,  to tackle issues facing African agriculture. He drew attention of the companies from  G 20 countries  operating in Africa to participate in changing the quality of lives of people of Africa by creating social businesses while they make money in Africa and from Africa.

The Berlin Charter calls for action by the  governments, businesses,  and civil society of the world to work together  to lift at least 600 million people out of hunger and under nutrition by 2025, with appropriate agricultural, nutrition and anti- poverty policies and actions.  It  also draws attention to the malnutrition of hidden hunger affecting about 2 billion people because of micronutrient deficiencies, and calls for action to significantly reduce it.

During Professor  Yunus' stay in Berlin, he also addressed a number of other meetings and conferences including one with young high net worth entrepreneurs inviting them to invest in social businesses and  create social business venture capital funds, and a meeting with young entrepreneurs in  Impact Hub, a social business inspired by the Professor Yunus's ideas. It started out in Vienna in 2009, now has operation in 95 cities around the world. Professor Yunus had a meeting with the top executives of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) of Germany to finalise a joint venture social venture project in Vietnam. This project aims at cleaning up Mekong River from all plastic garbage which is threatening the river.

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