martes, 3 de noviembre de 2015

Rethinking the relationship between business and society

Business can be the most powerful tool in the world today to create positive change. But too much of the business world is still fuelling inequality and poverty rather than solving it. There’s a long way to go before all companies live up to their potential to change business for good.

One new campaign set up to tackle this is Alquity’s Ubuntu People. The word ‘Ubuntu’ originates from Zulu philosophy and means “I am, because we are”. It is a word that acknowledges and respects the reciprocal nature of all human beings on the planet. I was introduced to the concept by Keith Bete, a brilliant entrepreneur whose company Ubuntuism has received lots of support from the wonderful team at the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship.

The idea behind Ubuntu People is to give socially aware young people the chance to engage in the debate about the future of capitalism. They’re invited to share their thoughts on how to fix capitalism and rethink the relationship between business and society, through video, animation, photography, or any medium they see fit.

This is a topic very dear to my heart, and something we are also working towards with The B Team through our projects such as 100% Human At Work. The Virgin Group’s purpose is to change business for good, and we are always keen to learn new ways to continue making more positive change.

The winning submission will win an inspirational trip to Ghana as an Alquity Ambassador and give one young person the chance to address the UN by taking part in Merit360 - a 2-week summit hosted by World Merit, bringing together millennials from all over the world to tackle the Sustainable Development Goals. I am proud to be one of the judges of the Ubuntu People competition and eager to hear some exciting new ideas about changing business for good.

What do you think is an effective way to rethink the relationship between business and society? To enter the competition and learn more visit http://www.alquity.com/ubuntu-people.