Yunus addresses youth summit in Japan

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has attended various preparatory meetings of the Tokyo Olympic 2020 and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Youth Summit during his Japan visit from 1 to 4 December, reports UNB.

The youth summit held on Sunday was organised by the IOC and it was attended by 42 young people from 40 countries.

It was part of the young leadership programme of the IOC and was addressed by Thomas Bach, president of IOC, and professor Yunus, according to Yunus Centre.

Prof Yunus emphasised the role that social business can play to leverage the power the athletes have in transforming them into social and community leaders.

“You can mobilise people around the world around one single thing, sport. You are messengers for change, leaders for change. You can bring changes to your communities, to society and to the whole world,” he said.

His speech was followed by a workshop organised by Yunus Sports Hub on how to transform the charity-based social projects usually run by these young people into social businesses.

After the opening of the Summit, Yunus had a meeting with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach.

They reviewed the programmes undertaken by Yunus Sports Hub and the plans for upcoming years.

Bach invited Yunus to attend the Tokyo 2020 Olympic in July, 2020.

Prof Yunus briefed Bach on how to leverage the power of the young people through the Young Change Makers programme, and on the preparations of the Paris Olympic 2024 where professor Yunus is guiding the apex Olympic 2024 platform called Solideo.

Yunus Centre Paris and Les Canaux are associated in helping Paris 2024 to deliver the most inclusive game in the history of Olympics.