ISBS 2025 – International Social Business Summit "Three Zeros" Vision

Organized in July 2025 in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, the International Social Business Summit (ISBS) stands as a landmark international gathering aiming to drive social transformation across the Islamic world through social business models. Centered upon the "Three Zeros" (Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, Zero Net Carbon Emissions) objectives, the summit addressed the theoretical and practical dimensions of civil society's role in this domain.

The summit gathered civil society representatives, academicians, and decision-makers from 12 countries. The UNIW delegation from Turkey assumed both a representative and contributing role on this international platform. Keynote speakers during the opening session stressed that achieving these goals requires concrete actions rather than mere rhetoric.

Main Theme: The "Three Zeros" Vision

Shaped under the leadership of Nobel Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus, the "Three Zeros" vision aims to reduce poverty, unemployment, and carbon emissions through social business enterprises. In this context, the following sub-themes emerged prominently during the event:

• Zero Poverty: Re-functionalizing Zakat, Waqf, and related Islamic social finance mechanisms,
• Zero Unemployment: Integrating youth into productive employment through social business entrepreneurship,
• Zero Net Carbon: Promoting eco-friendly waqf projects, green energy, and sustainable consumption culture.

Key Messages and Addresses

• Syeda Rizwana Hasan (Adviser for Environment and Climate Change of Bangladesh) stated in her speech: "It is not enough to articulate values; living and enacting them is what matters." She highlighted that overconsumption and capitalist systemic damage to the ecosystem pose severe future risks, emphasizing that the Zakat system provides a far more equitable wealth distribution model compared to modern tax policies. Referencing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine, she urged Muslim nations to demonstrate concrete, active solidarity.
• Prof. Dr. Halis Yunus Ersöz (Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of Turkey), Prof. Dr. Abdul Hannan Chowdhury (Chairman of Grameen Bank), Eyüp Akbal (UNIW Secretary General), and Dr. Ali Afzal (UNIW Council Member) delivered key addresses ﹝(BSS)﹞.
• Asaduzzaman Sarder (UNDP Bangladesh Representative), in his keynote presentation titled "NGO Leadership for the Three Zeros", called for a systemic approach regarding the ethical and innovative leadership roles of NGOs.
• Eyüp Akbal (UNIW Secretary General) presented papers on the strategic understanding of social business models and mobilizing Islamic financing tools. Meanwhile, Dr. Ali Afzal moderated technical panels supporting knowledge exchange. This participation facilitated active engagement with major international bodies including Grameen, IIIT, and BIIT.

Summit Conclusion and Future Outlook

Upon the conclusion of the event, the following strategic action steps were formulated:

• Enhancing governance, ethical standards, and technical capacity of NGOs,
• Converting Zakat and Waqf capital into social micro-investment enterprises,
• Supporting youth-focused social entrepreneurship programs,
• Disseminating green waqf and environment-centered business models,
• Developing mutual learning networks and scalable projects through international partnerships.

ISBS 2025 re-established the transformative potential of social business models within Islamic civilization as a central focal point. It was evaluated as a vital platform enabling systemic steps toward strengthening NGOs on an ethical foundation, expanding social business enterprises, and achieving environmental sustainability.

By playing an active role in this summit, UNIW laid the foundations for strategic partnerships that will advance Turkey-centered business models globally. Post-event roadmap planning demonstrates that structured frameworks can be constructed on both national and global scales in line with the Three Zeros vision.