A Lesson from Asia: Discovery in Kuala Lampur

As any other tourist in Kuala Lampur, capital of Malaysia and trade-hub in the region, I was doing my shopping in the malls when I made a shocking discovery. For the first time in my life I found something that excites me in a main stream environment: a T-Shirt advertising social business. I had to give it a second look before I believed it but it took me just 2 seconds to purchase. 

It’s produced by the leading Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo – equivalent to GAP – for its anniversary, and it’s a partnership with the Nobel Prize Laureate Mohammed Yunus’ Grameen.

This is not just a smart CSR campaign but a first entry of what I believe is the beginning of a new socio-economic model for society in the mainstream retail market and people’s fantasy: fashion!

Despite American and European shouting about social enterprise it’s a Japanese fashion company taking the first step. Who said we don’t have anything to learn from Asia about making a better world?

For far too long social innovators have kept themselves away from the people to  preserve their purity. They claim they are better but forget that they are not so relevant if they linger in a corner. Unfortunately such a minority will never change the world.

I am fed up with this isolatory attitude. It’s time to go public, better say popular launching a new trend based on a combined smart development, environmental sustainability, and social justice.

31st December is the best day for such a resolution isn’t it? Personally, I will do my part trying to put the European Union on this track.

Perhaps we could start with something simple like a prize by the EU for social enterpreneurs and innovators, open to everybody in the world. I don’t want to sound pretentious.