24/04/2024
Creativity Shows What Comes Next
Dear companions of the Grameen Creative Lab & Friends of Social Business,
The past years' developments have posed extreme challenges for us humanists. As co-founder and managing director of the Grameen Creative Lab (GCL), I have experienced firsthand, along with many social entrepreneurs, the effects of systemic pressure and global crises.It's hard to accept, especially considering our goal of shaping the interpersonal realm in a loving and peaceful manner. Yet, I now keep asking myself: Do we really want a world without all-encompassing loving solutions? Under the pressure of time and these circumstances, I was compelled to take a difficult decision. In December 2023, I filed for discontinuance of Grameen Creative Lab GmbH as a German-registered entity. This for me represents a significant burden, and it is a challenge for GCL colleagues. But I'm happy to see that the radical systemic change being ushered in by social business entrepreneurship continues to become more vibrant.
For the past 16 years, GCL has worked to initiate tens of thousands of projects that touch a billion people every day. Yes, a billion individuals, whose lives have changed in large measure because of GCL's creativity.
This work will continue. I am now working with committed colleagues to transition the Grameen Creative Lab to a new home-base, with renewed momentum and direction. Once the transition is complete, GCL will remain the platform for ideas, projects, and social business solutions as it always has been. What will change is that GCL's work will be even more aligned to the needs of these challenging times, the strengths of our global community and the depth of our human connections, which are vibrant as always. I am deeply grateful for the support of our volunteers, the incredible spirit of our team members, and the contributions of all employees, whose full commitment have contributed to achieving so many successes. The countless comrades at my side, each of whom has grown beyond themselves, as well as the unconditional partnership with the agency Circ, who themselves have become entrepreneurs, represent for me one of the most beautiful forms of Return on Investment.
Everyone is an entrepreneur and, as I would like to add, everyone is a creative. I look forward to the next chapter together with you and our global family – and as always: do it with Joy!
Hans Reitz
Foto Carolin Auer