By Nigel Thorpe
Chief of the English Copy Desk – Albawaba.
The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switerland is, in a very real sense, the biggest economic think tank in the world. Political and business leaders from around the globe begin to congregate at this popular Swiss resort for this year’s due to run from January 25 – 30. As at previous meetings, the delegates will seek multilateral solutions to many of the world’s more pressing socio-economic problems.
Short on specifics, previous annual forums have concentrated on general consideration of how best to apply modern technology to the world’s perennial problems. The crisis in the Russian and Japanese economies, and the emergence of new Chinese markets, have been high on previous agendas. This year, the potential economic repercussions of Geoge W. Bush’s elevation to the White House a few days ago are likely to figure prominently during the first stages of the discussion.
The second US-orientated topic is likely to be whether America is due for a recession or merely a slowdown after its lengthy economic boom. Delegates are well aware that one impact of globilisation is that when America catches cold, the world sneezes. This year, in fact, the delegates plan to discuss what the organizers call the “globilisation backlash” and what role remains for national governments in a global age. As in other years, they are likely to agonize over how a balance can be achieved between economic efficiency and social justice. A CNN Davos correspondent summarised this year’s four main topics of discussion as “being business and technology, world economy, ethical choices” and this year's special subject and wondered if “2001 would be the era of Europe.”
Last year, the Davos delegates spoke a great deal about the riots in Seattle at the World Trade Organisation meeting that meet shortly before the Davos 2000 forum. This year, the forum’s organizers are looking to the Swiss police to prevent violent demonstrations in the streets surrounding the conference center. Meanwhile, the demonstrators, who are beginning to arrive in large numbers, are certain to accuse the delegates of belonging to a “capitalist-club” on the well-heeled side of the “digital divide” that separates the “haves” from the “have-nots”. A telling statistic circulated by the demonstrators is the fact that a Davos delegate spends as much in one night on their Swiss hotel accommodation as a “have-not” in an under-developed country spends in a complete year.
If the delegates can, for once come up with concrete proposals to solve at least some of the world’s deepening problems, the demonstrators might, for once, feel that money invested in the World Economic Forum has been well spent.
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
