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« on: January 22, 2008, 02:14:14 PM » |
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The hot ticket at Davos last year was the “dialogue in the dark” event, when delegates at the World Economic Forum were plunged into complete darkness to experience the loss of sight. This seems an apt metaphor for the blindness of the world’s elite to the fragility of the global financial system. The business leaders and policymakers flocking to the Swiss mountain resort of Davos this week will share little of last year’s jubilation over the strength of the global economy and the prospects for companies. Though the conference is titled “the power of collaborative innovation”, it is bound to concentrate on fears of political and economic uncertainty. Even Klaus Schwab, the founder of the Davos meetings, sounds downbeat: “The discussions in Davos will certainly be very dominated by the economic challenges we have at the moment – the aftermath of the subprime crisis, the transfer of capital from energy-consuming to energy-producing countries, inflationary tendencies.” Or as David Nadler, vice chairman of Marsh & McLennan, the professional services company, echoed: “With so many potential consequences of the 2007 liquidity crunch unresolved, the outlook at the beginning of 2008 is more uncertain than it was a year ago.” With the state of the financial world having seen a dramatic turnabout in the past year, WEF organisers have staged a series of high-profile debates on financial stability and banking risk, and there will be a flurry of senior bankers in attendance, ranging from JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon to Goldman Sachs’ Lloyd Blankfein – as well as some of the newly appointed Wall Street chief executives such as John Thain at Merrill Lynch. As striking is the large contingent of senior US regulators and policymakers – a reflection perhaps of the pressure the US financial community feels to convince the rest of the world that it has the country’s banking woes under control. For while Hank Paulson, US Treasury secretary, has had to cancel a planned appearance due to the looming US fiscal package, Timothy Geithner of the New York Federal Reserve, Christopher Cox of the Securities and Exchange Commission are among those in attendance. They will be joined by a clutch of senior European policymakers – such as Jean Claude Trichet of the European Central Bank and many European finance ministers – allowing a flurry of transatlantic behind-the-scenes debate about global policy responses to the credit crunch before next month’s crucial meeting of the Group of Seven finance ministers and the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. It is in those forums that the decisions will be taken, but is at Davos where the main players can see if consensus will be possible in a less formal and more private environment. Another notable swathe of attendees – which marks a contrast with earlier years – comes from the sovereign wealth funds, and other manifestations of the cash that continues to swirl around Asia’s exporters and the oil-rich Gulf. Officials from the China Investment Corporation and Dubai International Capital, for example, will all be in attendance – and a planned debate on their investments could be a highlight of the meeting. Indeed, sovereign wealth funds could overshadow one topic that was prominent at last year’s event: the role that private equity now plays in the global economy. For while the Harvard professor Josh Lerner is due to release a landmark report on the sector – which was commissioned at last year’s Davos event – the turn in the credit cycle means that buy-out funds are no longer generating so much fear. Another sign of the shift in sentiment is the inclusion of a new set of topics on this year’s agenda: competition for global commodity resources. For the first time Davos is staging a series of debates about food supplies – a topic that could generate lively debate given the recent sharp rise in many agricultural commodity prices, and the political challenges this is generating in emerging economies. With all these important debates and discussions going on, WEF delegates might be in need of some peace during the week. Cue the “dialogue in silence” sessions, where they will learn to “communicate our messages in a clear manner and understand others beyond oral communication”. |
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All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately
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« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2008, 02:16:18 PM » |
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Business leaders heading to Davos for their annual dose of alpine networking might not realise it but their standing among global decision-makers is remarkably good. Some of the world’s biggest companies are reeling from the aftershocks of the credit crunch and some once-feted chief executives such as Merrill Lynch’s Stan O’Neal and Citigroup’s Chuck Prince have been ousted after their companies suffered multi-billion-dollar write-offs. But when Edelman, the public relations company, asked 3,100 representatives of the “opinion elite” – college-educated, wealthy, well-informed individuals in 18 countries – which institution they trusted, their answer was: business. The study, to be presented at the World Economic Forum that opens on Wednesday in Davos, found that business beat government and the media in the trust scales. Only non-governmental organisations scored a comparable level of trust. Edelman’s “Trust Barometer” found that leaders of the future were even more trusting of business than their older counterparts. Respondents between the ages of 25 and 34 showed higher trust in business than the 35-64 cohort in nine of the 12 countries polled for this category, including the US, China, Japan and the UK. Robert Bloom, a former US chief executive of Publicis, the advertising group, and author of the business strategy book The Inside Advantage, regards this “trust premium” as crucial for companies. “Trust is a very powerful emotional lever on customers,” he says. The Edelman study confirms this view: most of those polled said they would not buy products and services from a company they distrusted and, conversely, would take their custom to one they trusted. But Edelman unearthed some disturbing trends for US companies. Despite being highly trusted on their home turf, US blue chip companies such as the oil group Exxon Mobil and McDonald’s, the restaurant chain, found little sympathy among Europe’s educated elites. Exxon, for example, is trusted by nearly half of US respondents but only one in four British, French and German opinion-makers. Even more worrying for corporate bosses is their poor reputation as communicators among western elites. Fewer than one in four Americans and only one in three Europeans said they regarded a chief executive as a “credible” spokesperson for the company – an indication that the Enron-era scandals and more recent examples of huge payoffs for ousted executives still weigh on the public’s mind. “There is an issue of pay and performance and of rewarding perceived failure,” says Richard Edelman, the PR firm’s chief executive. “In addition, I am not sure that chief executives are getting out there and tackling important issues such as the environment.” But, in their battle to regain public trust, chief executives will have to fight some unexpected enemies. When young US opinion leaders were asked to choose the most credible source for corporate information, a surprising 55 per cent mentioned Wikipedia. The free online encyclopedia, written by users with minimal editing, came out above traditional outlets such as television and radio, and even above much-trumpeted “new media” such as blogs and social networking sites. Only articles in business publications scored more highly. For Mr Edelman, Wikipedia’s status as a fount of knowledge on corporate matters is a function of the democratisation of modern media. “Wikipedia, just like Google, represents the vox populi,” he says. |
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All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately
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« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2008, 02:19:22 PM » |
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- From January 23 to 27 the sleepy Swiss town of Davos will be overrun with some of the biggest names in business and politics for five days of talking, networking, schmoozing and skiing. Both former UK prime minister Tony Blair and musician Bono will be at this year's event. They're gathering for the annual World Economic Forum, an event that has become a highlight in the business calendar. Set up in 1971 by business management guru and philanthropist, Professor Klaus Schwab, what began as a symposium on management techniques has evolved into an annual event funded by 1,000 of the world's biggest corporations that aims to "make the world a better place." It's a measure of the importance ascribed to the World Economic Forum among world leaders that it can regularly attract the biggest names in business and economics, plus some of the world's political heavyweights, but in previous years there's also been something of a celebrity factor with Angelina Jolie rubbing shoulders with CEOs in 2006 and Bono attracting the paparazzi in 2007. It might have added some glitz to the occasion, but led to accusations that it discredited it as a serious event. Perhaps aware of the criticism, there aren't too many celebrities on this year's list of notable attendees, although Bono will be there again. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will attend a number of sessions, with his predecessor Tony Blair one of this year's co-chairs along with Henry Kissinger. Other notable confirmed attendees include Al Gore, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, heads of state from Africa, Asia and Europe, as well as representatives from Iran, the WTO and EU. Professor Schwab describes the event at Davos as "bringing together the key decision makers from all walks of life to address the challenges on the global agenda," and each year the event has a broad theme within which to frame the sessions. In 2007 it was the "shifting power equation," and this year it is the "power of collaborative innovation" looking at how to develop a common agenda in a time of rapid innovation and change. While the main themes and the discussion around them will focus on the economic, speakers and thinkers from the world of science, technology and even the arts will also be Davos-bound. "The focus is economic, but everything today, fortunately, or unfortunately, is related to economics. We want to make sure that life is not forgotten -- and life is values, its culture and its societal engagement," says Schwab. The intellectual scope is just as large as the size of the event. Among the 235 sessions at this year's forum on business and economics are a number of seminars touching on greater human issues, including ones entitled "The Science of Love" and "Defining Human Greatness: Why Culture Matters." What does Davos achieve?While the motto of the World Economic Forum is "making the world a better place," many question whether it actually achieves anything. Some commentators have criticized the annual event as nothing more than an elitist talking shop for the rich and powerful -- an alternative event focusing in on global society rather than business, the World Social Forum, was set up in opposition in 2001. From its modest beginnings the WEF has turned into an annual jamboree for business leaders in a chocolate box setting, which many openly admit is as much an opportunity to network on the ski slopes and maybe get ahead in business as it is to share ideas and make efforts to uphold the event's worthy aim. As a discussion forum rather than a summit, it's hard to quantify whether it does go some way to improving the state of the world, working more in the realm of influence rather than real change. However the World Economic Forum points to a number of initiatives announced at previous forums as successes, including a program to combat HIV in Africa backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that has seen some real achievements, and a global greenhouse gas register was set up to promote transparency on how companies contribute to climate change. But as all activities initiated at Davos are voluntary there is a lack of accountability, which make some critics doubt that even the most earnest promises by CEO's will be kept. The event can seem like a closed shop with heavy security in attendance, but the event is actually open to the public with a number of open sessions -- although with the town's hotels booked months in advance by attendees and the world's media, few people outside of business or politics travel to the small Swiss town. This year the World Economic Forum has tried to address that by encouraging public participation through The Davos Question and setting up a YouTube booth in the town where those attending can record their comments and thoughts at the event. |
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All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately
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« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2008, 02:22:00 PM » |
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To bookmark this page: www.oecd.org/davos2008 OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría will speak at several key debates at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, from 23-27 January 2008. Details of his participation at the World Economic Forum can be found here. The subjects range from fighting corruption and managing financial risk to sustaining economic growth and ensuring safe water for the future. Javier Santiso, Acting Director of OECD Development Centre, will attend (his agenda can be found here) as will Susanne Huttner, OECD Director of Science, Technology and Industry (her agenda can be found here). The Davos event brings together leaders from business, government, the media, academia, the arts and civil society. The 2008 meeting is entitled "The Power of Collaborative Innovation". The global challenges to be discussed are divided into five main themes: Business (Competing while Collaborating); Economics and Finance (Addressing Economic Insecurity); Geopolitics (Aligning Interests across Divides); Science and Technology (Exploring Nature’s New Frontiers); and Values and Society (Understanding Future Shifts). OECD provides a wealth of analysis and data on many the issues being discussed at Davos. Links to a selection of relevant reports and other documents can be found below. Overview of main issues BusinessPolicy Framework for Investment Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises Participative Web and User-Created Content: Web 2.0, Wikis and Social Networking Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2007 Economics and FinancePreventing investment protectionism Financial Market Trends Private equity and activist hedge funds (.pdf, 1.27 MB) International Investment Perspectives GeopoliticsLatin American Outlook (November 2007) African Economic Outlook (May 2007) Economic Survey of India (October 2007) Climate change Pensions at a Glance 2007 Health at a Glance 2007 Science and TechnologyThe Internet Economy: Towards a better future Nanotechnology Understanding the Brain Science and innovation Values and SocietyMeasuring the progress of societies Globalisation and policy coherence Migration The water challenge: understanding the issues OECD Factbook 2007 For further information, journalists are invited to contact the OECD Media Relations Division at news.contact@oecd.org ; (tel: [33] 1 45 24 97 00). Also available:L'OCDE au Forum économique mondial à Davos (French) Related documents: OECD Secretary-General's Davos Agenda (English) OECD Development Centre Deputy Director Javier Santiso's Davos Agenda (English) OECD Director for Science, Technology and Industry Susanne Huttner's Davos Agenda (English) |
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All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately
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« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2008, 02:27:13 PM » |
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World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2008
The Power of Collaborative Innovation
http://www.weforum.org/en/events/AnnualMeeting2008/index.htm
23-27 January, Davos, Switzerland Watch the pre-Davos press conference
"The global agenda today can be looked at on two axis. On the vertical side, what are the issues that require collaboration? and on the horizontal, what are the issues that require innovation?"
Lee Howell, Senior Director, Head of Asia and Head of Global Agenda, World Economic Forum
For over three decades, the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting has provided an unrivalled platform for leaders from all walks of life to shape the global agenda at the start of each year. At the core is its multistakeholder model that leverages the collective wisdom of leaders from business, government, the media, academia, the arts and civil society by building a global platform for collaboration and action to address priorities on the global agenda. The Power of Collaborative Innovation Looking to the future, it becomes readily apparent that complexity, competing interests and scarce resources remain the greatest obstacles to progress on the global agenda in the absence of greater leadership and global stewardship. It is in this challenging context that the World Economic Forum will highlight The Power of Collaborative Innovation as the principal theme for the Annual Meeting 2008 in Davos. A "shifting power equation" was the framework in which the global agenda was discussed in Davos at the beginning of 2007. As we look towards 2008, this shift will continue to influence the strategies of business, government and other stakeholders in the world economy. But closer examination of the international environment also reveals that leadership vacuums are beginning to emerge on a wide range of critical issues looming on the horizon. Moreover, a paradox has emerged in our networked world where knowledge is ubiquitous and change is rapid, but the absence of a common vision and agenda ensures that the status quo will be maintained with respect to major global challenges. The focus on collaboration and innovation underscores the opportunity to leverage the Forum’s multistakeholder model so that platforms can be built for like-minded communities to initiate necessary changes together. The Annual Meeting 2008 programme will be based on the following five conceptual pillars: Business Competing While Collaborating Economics and Finance Addressing Economic Insecurity Geopolitics Aligning Interests across Divides Science and Technology Exploring Nature’s New Frontiers Values and Society Understanding Future Shifts Co-Chairs Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1997-2007); Member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum James Dimon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, JPMorgan Chase & Co., USA K.V. Kamath, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, ICICI Bank, India Henry Kissinger, Chairman, Kissinger Associates, USA Indra K. Nooyi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo, USA David J. O'Reilly, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chevron Corporation, USA Wang Jianzhou, Chief Executive, China Mobile Communications Corporation, People's Republic of China Quotes  "Collaboration, the main theme of this year's Davos meeting, is the keyword to make progress on the issues of climate change, Africa's development and the global economy. As this year's G8 Chair, Japan will take a lead in addressing these challenges." -Yasuo Fukuda, Prime Minister of Japan  "His Holiness is appreciative of the service to development and human dignity rendered by the projects of the World Economic Forum, which are the fruit of dialogue between men and women coming from a variety of cultures and religions" -His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI |
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All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately
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« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2008, 02:37:36 PM » |
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All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately
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« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2008, 02:43:08 PM » |
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  The Davos Climate Alliance is an Initiative of the World Economic Forum to promote sound measures and best practice aimed at mitigating carbon related risks. http://www.davosclimatealliance.org/ The Davos Climate Alliance is a joint Initiative of the World Economic Forum with its members PricewaterhouseCoopers, SGS, Swiss Re, Swisscom and Swiss International Airlines as partners of the Initiative.  Christoph Franz Chief Executive Officer Swiss International Air Lines André Schneider Managing Director and COO World Economic Forum Join our Initiative and offset your emissions! The endeavors to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions ought to focus primarily on technological innovations, operational measures and infrastructure efficiencies within our industries and organizations. Offsetting the greenhouse gas emissions of all this years WEF participants would be a strong signal to our joint commitment. NEXT EVENTSWORLD ECONOMIC FORUM Annual Meeting Davos, Switzerland (23.01.2008 - 23.01.2008) Approximately 7'500 tons CO2-equivalent have to be compensated for the Annual Meeting Davos 2008. more info COMPENSATE THIS EVENT NOW! Audi fleet at the World Economic Forum:13 percent lower CO2 emissions Brand with four rings offers chauffeur service in Davos Cars are powered by environmentally sound GTL fuel Download Press Release (PDF, 120kb) World Economic Forum Pre-Davos Press Conference See a video statement of André Schneider on YouTube~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The main objectives of the Initiative are:To rise awareness about the issue of climate change among decision makers to motivate those in the private sector to approach the climate change issue in a constructive way. The DCA constitutes a platform to offer concrete action to offset individually produced greenhouse gas emissions generated by attending the Annual Meeting. Join our programme: Offset your greenhouse gas emissions due to participating at World Economic Forum 2006! to promote sound measures/best practices aimed at mitigating carbon related risks by providing a platform for the exchange of ideas, experiences and initiating joint programs See a video statement from André Schneider (Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the World Economic Forum) here. The rainforest captures only a part of the worldwide CO2-emissions. |
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All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately
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« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2008, 04:50:26 AM » |
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Davos 2: A Davos welcome  3 min - Jan 23, 2008 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2776491891518822504UNFCCC Executive Secretary responds to The Davos Question  2 min - Jan 23, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvihkoabKL0ODI responses to YouTube's The Davos Question  12 min - Jan 23, 2008 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4868610045084710350The davos question, response  53 sec - Jan 23, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyBKk0kX-PMPeople's lives are the important thing.  2 min - Jan 23, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq-bdjjFwJs The Davos Question: Short and Simple  40 sec - Jan 23, 2008 - (1 rating) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gprzCxfbTzobilly(greenmachine24)BEST SPIN EVER  9 sec - Jan 23, 2008 - (1 rating) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myBjVai3tAMAshkan's response to Davos question 56 sec - Jan 23, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ngs2Ct-wTA The Davos Answer 1 min - Jan 23, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46mZAyBBxDk |
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All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately
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« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2008, 04:52:38 AM » |
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The davos Question 5 min - Jan 22, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1bTro2KPjsSkyNews: Technology Helping The Developing World 6 min - Jan 22, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPS7SVw32ecKoja Design - Davos Response 5 min - Jan 22, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhE7ZjJLjc8Help people get off of welfare 10 min - Jan 22, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsBECBV7NsUAnti-WEF-Demo BERN 19 Januar 2008 7 min - Jan 22, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b_n8IzNbEIAnti-WEF-Demo BERN 19 Januar 2008 5 min - Jan 22, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U7G0DzXzj4Jeff Joerres, CEO, Manpower 7 min - Jan 22, 2008 - (1 rating) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtKNgacp35M |
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All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately
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trixi1
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« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2008, 01:19:28 PM » |
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All that needs to be highlighted for me is some of the attendees, such as Blair, Gore and Kissinger.
If they're really into protecting the climate and climate change, they wouldn't all be hopping on board their private planes, etc. and jetting over to a town for only a few days, blah blah blah.
Conferencing on a large computer in one's town of residence would be the most obvious and effective way to protect the climate. But then again, isn't it really about "do as we say, not as we do" to these guys. We've seen through their fog-covered, rose-colored glasses years ago. As well, they can buy their credits and penalize the rest of us, right?
Now it's about time that someone is able to keep these shills quiet and stop trying to sell all their disinfo crap to "we the people".
WAKE UP EVERYONE! IF YOU BUY INTO THIS CLIMATE IS THREATENED BS, EXPECT SOME VERY HEAVY TAX BURDONS TO BE PLACED UPON YOU IN THE FUTURE (AND NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE AT THAT)!
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John 3:16 teaches us: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 14:6 says: "I am the way the truth and the life; NO MAN cometh unto the Father BUT BY ME."
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