Post date: Jan 25, 2013 10:33:45 PM
Catalyzing, and coping, with change was on the agenda on the fourth day of the 43rdWorld Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on January 24. World leaders discussed economic growth in emerging markets, shifting workplace demographics, and the future of the Middle East.
DAVOS-KLOSTERS, SWITZERLAND (25 JANUARY 2013) (WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM) - On the economic front, Friday's proceedings began with a note of optimism.European Central Bank Mario Draghi said he saw "substantial improvement of financial conditions" and foresaw the start of recovery in the second half of this year.
Both Malaysia's prime minister and Turkey's deputy prime minister attributed their success in avoiding economic meltdown in the past few years to encouraging a thriving private sector.In a discussion of the U.S. economy, economist Joseph Stiglitz said government austerity measures had undermined the confidence that created jobs. CongressmanEric Cantor, on the other handed, blamed wide-ranging lack of confidence in institutions
In the United States and Europe, women comprise only 3-4% of the CEOs and board chairs of companies, and there are even fewer in other world regions. The scarcity of women leaders has led to a dearth of women in economic decision-making. Forum attendees discussed the well-documented economic benefits of involving women leaders in running companies. Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, noted the various kinds of discrimination that fuel the continued gender leadership gap, while Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the IMF, pointed out that mainstream development barriers are also barriers to women assuming leadership. Among the remedies proposed is greater turnover in company board competition, since board members often serve for longer than their original term.
Companies in which the CEO has made promoting women a priority have seen accelerated improvement, and are better at helping women move beyond middle management. For widespread change to happen, it is incumbent upon men, who currently dominate the C-suite and decisionmaking, to promote and mentor women. All discussion participants were very clear that they did not intend for women to be promoted unless their work was off the appropriate calibre.
In its second year, the Forum's Global Shapers Community unites people determined to make a difference in their communities into local area "Hubs". Global Shapers, all of whom are under age 30, provide a youthful perspective to forum debates. One such shaper, Meghann Gunderman, discussed an entrepreneurship project completed by her hub in Charlotte, North Carolina, and characterized the action-oriented nature of her generation, "The Millenials."
One priority for that generation is green energy. Renault-Nissan Alliance Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn announced that Zurich was the latest city to move towards a Green Taxi fleet, following in the steps of Amsterdam, New York, Tokyo, Mexico City and Sao Paolo. By 2015, Zurich expects that 15 percent of its taxis will be electric Nissan LEAF cars, powered by an extensive network of fast chargers. Ghosn said that such initiatives can help increase demand for electric cars, which will drive research and reduce the costs of the cars for the general public.
The Middle East, and particularly the deteriorating situation in Syria, dominated the second half of the day.
His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan called the world community to act boldly and without delay on a range of issues, in particular on Syria. He encouraged businesses and investors to enter the Middle East and North Africa region, not to delay because of uncertainty or risk. He made an appeal for assistance on behalf of Syrian refugees, many of whom are living in camps within Jordan and struggling to survive the cold winter. King Abdullah also pressed for immediate action on addressing the Palestinian situation, and warned that time is running out to implement the "two-state solution," a plan to resolve the situation in the Mideast by creating separate and independent Israeland Palestinian states.
On Syria itself, former Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa that the regime would eventually be replaced, following in the broader context of change in the region. By what or whom, he could not say.
A number of Arab leaders took part in a debate about the changes in their region since the Arab Spring two years ago. Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan said they had to admit to the lack of liberties and of women's rights that had prevailed in the Arab world. But the Egyptian Prime Minister said the best way to achieve the goals of the Egyptian revolution was now hard work, calling on Tahrir Square protesters to stop protesting and get back to work.
One corner of the Congress Centre is devoted to the Photo Booth, where delegates can be captured holding up campaign messages relating to development issues. It's all part of the "Big Push" campaign mounted by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The wall of the booth carries photos of major political and entertainment figures holding campaign placards, shot all around the world over a period of 13 months, since just before the previous Annual Meeting. Actress Charlize Theron and British Prime Minister David Cameron are among those who've stepped in for portraits over the past few days. The pictures are published on the Huffington Post website and distributed free online.