Remember, it's us they're debating.
The powerful chicks and blokes are back in Davos for the World Economic Forum.
There are some really good things on the WEF website, such as the highly interesting webcasts. My recommendation for Thursday is the "The G8 and Africa: Rhetoric or Action?" panel at 10.00 a.m. GMT. Panelists will include Bill Clinton, Bono, Tony Blair, Thabo Mbeki and Bill Gates.
A good insight into Davos behind the scenes can be found at the World Economic Forum weblog, maintained by some of the participants.
The biggest anti-WEF event is the "Public Eye on Davos". Have a look, sometimes it's good to read the other side's opinion, too.
There are some really good things on the WEF website, such as the highly interesting webcasts. My recommendation for Thursday is the "The G8 and Africa: Rhetoric or Action?" panel at 10.00 a.m. GMT. Panelists will include Bill Clinton, Bono, Tony Blair, Thabo Mbeki and Bill Gates.
A good insight into Davos behind the scenes can be found at the World Economic Forum weblog, maintained by some of the participants.
The biggest anti-WEF event is the "Public Eye on Davos". Have a look, sometimes it's good to read the other side's opinion, too.
posted by Thomas at 9:37 PM
5 Comments:
a list of more people blogging from Davos is available here:
http://www.socialtext.net/loicwiki/index.cgi?davos_2005&login=user5125
10:32 AM
Hmm... due to bad webstreaming, I missed Blair (who had to leave early for a Holocaust memorial) and Clinton's intro discussions. However, this forum was more than interesting - showing who knew his ABCs on Africa's development and who had the clout about the issues.
It was a celebrity panel (which this Davos skii-resort-of-an-event tends to be every time), and it was cool to see these specific people come together. But here's what I draw from it:
To have Mbeki and Obasanjo represented on this panel was EXTREMELY important, despite of what they said or didn't say. I was least impressed with Obasenjo, who's thoughts scattered around like a ping-pong machine. His plea to the audience of "we can do it" "we are improving" "thank you for your heart" and his subtle brain drain attack to the Western world was a bit painful to listen to.
Thabo Mbeki voiced strongly about implementation and the actual use of any fund, emphasizing the Africa-G8 relationship and the indegenous African Pension Plan. "Linkages" - a word that triggers a pavlovian response in me. Africa is not a lost cause as long as it stays connected.
The stars that truly shined on the panel were the Bills:
Gates came across as the private sector delegate with the good intentions, also doing his homework about vaccines and potential of science. I especially liked how he clearly stated the connection between philanthropy, science, and visibility of success stories. If marketed clearly, the private sector will buy into the cause and be less fearful of corruption.
Clinton enjoyed his lime light using anecdotes and reviving his Millenium Debt Relief agenda. However, his biggest contribution in this talk was his attitude when he said, "This is cheap! Let's spend the money." The optimistic go-go-go attitude got the crowd riled up.
Bono had an interesting role to play on this panel. He was the voice that did not represent the business community nor the political. He was free to say things that others could not. True to the Jeffrey Sachs doctrine, he summarized the 3 main points: debt cancellation, increased aid, and trade. But beyond that, his emotional story telling got lost in his words.
Then the Q&A got muddled with Chirac's proposal of international tax... which was weird. It's too soon to axe the notion, but we all know how ridiculous it would be, when the EU can hardly pass constitutions. Celebritiy questioners like G.Soros and J.Sachs also got some sound bites of their own.
This was an interesting panel to listen to and I would recommend it. Thanks Thomas.
11:56 AM
Saki already summarised some of the points that I noticed as well.
Let me add a couple of things:
Bill Clinton's "It is cheap." argument definitely needs to be emphasised. In a time, when the US government is asking for an additional 80bn US$ for the GWOT (global war on terror), there is no shortage of money. It was also quite interesting to hear his opinion that the real bottleneck for additional aid from the US is not the American public (just look at how much money has been donated towards the Tsunami relief) but the US administration or general political elite who does not see the need or is not ready to give.
Bono had an absolutetly challenging argument, which really impressed me, when he pointed out that he wants people to stop praising him for the work he does for "his cause". He said, that 6000 people dying every day from preventable diseases and hunger in Africa is not a "cause" but an emergency. He really made an important point, which was later picked up by I-forgot-who, who said that all the talk about international taxes and structural reforms will realistically take years until they show an effect. And in the meantime, millions more will die. Jeffrey Sachs, in his statement from the floor, took this argument further in challenging the panelists to subscribe to the task of providing a mosquito net to every African who needs one until the WEF 2007. Such a project would only cost 3 US$ per African per year.
I found Bill Gates' ideas quite interesting, touching upon how much influence and change private philantropists can exercise. Even though I am not a big fan of showing off your social commitment through donating money that you maybe have made by sidelining social concerns (not saying that Gates is one of these people ...), he has a valid point.
The Africans on the panel, Obasanjo and Mbeki, demonstrated how important it is to listen to the good ideas that come from Africa ... and how difficult it sometimes is to see the brilliance (or, at least, relevance) of these ideas, because they sometimes are expressed in a different "language" and come from a different "type of thinking". But, after all, they are both very right in demanding from the world and from themselves that the power for positive change in their continent must rest with its people. I realised that I should learn much more about the current African leaders and their ideas.
Another interesting bit was Bono's repeated call for a Global Marshall Plan, something which Gordon Brown (UK finance minister) has called for as well some weeks ago. It would be interesting to watch if a global movement for a comprehensive, structured approach towards aid and development is builing up behind the scenes.
P.S.: Interesting document (2 pages only): The output of the "Global Townhall Meeting", where the participants identified the key issues facing the world. -> http://www.weforum.org/pdf/AM2005/Global_Town_Hall.pdf
Compare it with the ouput of the much cited Copenhagen Consensus (http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com) and spot the differences ... and then make up your own mind.
1:34 PM
In retrospect, my comment is such a brushover of what went on. There were LOADS of things being said.
The real value of WEF is debatable, and it can be brilliantly progressive or just another PR stunt. However, I saw it purposeful on some levels including:
1. Audience: It gave the African leaders an extremely powerful & interested audience - to prove that Africa needs and wants help (financial aid, debt cancellation, trade talks) and can make the peer review process happen.
2. Current Leaders: To have 3 current political leaders on the panel gives the international community a litmus test on if things will happen. Keep their words, and they will be respected (and the integrity of WEF in the future).
3. VIP sideplayers: Bono, Clinton, Bill Gates - they are free to push their own agendas, but if they want to reap the fruits, they must engage in a patient and diplomatic conversation with the key players. They provide alternative viewpoints to the issue, injecting new ideas and linkages.
Sometimes, the beautifully orchestrated show is a motivation to do the nitty-gritty, get your hands dirty work. Let's hope the motivation won't go away after the forum.
2:14 AM
these are cool reporting guys.
1:50 PM
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