Davos: Truth and lies
January 24, 2015
The World Economic Forum is committed to improving the state of the world, according to the organization's own publicity material. That grandiose slogan seems to fit, with the participants at the various events often assuring each other that they are "leaders." Business leaders, political leaders, opinion leaders - individuals who, at any rate, are important and exceptional.
As the WEF got underway, several media outlets reported that 1,700 private jets were used to fly political and business elites to the meeting in the Swiss town of Davos, where a comprehensive discussion about climate change was on the agenda. Later, that number turned out to be wrong - participants would probably "only" be flying in on around 200 private jets.
The initial reports spread quickly all over social media networks. It clearly matched the image many people have of the World Economic Forum: A class reunion for the rich and powerful, who feast on fine food and drinks while chatting about the problems of the world in a posh resort town - and conducting business on the side.
And there's some truth to that. What is said in Davos is also repeated elsewhere by the same people. Here, there are no internationally binding agreements being negotiated, and the fact that business transactions are arranged behind the scenes is no secret.
But the opposite is also true: During the WEF, Davos is a place where impressive personalities promote projects that actually aim to make the world a better place.
Investors meet monks, politicians cross paths with NGO representatives, startup founders with researchers. The forum is a fairground of ideas and views, and it's small enough to allow for unexpected encounters.
This means that while forging something new isn't guaranteed, it's at least a possibility. Take, for example, the global Vaccine Alliance Gavi, an initiative which was developed at Davos. Since its launch in 2000, Gavi has funded the vaccination of 440 million children against life-threatening diseases in developing countries.
Regardless of what you think about Davos, the WEF is primarily a place of exchange. And there can't really ever be too much of that.