The World Economic Forum (WEF) for 2006 comes to Davos, Switzerland once again this week. What I once viewed as just another boring get-together of businessmen and world leaders I now see as something far less benign.
Inside the WEF
The WEF claims to be searching for solutions to the world's problems. But exactly how representative is the WEF of the world's peoples? Are the WEF members going to have similar interests to those of us citizens? A 2002 report from the NGO Public Citizen suggests otherwise:
Though WEF's membership list is similar to that of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and a former top WEF staffer is now ICC's Director unlike the Chamber, the WEF has worked hard to avoid being viewed as a corporate trade association. Rather the WEF has built an image as a venue for great debates and discussions on the issues of importance to the world with diverse participants from throughout the globe and all sectors of society. In fact, the WEF is anything but a global organization; its board members and the attendance at its annual meeting are overwhelmingly from Europe, the U.S. and Japan. The WEF has evolved into a venue where elite businessmen can hobnob with world leaders and government officials, both to craft business deals and curry favors from politicians.
Economic Democratization
Decisions at the global level that will affect us all should not be made by a handful of the world's wealthiest and most powerful individuals. An alternative would be to bring about the democratization of the economy. Attac Switzerland describes it this way (translated from the French):
The next edition of the WEF will give us "creativity," as indicated by their chosen slogan for 2006: "The creative imperative." And yet, for us, creativity designates the elaboration of alternatives, of possible choices. True alternatives cannot, in our opinion, come from on high, but will be the fruits of the creativity of us all. If we wish that everyone has the same collective right to liberty and responsibility, the future -- and therefore the economy -- will be an open project and not predetermined or authoritarian.
Corporate Reponsibility
Many WEF members represent multinational corporations active around the globe. But not all of them have gotten where they are by being upstanding corporate citizens. In order to bring attention to this fact, The Berne Declaration organizes the Public Eye Awards, which also take place this week in Davos, shining a critical light on multinational corporations displaying the most irresponsible corporate behavior in the categories environment, social rights and taxes.
