Francis was again invited to speak at the WEF. So, by extension, I get to tag along. (One of those times when I deeply appreciate the
opportunity to play the spouse gig. The
organizers understand that partner inclusion ups the likelihood of invitees
accepting AND staying for the duration.) I find this meeting fascination at many
levels; the content delivered by speakers; the mixing in the lounges, at
receptions, and after parties that is simultaneously sought out and scoffed at
by participants; the heavy logistics that are required for this to take place
and, without a doubt, the celebrity factor. I’m a bit late posting, but will try
and share something from each of these categories.
Day 1 - Wednesday January 23
Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International
Monetary Fund - purposeful, intense and all her content was meaningful. She bookended her remarks with references to
the Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban and the student who was raped and
murdered in New Delhi, demonstrating her belief that the role of the IMF is to make
a difference in individual lives. She outlined
four trends that will shape the global economy going forward, which she views
as opportunities; understanding that many see them as vulnerabilities.
1) growing demand for individual empowerment (women)
2) realignment of political and economic powers across the world
3) seismic shift in demographics with the youth bulge bumping up against a graying population
4) increased vulnerability to resource drain and climate change
She encouraged the gathering to embrace the values of the younger generation: openness, inclusiveness (including inclusive growth) and better accountability (good government). In a flat world there are no economic silos (no place to hide) and crisis economies are contagious. The average debt to GDP ratio in developed countries is 110%. Her applause line, “By linking arms we are unlinking arms.”
More cultural offerings this year and I attend a walking
tour with the artist of this installation.
What may not be apparent is that these colorful circles have dozens of
little googly eyes stuck on them.
Participant A: So, you’re saying that at Davos you are watching and being watched?
Artist: No
Participant B: You’re referencing the Greek god, Argus (many-eyed)?
Artist: No
And no further information offered by the artist about what this work means to him.
This is the shuttle station where one arrives and
departs Congress Center to and from hotels or train stations. Exhaustion has set in. The crowd thins, the back section of chairs
in the central auditorium has been removed and shuttle conversation turns to how
much people are sleeping in. I end up on
the same shuttle as Josh and Tyler, who are just appearing (Noon) after
shutting down the McKinsey party at 3:00 am.
This is Josh’s first time snowboarding -- he is stiff, sore and glad not
to be going onto the mountain today.
A session with Adriana Huffington, Alan Murray (Pew
Foundation); Darrell Issa (R-California); Governor John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado);
David Rubenstein (philanthropist); and moderated by David Gergen. Oversubscribed session, but Francis and I both
made it inside the room. We were
surprised by the negative comments regarding Obama’s inaugural address (too
partisan, too liberal, not an olive branch, ‘giving speeches is not the same as
governing’, jobs have disappeared from the White House agenda). Are they in the bubble or are we? Murray discussed Pew data demonstrating
increased polarization in Congress over past 25 years. 50% of US graduates cannot find employment
commensurate with their degrees. Huffington
made an interesting point about political attack ads -- they diminish the
product market for democracy. Coke and
Pepsi don’t engage in attack ads, because they work and both would lose market
share. Instead they opt for encouraging
the broader market share of soda drinks.
The economic growth rate in is 2% in the US and 7% in China. In 1950 US economy was 50% of the world
economy, today it is 19%. Francis
stalked Congressman Issa after the panel and eventually got some face time.
Preview of, and discussion with director of, Long Walk to Freedom to be released this
summer, based on the autobiography of Nelson Mandela, produced by South African
Anant Singh.
Francis and I send a photo postcard to First Friday in
celebration of Woodrow Evans, Alan and Brigid’s first grandchild, born in Boston
yesterday.
Man Verses Machine
Francis moderated this dinner discussion. Here he is with two presenters Matthieu
Ricard, Director Karuna-Shechen, France, and Amishi Jha, Director of
Contemplative Neuroscience, University of Miami. I was at Matthieu table and, as he wrote his
email address on a scrap of paper so that I could send him this photo, said, ‘I came as a mindless monk, without business
cards.’
Over heard at Davos in the coffee lounge…
“…so I’m bringing my kids to China for an intensive Mandarin course …”
“I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation; I run the Oxford Free University Program…”
“There’s an after-party after the after-party?”
French businessman to German reporter arriving late for their interview, “I thought Germans were punctual … so much for that!”
“He said, ‘I’ll see what I can do’ in a not totally convincing way”.
“I went to four parties last night; tonight I’m only going to one.”
Mario Monti, Prime Minister of Italy speaks for 30
minutes without mentioning Silvio Berlusconi.
He refers to ‘the past 14 months’; the ‘debt of inherited policies’; and
says he identifies with the Italian PM at the WWII Paris Peace Conference who
said, “I feel that everything but your personal sympathy is against me”. He is clearly working to bring Italy back
into EU good graces. His best applause
line - “The EU does not need unwilling Europeans”.
1) growing demand for individual empowerment (women)
2) realignment of political and economic powers across the world
3) seismic shift in demographics with the youth bulge bumping up against a graying population
4) increased vulnerability to resource drain and climate change
She encouraged the gathering to embrace the values of the younger generation: openness, inclusiveness (including inclusive growth) and better accountability (good government). In a flat world there are no economic silos (no place to hide) and crisis economies are contagious. The average debt to GDP ratio in developed countries is 110%. Her applause line, “By linking arms we are unlinking arms.”
Participant A: So, you’re saying that at Davos you are watching and being watched?
Artist: No
Participant B: You’re referencing the Greek god, Argus (many-eyed)?
Artist: No
And no further information offered by the artist about what this work means to him.
Day 2 - Thursday, January 24
photo credit: amazon.com
In a panel discussing the Arab Spring and its subsequent
challenges (lack of infrastructure, rival factions, stalled efforts) Tom
Friedman, NYT’s Foreign Affairs Correspondent, said that two things are clear. The tiger (representing the Arab people) is
not going back in the cage and the tiger eats only meat (not the empty
statements that their governments have offered for decades). He also made the point that a democracy is
only as healthy as its opposition (press, etc.) and healthy opposition is not yet
in place in many Middle Eastern and North African countries.
image credit: wikipedia.com
Session with Katy Borner on how to create conceptual
frameworks for visualizing complex and evolving data systems. One example she used is Minard’s map (1869),
visualizing the impact (route and lives lost) of Napoleon’s Russian campaign of
1812. This was one of the few sessions
Francis and I attended together and we were both enthralled with the potential application
of such flow maps to visualizing biomedical endeavors. Francis snagged her afterwards and invited her to come to NIH this year. 
credit Savingfacefilm.com
Viewed the 2012 Academy Award winning documentary, Saving Face: Women of Pakistan and subsequent
discussion with the Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy about battery acid attacks on women
and progress toward criminalizing these acts.
At the end of the day found Francis and we stopped by the
Coca Cola Reception and ran into Tyler Spenser (Staunton boy whom Francis
knows, now at Oxford) and his friend, Josh, from Alabama. Tyler was a WEF Young Global Leader last year
and is back this year without credentials (no ID for entry into Congress Center) –
he and Josh are snowboarding during the day (how does a guy from Alabama learn
to snowboard?), crashing the free receptions at night and setting up interviews
with prominent individuals who are attending.
I am in awe of their initiative and moxie. Francis and I decide we can
handle one more event and head over to the Microsoft Reception.
Day 3 – Friday, January 25
H.M. King Abdulla II is interviewed by Fareed Zakaria
(author, columnist, CNN host). I cringe
recalling not recognizing Fareed on a shuttle last year and blithely asking
‘What brings you to Davos?’. The King gives
his synthesis that divisions in the Arab world date back to the cold war era
when monarchies aligned with western countries (trade arrangements, students,
etc.) and republics aligned with USSR (weapons). He believes that dynamic is still playing out
in the various factions. There is high
interest in yesterday’s national elections in Jordan, where turnout was at
least 50% and objective observers are saying the process was basically fair.
Will Washington Work?
Day 4 – Saturday, January 26
It seems to be the general consensus that unemployment
amongst youth is the greatest destabilizing factor in our world (attributed to
acid attacks in Pakistan, unrest in Middle East, emergence of radical groups,
national tensions, etc.)
“…so I’m bringing my kids to China for an intensive Mandarin course …”
“I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation; I run the Oxford Free University Program…”
“There’s an after-party after the after-party?”
French businessman to German reporter arriving late for their interview, “I thought Germans were punctual … so much for that!”
“He said, ‘I’ll see what I can do’ in a not totally convincing way”.
“I went to four parties last night; tonight I’m only going to one.”
