Global Policy Forum

By Emad Mekay

World Economic Forum President Klaus Schwab says his elitist forum, currently underway in the luxury ski resort of Davos, and its simultaneous "anti-Davos" alternative, the World Social Forum (WSF), organized by non-governmental organizations, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, are in fact one and the same.

"I have one just one word to Porto Alegre - we are the same," Schwab told IPS. "Both events, in principle, have the same objectives. That is to create a better world."

Schwab didn't elaborate on points of agreement between the two forums but said there were some differences.

"Here we have the decision makers but also NGOs," he said. "Where we also differ is that here (at Davos), we look at very pragmatic ways on how to change the world and how to improve the state of the world. In Porto Alegre, it is more of an ideological discussion."

Schwab's statement reflects a widespread sentiment here that the World Social Forum in Brazil is short on practical solutions, which some businessmen believe to be available here at the gathering of the world's richest corporate executives and top government officials.

NGOs and the social justice movement denies the accusation saying they have been putting practical solutions forward but corporate executives have been too busy to listen.

The latest in a series of concrete proposals put forward by a group of thinkers, from the social justice movement around the world, came in the U.S. late last year when they published a book, 'Alternatives to Economic Globalization', detailing their plans of local decision making and ecological responsibility.

While the meeting halls and corridors at the fancy Congress Hall in the heart of Davos are littered by annual reports from Merril Lynch, Ernst & Young and Sun Microsystems, among many others, there is no sign of the book or, indeed, other publications from civil society groups.

Books distributed here included 'Building Public Trust' by Samuel DiPiazza Jr., CEO of PricewaterhouseCoopers and Robert G. Eccles, president of Advisory Capital Partners.

Daily reading material comes from the corporate media like 'Wall Street Journal', 'Financial Times' and 'BusinessWeek' - all of which publish Davos special sections sponsored by companies like Oracle and DaimlerChrysler.

Reuters, one of the leading market information companies, was beaming non-stop stock market charts and data on several big screens.

While the WSF is considered to be a spontaneous initiative by the public and individuals from a wide range of professions and backgrounds, the Davos competitor is admittedly a business-oriented organization.

The World Economic Forum is advised by an international business council, comprised of CEOs from the world's largest companies, seen by activists as working mainly for the benefit of similar corporations.

NGOs and activists from civil society groups have been loudly critical of international public organizations like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for pushing policies that further worsen economic conditions in the world. They have also slammed the private 33-year old World Economic Forum on similar grounds.

Minutes before Schwab spoke to IPS, 'The Public Eye on Davos', a coalition of watchdogs that monitor the annual gathering, said the Forum failed in helping fulfil promises made by corporations last year in New York to improve business practices and to foster development despite of boasting statements of "pragmatism".

The groups said the corporate world was still mired in fraudulent practices and disregard of social and environmental concerns of the world.

Schwab, however, shrugged such accusations as unfounded.

"That's not true," he said. "There have been many efforts. We have had many working groups and engaged our participants very much to improve corporate governance, if (NGOs) look at our material.

Such initiatives include the Global Digital Divide, a plan the Davos forum says is designed to mobilize education and policies to bring digital technologies to the developing world and the Global Greenhouse Gas Register, a major scheme to create a repository for corporate inventories of greenhouse gas emissions and reduction targets.

"It is easy (for them) to say no progress has been made, when progress in fact has been made," said Schwab.

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