Open Forum

Open Forum 2008

During the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches and the Forum will co-organize discussions for the general public. These events will be held in conjunction with the Forum’s Annual Meeting 2008. The Open Forum was first organized in 2003. It offers a possibility for an open debate on globalization and its consequences. In past years, the following overall topics were discussed:

•    Globalization or Deglobalization for the benefit of the poorest?
•    When is the economy ethical?
•    Respecting, crossing and shifting boundaries

In 2008, the sessions of the Open Forum will once again help participants to share their opinion on world major problems, by addressing the following topics:

Thursday January 24

1.    12:45-14:15 - The Comeback of Religion – A Potential Danger for the Secular State?
2.    18:00-19:30 - Private equity and Hedge Funds – Friend or Foe?

Friday January 25

3.    12:45-14:15 - USA – What next after the elections?
4.    18:00-19:30 – What are Russia’s geopolitical ambitions?

Saturday January 26

5.    12:45-14:15 - Do we need Economic Growth to get more Sustainability?
6.    15:30-17:00 - Climate Change Divide
7.    18:00-19:30 - Virtual worlds – Fiction or Reality?

As in past years, the sessions will take place in the main hall of the Swiss Alpine Middle School on Guggerbachstrasse 3, in Davos. The debates will be in German and English with simultaneous translation into both languages. The Open Forum sessions are open to the public, no registration is required and people can get in on a first come first serve basis.

Question about the project? Please contact Susi Franceschi, Open Forum, Programme Manager at the World Economic Forum (openforum@weforum.org)

1. The Comeback of Religion – A Potential Danger for the Secular State?

Thursday January 24 2008 12.45 - 14.15

Secularization was a decisive step towards peaceful cohabitation of different religions in Europe. However, not every religion considers the separation of state and religion as a natural course of action. For example, Islam is a unity between sacred and profane spaces of society. Thus, Islamic states claim that the state represents Islamic communities and that state law is rooted in religious law.

1) How can states in Europe guarantee religious plurality and religious freedom while simultaneously maintaining their own forms of life and culture embedded in Christian values and traditions?
2) How does the Islam see the relationship between state and religion? Are there any repercussions on the cohabitation of different religions in secularized states?
3) Does Islam face a similar question to the one Christians have intensely struggled with since the time of Enlightenment – namely, recognition of a separation of state and religion?

Speakers

• Mohammad Khatami, President, Foundation for Dialogue Among Civilizations; President of the Islamic Republic of Iran (1997-2005)
• Ingrid Mattson, President, Islamic Society of North America, USA
• Ulrich Schlüer, Co-organiser of the Minaret Initiative, Swiss People‘s Party, Switzerland
• Thomas Wipf, President of the Council, Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches, Switzerland

Moderation

• Marco Meier, Swiss Television

Webcast

• Open Forum - Welcome & The Comeback of Religion

2. Private Equity and Hedge Funds – Friend or Foe?

Thursday January  24 2008 18.00 - 19.30

Private equity funds and hedge funds allow pension funds, foundations and wealthy individuals to invest in alternatives to shares and bonds. These investments are important for economic growth and have enabled the creation of many start-ups. Nonetheless critics argue that private equity funds and hedge funds put short-term returns before the sustained development of companies.

1) Which funds are buying major companies?
2) What does private equity achieve in a company – strengthening and supporting long-term development or dismantling in view of quick profit?
3) Are regulations needed to protect the economy from the influence of private equity funds or hedge funds? Does their negative image make them more of a risk for our system?

Speakers

• Christian Levrat, Member of Parliament, Social Democratic Party, Switzerland
• Hans Ruh, em. Professor for Theology and Social Ethics; President Blue Value, Switzerland
• Philip Yea, Chief Executive, 3i Group Plc, United Kingdom
• Paul Fletcher, Senior Managing Partner Actis Capital LLP, United Kingdom

Moderation

• Dirk Schütz, Bilanz

Webcast

• Private Equity and Hedge Funds - Friend or Foe?

3. USA - What Next after the Elections?

Friday January 25 2008 12.45 - 14.15

2008 is an important presidential election year in the US. In this context, a number of questions arise as to the role and influence of the US in the world, militarily, economically and culturally. The current policies may change, but the question is how this will happen and how external actors will influence the process.”

1) How will the situation in Iraq influence US elections?
2) What will be US foreign and economic policy and what role will the US play after the elections? How will it impact other regions and countries, including Russia?
3) Besides the debates on US foreign policy, what are areas of interest in economic and social policies?

Speakers

• Howard B. Dean III, Chairman, Democratic National Committee (DNC), USA
• Robert Edgar, former General Secretary, National Council of Churches; CEO and President of Common Cause, USA
• Olaf Gersemann, Deputy Business Editor, Welt am Sonntag, Germany
• Ayatollah Dr Mahdi Hadavi, President and Founder, Porch of Wisdom, Institution, Islamic Republic of Iran
• Robert Portman, Of Counsel, Squire Sanders & Dempsey, USA

Moderation

• Caspar Selg, Radio DRS

Webcast

• USA-What Next after the Elections?

4. What are Russia’s geopolitical ambitions?

Friday January 25 2008 18.00 - 19.30

Under the leadership of President Putin, Russia has established a new assertiveness, opposing the integration of former USSR states into NATO and the US anti-missile defence system. Russia, using gas and oil, has exerted pressure on its relationship with Europe and other countries. The political and social tensions can influence the way Russia goes forward and its relations with other countries and regions.

1) What are the geopolitical ambitions of Russia?
2) How can upcoming presidential elections in Russia and the US play out in this context? And, what are possible future scenarios in these two countries or in other regions?
3) How will Russia continue to use its economic position and energy resources to reinforce its influence and power?

Speakers

• Horst M. Teltschik, Professor, Chairman of the Munich Conference on Security Policy, Germany
• Alexei Pushkov, Author, Anchor and Executive Producer, Postscript TV Show TV-Center (TVC),
  Russian Federation
• Charles Grant, Director Centre for European Reform, United Kingdom

Moderation

• Urs Leuthard, TV Host, Swiss Television SF DRS

Webcast

• What Are Russia's Geopolitical Ambitions?

5. Do We Need Economic Growth to Achieve More Sustainability?

Saturday January 26 2008 12.45 - 14.15

There are opposing views on whether economic growth can lead to increased levels of ecological and social sustainability. Its promoters argue that economic growth is needed to apply new technologies and sophisticated products which, in turn, lead to a more economic use of natural resources, more environmental protection and social progress. Yet, opponents claim that economic growth is based on global production and consumption patterns that are destroying our natural livelihoods and increasing social inequalities.

1) Do we need economic growth to solve existing social and ecological problems? Or, does economic growth create more costs than what it actually yields?
2) Can we expect a new economic boom triggered by innovations in environmentally-friendly technologies?
3) Which strategies of sustainability are the high-growth countries of Brazil, Russia, India or China following? How do these countries handle the conflict between economic growth and sustainability?

Speakers

• Sharan Burrow, President, International Trade Union Confederation, Brussels
• Ricardo Hausmann, Director, Center for International Development, and Professor of the Practice of Economic Development, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA
• John Itty, Professor, School of People’s Economics, India
• Pascal Couchepin, President of the Swiss Confederation, Federal Department of Home Affairs, Switzerland
• Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, The Nigerian Stock Exchange, Nigeria

Moderation

• Dirk Schütz, Editor-in-Chief, Bilanz, Switzerland

Webcast

• Open Forum - Do We Need Economic Growth to Get More Sustainability?

6. Climate Change Divide

Saturday January 26 2008 15.30 - 17.00

The challenge of climate change is to find a coherent approach throughout countries and regions. There is a divide between the developed world which looks at the creation of long-term sustainable and balanced evolution, and the emerging countries which are under high pressure to deliver economic growth to allow them to tackle their social challenges.

1) How can the divide between developed and emerging countries be bridged, and how can the latter be better integrated into protecting global climate?
2) How efficient are the current climate protection policies of developed countries? Should states become carbon neutral and if so, how?
3) With regard to the development of alternative sources of energy such as biofuels, what are the implications on climate change?

Speakers

• Christian Mumenthaler, Chief Risk Officer Swiss Re, Zürich
• Luiz Fernando Furlan, Chairman of the Board, GALF Empreendimentos, Brazil
• C.S. Kiang, Chairman, Peking University Environment Fund, Republic of China
• Achim Steiner, Executive Director, The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Nairobi
• Ichiro Kamoshita, Minister of the Environment, Minister in Charge of Global Environmental Problems, Japan

Moderation

• Sonja Hasler, Swiss Television

Webcast

• Open Forum - Climate Change Divide

7. Virtual Worlds – Fiction or Reality?

Saturday January 26 2008 18.00 - 19.30

Tools such as Second Life and Facebook are new ways of extending life to the virtual space, for example, allowing us to attend Wimbledon while standing next to one of the players or living out our social desires anonymously without restraints nor risk of sanctions. More and more people are turning to virtual reality to establish who they are, what they know, who they interact with and how. This will influence how society is structured in the future and how real or fictive this virtuality will be.

1) In the context of the virtual worlds we are creating, what is the difference between fiction and reality?
2) With the ease of access to these virtual worlds, how do different generations react?
3) How does this world of immediate access, limitless social skills and unrestrained behaviour influence our moral framework?
4) Should we focus on the technological or human side of progress?

Speakers

• Rafael Capurro, Professor, Information management and information ethics, Stuttgart Media University, Germany
• Florence Develey, Pastor, Switzerland
• Joseph Weizenbaum, former Professor of Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,  USA
• Reid Hoffman, Chairman and President of Linkedln Corporation, USA
• Philip Rosedale, CEO of Linden Labs/Second life

Moderation

• Loic Le Meur, Seesmic, USA

Webcast

• Open Forum - Virtual Worlds -- Fiction or Reality?