Young activists at WEF urge action on the ground to improve world

SIX YOUNG social and environmental activists chosen to “steer discussions” at this year’s World Economic Forum urged the assembled leaders yesterday to think about local action rather than lofty concepts to improve the world.

“It’s time to be bold and uncomfortable,” said Noura Berrouba of Sweden, a leader of the European Youth Parliament. “What does it tell us about the global commitment when we have all the solutions but so little is happening?” she asked at the start of the meeting, pointing to global climate protection efforts.

Organisers of the WEF chose “Globalisation 4.0” as this year’s catchphrase to shape the debate among the 3 000 participants including 60 country leaders and 1 700 top managers from the world’s biggest companies.

However, some of the honorary chairpersons made clear that this concept had little significance for many people, even though it was meant to convey a more economically inclusive globalisation and digitalisation.

Mohammed Hassan Mohamud, a community leader in Kenya’s large Kakuma refugee camp, noted that the WEF concerned itself with sustainable development and the ethics of automated production while more fundamental questions were not addressed.

“There is so much human suffering. We haven’t figured out life yet,” he said, describing the hardship of refugees who are confined to camps rather than being allowed to shape their own lives.