It is hard to put into words the impact of attending the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF). It is our planet's premier networking event and my experience as a first-timer was simultaneously humbling, inspiring, chilling and empowering. If asked to sum up the significance of this annual pilgrimage to the Swiss Alps, I would have to say that Davos shapes the conscience of the corporate world.
Founded 46 years ago by the remarkable Klaus Schwab, Davos has evolved substantially beyond its early years, which focused on improving management practices and industry/government relations. The growing involvement of civil society actors over the last few decades has helped the WEF create a platform for change-makers of many stripes to grapple with the major issues of the day. The 2016 edition drew 50 heads of government, 25 Nobel Laureates, hundreds of CEOs representing global companies, more than 150 cultural leaders, social entrepreneurs, scientists, technology pioneers, young "global shapers" and 500 media representatives.
This year's theme of "Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution" helped focus the proceedings on navigating the creative disruptions that digital technology is causing in virtually all areas of life and business. The conference boasted a star-studded line-up of speakers in a densely-packed program that showcased game-changing breakthroughs and sought solutions to the wicked challenges that confront us. Yet the official program is just part of what happens at the Annual Meeting. Imagine five 16-hour days of meetings, workshops, debates, collaborations, cultural interventions, industry events, announcements, press conferences, dinners and parties and you begin to get a sense of the scale and frenzied pace of the Davos experience.
As delegates gathered in Davos this year, there was little to celebrate regarding the state of the world. Slowing growth in China, the collapse of oil prices and turmoil in international markets are casting a pall over the global economy. An Oxfam report published days before the start of the conference drew attention to the frightening fact that half of the world's wealth is now concentrated in the hands of 64 people. Officially, there are now 59 million displaced people in the world, though unofficial estimates peg the number closer to 120 million. Add political conflict, climate change and the Fourth Industrial Revolution to the roster and it is clear that the complexity of challenges we face has never been greater.
In light of these grim realities, it is easy to be skeptical as some in the media have been about the value and impact of gathering elites in a ski resort to ponder the future. By virtue of accepting an invitation to Davos, are delegates really as the WEF's mission suggests "committed to improving the state of the world?" I can tell you that delegate after delegate I spoke with came away from the experience as I did - with a renewed sense of optimism and a much greater sense of personal and professional responsibility as a global citizen.
The power of Davos comes in part from moments of great inspiration and leadership. This year, Canada was as one Davos veteran put it, "The hit of the conference for the first time in history" thanks to the hopeful outlook and charisma of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He and the five Cabinet Ministers that accompanied him modeled what progressive leadership looks like in keynotes, panels, meetings and lunches and in so doing marked Canada's dramatic re-entry as a constructive player in global affairs. The success of the WEF is also rooted in a powerfully progressive agenda that has catalyzed a long track record of world-changing advances in multiple areas. While leadership and purpose are essential, it is the spirit of Davos that makes it truly extraordinary; that gives it the power to change the world.
How will this year's delegates apply the lessons of Davos in the real world? A session I attended called "A Day in the Life of a Refugee" is a great example of how Davos works to shape the conscience of the corporate world. Forty of us gathered in the basement of a hotel for this "simulation" that ran three times a day during the conference. I was expecting a glimpse of the difficult conditions inside a refugee camp, but what I got was one of the most profound calls to action I have ever experienced.
As the simulation began, I was given the identity of a 20-year-old Syrian boy, and then hurriedly ushered into a bunker. As the door slammed shut, there were thunderous sounds of bombs going off, the room filled with smoke and we escaped by crawling down a hallway with sniper fire overhead. When we arrived at a refugee camp, we were greeted by armed soldiers who barked orders at us then robbed us of watches, jewelry and wallets. Over the course of the next half hour, we were threatened with guns and violence, forced to cower in tents and subjected to relentless bullying. While each of us knew this was merely a simulation, the experience was nonetheless dehumanizing and degrading. After the welcome announcement that the simulation was over, we heard real-life horror stories from members of the cast about the indignities and atrocities they had suffered in pursuit of their personal security. Before the trauma of experiencing just a fraction of what many refugees go through sunk in, participants were asked to write down the things they were prepared to do to help.
This session gave me a visceral sense of the threat posed to humanity when millions of people are robbed of their identity, belongings and security. It made me recognize that everyone can and needs to do something to help and that those who have the privilege of being in leadership positions can and should do more. As the CEO of an organization focused on leveraging the power of culture to catalyze the transformation of people and places, I began thinking first about the significant role the arts could play in fostering empathy, shifting mindsets and galvanizing people into action. On returning home to Toronto, I've started working on both personal and professional initiatives to help refugees arriving in Canada and plan to engage friends and colleagues in these efforts in the coming weeks.
I was welcomed into the WEF community two years ago through the Schwab Foundation. Since then, I have been repeatedly impressed by both the people in the network and the range and depth of issues in which they are engaged. I am so grateful to Klaus and Hilde Schwab and the entire WEF team for their tireless efforts to ensure that improving the state of the world is a more central part of everyone's business. In these times of great difficulty, the world needs much more of both the spirit and the calls-to-action that Davos so brilliantly engenders.
Tim Jones is the CEO of Artscape and Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014. Follow Tim on Twitter: @timjones0001 | Instagram: @timjones0001 | artscape.ca