Jordan Times
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
YGL summit ends with
commitments to action
AMMAN (JT) — The inaugural summit of the Forum of Young Global Leaders ended in
Zermatt, Switzerland, on Monday with action committed on several fronts to
tackle the problems likely to face the world in 2020.
Declaring “for the first time in the world we believe we can eradicate poverty
in our generation,” the Young Global Leaders urged governments to bring “social
investment” — key interests of a number of the participants — into the
mainstream.
They also agreed to set up a networking group within the forum to work on
poverty issues, according to a statement released by the World Economic Forum.
Another group of Young Global Leaders committed themselves to working to set up
a free university for Africa, properly accredited and offering recognised
qualifications, which could later expand to other regions. One of the Young
Global Leaders has already created a successful venture of this kind in South
Africa.
Some 120 of the first nominated group of 238 Young Global Leaders from 68
countries — all aged 40 or under — participated in the discussions in Zermatt.
In the summit session outlining proposals for action, the environment group of
Young Global Leaders called for “a creative leap” to make the world more
sensitive to “the most urgent” problem facing the world: Environmental risk.
They agreed to hold three conferences a year and one face-to-face meeting
annually in addition to the Young Global Leaders' Summit, and invited other
participants in the forum to join them in finding ways to promote environmental
action.
On health, the Young Global Leaders said a new kind of partnership is needed to
find solutions to care delivery. One member of the group challenged others to
join him in creating what he called a new kind of business in health: The
social-business sector, where the private sector would work on social goods.
Recognising severe problems in global governance and security, the Young Global
Leaders also agreed to develop a polling system to survey the opinions of the
forum members in advance of major international meetings and to publicise the
views of this new generation. They urged the development of a concept of world
citizenship.
In a keynote address on Sunday, Her Majesty Queen Rania told the Young Global
Leaders they could be a dynamic engine for global progress crossing boundaries
of culture. She urged them to build on their commitment to make tomorrow better
for all, to extend their influence by mentoring and coaching other young people
and by staying in touch with each other's endeavours.
“Working together, you can be a dynamic engine for global progress... a network
that enables collaboration across boundaries of culture and concern,” she said.
The Forum of Young Global Leaders is an initiative of Professor Klaus Schwab,
executive chairman of the World Economic Forum. It includes political leaders,
business executives, scientists, economists, artists and journalists. Almost
one-third are women and 84 come from outside Europe and North America. Young
Global Leaders are nominated to serve for five years. The aim is to raise the
number to 1,111 by 2009.
Queen Rania, chair of the nomination committee that selects the Young Global
Leaders, noted that networks could make the crucial difference between success
and minimal results in tackling social problems.
“To give just one example — back in 2000, when I initially tackled the taboo
topic of child abuse in Jordan, I was met with great resistance. People were
ashamed to admit that such a problem even existed. Today, the issue of child
abuse is not only being spoken about openly, it is being written about in
Jordanian newspapers and magazines. It is being talked about on Jordanian
television and radio... and it is being widely advertised on billboards across
the country. And this tide of awareness-raising, social empowerment and change
is now spreading across the entire Arab world.”
“This didn't happen simply because I cared about the issue. It happened because
I was one of the many people who decided to act. When we combined grassroots
engagement with supportive public policy from government, sustained investment
from the donor community, the private sector and international organisations, as
well as education in the media, our impact was enhanced. Our mission became a
movement,” Queen Rania commented.
Progress will be achieved by the Young Global Leaders not because of their
titles, but by their actions in support of their dreams, she said. “All of you
are men and women who are not only dreamers but doers. Just as important, you
are people who've always stood for something larger than yourselves — who
conquer mountains, not to claim the summit, but to reveal the beauty on the
other side. Let the bonds you've forged in Zermatt be the base camp of your
climb.”
David R. Gergen, director, Centre for Public Leadership, John F. Kennedy School
of Government, Harvard University, US, said he was struck by the optimism that
the participants brought to the problems. They are also “perhaps the first
generation of global leaders,” he added.
The final day of the inaugural four-day summit tackled questions of leadership
and developing a new mindset towards global problems.
The results will feed into the Annual Meeting 2006 of the World Economic Forum,
which brings together heads of global firms and world leaders from the
governmental, intellectual and international communities, the statement
concluded.