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During the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches and the Forum will co-organize the Open Forum 2007. These discussions, which are open to the general public, will be held in conjunction with the Forum’s Annual Meeting 2007.

The Open Forum was first organized in 2003. It offers a possibility for 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

Past co-organizers have included: Bread for all, Swisspeace, the Max Havelaar Foundation, the Terre des hommes Foundation and the Swiss Red Cross. Benefiting from the expertise and experience of each of these groups, past sessions looked at issues such as children’s rights, migration, fair trade and labour regulations.

Open Forum 2007 in Davos

In 2007, the sessions of the Open Forum will once again help participants shape their opinion on globalization, by addressing the following topics:

• CEO Salaries: How High Will They Go? (Thursday 25 January, 12.45-14.15)
• Billions of Development Aid: What are the Results? (Thursday 25 January, 18.00-19:30)
• Sustainable Energy Consumption: Does Anyone Care? (Friday 26 January, 12.45-14.15)
• Managing Access to Oil: The Risk of the 21st Century (Friday 26 January, 18.00-19:30)
• The Multicultural Society: An Illusion? (Saturday 27 January, 12.45-14.15)
• Religions: Source of Peace or Cause of Violence and War? (Saturday 27 January,
15.30-17.00)
• Brands: Today's Gods? (Saturday 27 January, 18.00-19:30)

As in past years, the sessions will take place in Davos in the main hall of the Swiss Alpine Middle School on Guggerbachstrasse 3. The debates will be in German and English with simultaneous translation into both languages.

Thursday 25 January

12.40 - 12.45
Introducing the Open Forum 2007 I Webcast
The organizers of the Open Forum 2007 present the objectives and the challenges of this year's sessions.
with

• Thomas Wipf, President of the Council, Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches, Switzerland
• André Schneider, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, World Economic Forum
  

12.45 - 14.15
CEO Salaries: How High Will They Go? I Webcast
The pay of top managers is rising to breathtaking heights, and critics are becoming increasingly vocal about this situation.
1) What is an appropriate salary for a manager? Who defines and decides this?
2) Should CEO pay be coupled with the performance of the company? Should there be a set proportional relationship between the highest and lowest salaries within a company?
3) What does the new legal framework in Switzerland bring? Should shareholders be able to vote on executive pay?

• Ulrich Grete, Chairman, Board of Directors, Swiss Social Security Fund, Switzerland
• Björn Johansson, Chairman, Dr Bjorn Johansson Associates, Switzerland
• Thomas Minder, Chief Executive Officer, Trybol; Initiator, Popular Initiative ”against rip-off salaries”, Switzerland
• Hilda Ochoa-Brillembourg, President and Chief Executive Officer, Strategic Investment Group, USA
• Dirk Schütz, Editor-in-Chief, CASH, Switzerland
• Peter Ulrich, Director, Institute for Business Ethics, University of St Gallen, Switzerland

Moderated by

• Christine Maier, TV Host "Club", Swiss Television SF DRS, Switzerland

18.00 - 19.30
Billions in Development Aid: What Are the Results?
Despite the huge amount of financial resources committed to aid in past years, many countries are increasingly struggling with poverty, hunger, disease and violation of human rights. What are we doing wrong?
1) How efficient is current development aid? How can we improve its quality?
2) Should donor countries be able to decide how the money is spent in receiving countries? How can domestic financial resources be better mobilized in developing countries?
3) What are innovative sources for financing development? Should these sources replace official development aid?

• William Easterly, Professor, Economics Department, New York University, USA
• Walter Fust, Director-General, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Switzerland
• Jakaya M. Kikwete, President of Tanzania
• Jürg Krummenacher, Director, Caritas, Switzerland; Member of the Board, Alliance Sud - Swiss Alliance of Development Organizations, Switzerland
• Maria Ramos, Group Chief Executive, Transnet, South Africa
• Nenadi Usman, Minister of Finance of Nigeria
  

Moderated by

• Roger de Weck, Columnist, Switzerland

Friday 26 January

12.45 - 14.15
Sustainable Energy Consumption: Does Anyone Care?
Energy consumption has significantly increased over the past decades. This is having an impact not only on climate change but also on economic growth. It is clear that today's society needs to learn to consume energy in a more sustainable fashion.
1) What are the consequences of increased energy consumption on the environment and climate change? What are the consequences to economic growth?
2) Is the concept of a "2,000 watt society" a realistic approach to changing patterns of energy consumption?
3) What is the role of policy-makers, the energy sector and consumers in promoting sustainable energy consumption?

• Fatih Birol, Chief Economist and Head, Economic Analysis Division, International Energy Agency, Paris
• Emanuel Höhener, Chief Executive Officer, EGL (Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft Laufenburg), Switzerland
• C. S. Kiang, Chairman, Peking University Environment Fund, Peking University, People's Republic of China
• David Runnalls, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Canada
• Franziska Teuscher, President, Association for Transport and Environment; Member of Parliament, Green Party, Switzerland

Moderated by

• Christine Maier, TV Host "Club", Swiss Television SF DRS, Switzerland

18.00 - 19.30
Managing Access to Oil: The Risk of the 21st Century I Webcast
Access to and increased needs for oil and gas are hot topics in international relations and sources of conflict and war. Whereas importing countries, such as the US and China, aim to ensure long-term access to this non-renewable source of energy, exporting countries, such as Venezuela or Russia, use their privileged access to oil as an instrument to promote their political interests.
1) Will this need lead to further conflict, in view of the military strengths of such importing countries as China and India? Are power and strengths moving towards Asia?
2) Considering its wealth in primary energy sources, how will Russia position itself in times of oil and gas shortage?
3) How is the foreign policy of other countries, in Western Europe or the US for example, driven by the need to manage access to oil? What role do international institutions play?

• Gerald Doucet, Secretary-General, World Energy Council (WEC), London
• Ajay Dua, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India
• Jessica Mathews, President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, USA
• Samuel Nguiffo, Director, Environment and Development Centre, Cameroon
• Andreas Zumach, International Correspondent, Die Tageszeitung, Switzerland
• Alexander G. Rahr, Director Körber-Unit on Russia and the CIS, German Council on Foreign Relations, Germany

Moderated by

• Roger de Weck, Columnist, Switzerland

Saturday 27 January 

12.45 - 14.15
Is the Multicultural Society an Illusion? I Webcast
In European countries, the construction of minarets, the wearing of the veil and the absence of children from certain classes for religious and cultural reasons are increasingly leading to tensions. Fear, prejudice and the lack of will to integrate often impair openness and mutual understanding.
1) Has the integration of members of other cultures in Europe failed? Where has it been successful? Under what conditions?
2) What are the limits to tolerance? For and towards whom?
3) Who decides on the limits to tolerance? What are the criteria used to define them?

• Safwat El Baiady, President, Protestant Churches, and President, Middle East Council of Churches, Egypt
• Hans Fehr, Member of Parliament, Swiss People's Party, Switzerland
• Susan Collin Marks, Senior Vice-President, Search for Common Ground, USA
• Rifa'at Lenzin, Orientalist and Vice President, Interreligious Working Group of Switzerland, Switzerland
• Thomas Wipf, President of the Council, Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches, Switzerland

Introduced by

• Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of the Swiss Confederation and Federal Councillor of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland

Moderated by

• Urs Leuthard, TV Host, Arena, Swiss Television SF DRS, Switzerland

15.30 - 17.00
Religion: Source of Peace or Cause of Violence and War? I Webcast
World religions have always been used for the good, but they have also been misused. Recently, however, the media has linked religious extremism with violence. Religion appears to be increasingly instrumentalized to fuel hate, secure political power and strengthen claims to absolutism.
1) How can religion's potentially peaceful role be strengthened? How can religion be protected from abuse?
2) What are the contributions of places of worship and religious communities? Are they a part of the problem?
3) Can religions be criticized? What are the limits of legitimate criticism?

• Gret Haller, Senior Lecturer, Johann Wolfgang Goethe - University, Germany 
• Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, Ireland
• Farhan A. Nizami, Director, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, United Kingdom
• Konrad Raiser, Visiting Professor, Ecumenical Institute of Bossey, Germany

Introduced by

• Shaukat Aziz, Prime Minister of Pakistan

Moderated by

• Bendicht Luginbühl, Journalist, Switzerland

18.00 - 19.30
Brands: Today's Gods? I Webcast
Brands have become a part of our daily lives, whether on clothing, multimedia gadgets or accessories. Today, what you wear or possess indicates whether you are "in" or not. This can lead to social exclusion and increased pressure to consume, especially for young people.
1) How do brands affect the way society functions? How do brands change our social interactions?
2) To what extent can consumption pressure be pushed back? Could school uniforms be a solution?
3) What are the roles and strategies of multinational companies in this context?

• David Bosshart, Director, Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute, Switzerland
• Kathleen Ix, Student, International School of Geneva, Switzerland
• Reno Sami, Manager, School Uniform Project, Basel Middle School, Switzerland
• Sir Martin  Sorrell, Group Chief Executive, WPP, United Kingdom

Moderated by

• Bendicht Luginbühl, Journalist, Switzerland

19.30 - 19.35
Concluding Remarks on the Open Forum 2007 I Webcast
The organizers of the Open Forum 2007 will give concluding remarks on the key learning of this year's edition of the Open Forum.
with

• André Schneider, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, World Economic Forum
• Thomas Wipf, President of the Council, Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches, Switzerland

Download the Open Forum brochure

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For further information
Please contact Sarah Saffar, Associate Director, Open Forum, at the World Economic Forum (ssa@weforum.org)