World system needs a rethink
Growth, sustainability and security can only be ensured if major changes are made
The world as we know it is in big trouble. The international economy, on which most depend for their daily income and sustenance, is struggling to overcome a financial crisis of epic proportions, while global warming and the effects of climate change threaten the survival of communities and species.
Over a billion people go hungry every day, while for many the environmental disasters seen in the movies are a daily reality: the Maldives, for example, are in danger of disappearing beneath the Indian Ocean.
The members of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council are gathering in Dubai for a summit on how best to tackle these challenges. The main aim of the council is to identify and help build international institutions that will provide the world with a framework for "growth, sustainability and security".
The council will look for the common values that will allow different people and cultures to constructively live and work together; and try to find ways to mitigate risk to the global economy and human security.
It is working on nothing less than a new design for the international community so that it can sustain people and the environment. We wish them success with their endeavour.
