President Jakaya Kikwete holding a preparatory meeting with his delegations soon after arrival at the Davos Sheraton ahead of the start of the four day World Economic Forum held annually in the mountainous health resort. The forum, that goes under the theme: \
Purpose
WE are living in the most complex, interdependent and fast-paced era in recent memory. It is also the new context in which leadership will be exercised for the foreseeable future. Thus, the purpose of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012 is to ensure that leaders exercise their responsibilities – jointly, boldly and strategically – to improve the state of the world for future generations.
In Davos, leaders will share insights on what has changed fundamentally in the world, explore new conceptual models that are emerging, catalyse sought-after solutions and collaborate on the risks and opportunities that lie ahead.
To this end and for over 40 years, the Annual Meeting has provided an unrivalled platform for leaders from all walks of life to shape the global agenda at the start of the year.
The New Context
Across the world, decision-makers are struggling to take action on critical economic, political and societal issues arising in a variety of contexts.
Most apparent is that the speed of change continues to accelerate worldwide, fuelled not only by globalization, but also by
increasingly sophisticated technology. The contextual change at the top of minds remains the rebalancing and deleveraging that is reshaping the global economy.
In the near term, this transformation is seen in the context of how developed countries will deleverage without falling back into recession and how emerging countries will curb inflation and avoid future economic bubbles. In the long term, both will play out as the population of our interdependent world not only passes 7 billion but is also interconnected through information technology on a historic scale.
The net result will be transformational changes in social values, resource needs and technological advances as never before. In either context, the necessary conceptual models do not exist from which to develop a systemic understanding of the great transformations taking place now and in the
future.
Integrating people, systems and technologies is an indisputable leadership challenge that ultimately requires new models, bold ideas and personal courage to ensure that this century improves the human condition rather than capping its potential.
Thus, the Annual Meeting 2012 will convene under the theme, The Great Transformation: Shaping New Models, whereby leaders return to their core purpose of defining what the future should look like, aligning stakeholders around that vision and inspiring their institutions to realize that vision.
The Great Transformation: Shaping New Models captures not only the context but also the purpose with which leaders must now act
– ensuring that our future is one of inspired collaboration and bold solutions to global, regional and industry challenges and not a return to status quo. As is the tradition of the Annual Meeting, the programme will challenge long-held assumptions about society, politics, technology, business and economics to generate the powerful ideas and collaborative spirit desperately needed to manage the future course of world affairs.