It is winter again which means it is time for the world leaders to gather in the warm, cozy and luxurious halls in Davos, Switzerland, to discuss social and economic issues their subjects are facing back home. Has this not become an annual ritual to gather, discuss and depart to the real world? What are the boat people who are dying on their way to Italian and Australian shores getting from Davos? Obviously both Europe and Australia can’t afford this never-ending influx of, mostly economic, migrants. Both Australia and Italy are not accepting any more boats full of people who are risking their lives to reach the ‘promised’ lands. Boats are being diverted, sometime to death, to other countries such as Indonesia, Malta, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea or directed to detention centres. Every other month, we hear of a human tragedy unfolding in high seas, but it’s no more valued than one day’s headlines on TV channels. But where does the real problem lie?
Keeping aside the tall claims and rhetoric you will soon hear from Davos, the world is getting divided between ‘have’ and ‘haven’t’ lines. As per Oxfam, soon the world’ wealthiest one percent would be possessing more than rest of all the inhabitants on this Earth. What can we term this — an abject failure of global economic order which is obviously leading to social unrest on a world-wide spectrum?
You may blame capitalism for this unjust division of wealth but it’s something more than that. Never ending wars and civil unrest in parts of Asia and Africa, across the board corruption, accumulation of natural resources in few hands, greedy and non-visionary leadership are also contributing to this disproportionate world.
We don’t need Davos but some real action to bring back the world from economic failure.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia
