Occupy Davos protesters build igloos
Associated Press, Updated: January 24, 2012 18:18 IST
Davos (Switzerland):
An igloo protest camp sprouting up amid $500-a-night hotels and security cordons at the Swiss resort of Davos seems toserve a warning to the world's rich and powerful gathering here: Beware, oryou might be sleeping in the snow next year, too.In many countries, prospects for prosperity are increasingly fragile. Trust inpresidents and CEOs, and the systems they represent, is drying up.Uncertainty lurks for the eurozone, and for Afghanistan, Syria and NorthKorea as well.And now the Occupy movement has come to the
World Economic Forum
,an annual gathering of 2,600 decision-makers from nearly 100 countries andhundreds of companies that starts on Wednesday.VIPs in Davos are usually sheltered from critics so that they can solvefinancial problems in cosseted peace. This year, the global question-the-establishment wave has brought in a small band of protesters, with an igloo-and-yurt camp and anti-capitalist entreaties ready to greet the big bosses of business and world politics as they arrive.Even the weather seemed to be working in the protesters' favour."In the last 42 years, I've never seen so much snow in Davos," forumfounder Klaus Schwab tweeted Sunday. "Perfect snow to build igloos!"members of the Occupy Davos movement tweeted back.With the list of global economic problems to solve so daunting this year,many Davos participants may prefer the more measurable and lucrativework of confidential corporate deals, a Davos hallmark. Politicians from theUS and other countries will be seeking investment in their districts, investorswill be hunting out promising young entrepreneurs, and everyone will be
looking for the year's next big gadget."The reality of Davos is that it can achieve things and it does achieve thingsevery year. And that is business deals," said French political analystDominique Moisi.Chief executives from China will garner attention, but Europe will be thedamaged star of this year's forum. That's a painful irony for organizers whohave worked for years to expand its reach beyond the Europeans andAmericans who built its reputation.German Chancellor Angela Merkel formally launches the meeting with akeynote speech Wednesday that may chart her course for Europe's debtcrisis in the coming months.The list of Davos participants is heftier than ever in its four-decade history,with nearly 40 heads of state and 18 of the world's central bankers. They're joined by business leaders, scientists, thinkers, pioneers for human rightsand others for the invitation-only week of brainstorming that aims to set theglobal agenda for the year to come."It's the perfect barometer of the temperature of the world," Moisi said.Four years after the subprime mortgage crisis and ensuing financialmeltdown, growth remains anaemic in the rich world. Many in Europe andthe US - especially those without work - feel betrayed by solutions that theyfeel favored the very bankers and financial players blamed for the crisis. Inrich and developing economies, income inequalities are on the rise.The Occupy protesters are bringing a mix of grievances, inspired by proteststhat started around Wall Street last year and spread to cities around theworld.Their numbers may be limited here because of Davos' remote location, highin the Swiss Alps in a heavily guarded valley. Those who do make the journey face the painstaking work of carving blocks of snow and fitting theminto an igloo, a job that takes four people about five hours to complete."We'll make small actions in the village, we're going to disturb things a littlebit," said organizer David Roth, a Swiss leftist politician camped out for theweek.One of their banners reflected the disillusionment in developed democracies:"If voting could change anything it would be illegal."
Search History:
Result 00 of 00
00 results for result for
p.
Occupy Davos Protesters Build Igloos
And now the Occupy movement has come to the World Economic Forum, an annual gathering of 2,600 decision-makers from nearly 100 countries and hundreds of companies that starts on Wednesday.
188
Reads
1
Readcasts
2
Embed Views
More From This User
Notes
Load more
