平特五不中

You have likely heard of the World Economic Forum (WEF), or at least its annual conference in Davos. Every January, 2500 of the world鈥檚 movers and shakers descend on this Swiss resort to shake the world, while ensuring that its roots remain firmly planted in economic globalization.

Have you heard of the World Social Forum (WSF)? It expects to have twenty times as many people descend on Montreal next month, for a little moving and shaking of their own鈥攆or example to loosen the roots of what it calls the 鈥渃risis of capitalism鈥�. This will be its twelfth bi-annual conference, but the first in the 鈥淣orth鈥�. (Others have taken place in Brazil, India, Tunisia, etc.)

Don鈥檛 feel badly if you never heard of the WSF. Recently I gave a talk to 300 people at HEC, Montreal鈥檚 main French-language business school. Barely 10 knew about the WSF, let alone that it was meeting soon in their own hometown.

A Tale of Two Forums 听Such is the state of the world today: focused on the economic while obscuring the social. The WEF calls itself 鈥淭he International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation.鈥� Cooptation too, thanks to its success in promoting globalization. The private sector leads and the public sector follows while the plural sector (civil society) struggles.

I have been to Davos as a speaker a few times. In 2006, I attended a session entitled 鈥淕lobal Business: Survivor or Scapegoat.鈥� Some choice! (Of course, it鈥檚 the choice we鈥檝e been hearing from those pundits quick to dismiss the recent Brexit vote.)

Don鈥檛 expect to see anything like Davos in Montreal next month. The WEF attracts elites; its agenda is loaded with big names, not necessarily with anything new to say; and the organization is big on 鈥測oung global leaders鈥� (presumably selected by old global leaders).

The WSF attracts activists, organizes its conferences around 鈥渟elf-managed workshops;鈥� and promotes collaboration--what I like to call commuityship, in contrast to leadership. This is a meet-up of people concerned less about doing deals than about the consequences of such deals.

The WEF conference gets enormous press coverage. The WSF conference has barely received mention in its host city, let alone around the world. If the WEF is about power in the name of change, then the WSF is about change in the face of power.

Here, then, we have the two main models for changing this troubled world, neither of which is working. One fails because it brings together the people who have benefited most from some of our main problems鈥攊ncome disparities, consumptive economics, lop-sided globalization. The other fails because it lacks the power, and the attention, to do something about these problems, not to mention its own lack of organization. (Business gets its collective act together for what it wants--such as tax cuts鈥攚hile the plural sector associations do no. To paraphrase a song by Tom Lehrer, the WSF may have the good songs, but the WEF wins the battles.) Together, this is not a happy combination for a troubled world.

The theme of the Montreal conference is 鈥淎nother world is needed.鈥� Another model too. Imagine if one day the two forums鈥攕ocial and economic--marched as equal partners for a balanced world. While holding our breath for that, let me tell you what we are organizing in Montreal to nudge the world slightly in this direction.

Our March 听听Our little team at 平特五不中 has been busy preparing three events. I will be speaking about Rebalancing Society鈥攎y last book--and we have organized a panel about how can the plural sector get its collective act together to help restore balance in this distorted world.

We are especially excited about our self-organizing workshop, entitled 鈥淥n the earth, for the Earth: acting together for a cool planet.鈥� It will be held on Wednesday August 10 from 9:15-15h in the 平特五不中 football stadium---on that earth. (For details, please see .) Participants from around the world will meet each other and form small groups, each to focus on one issue, such as:

-听听听听听听 What can we do in our personal lives to reverse global warming?

-听听听听听听 How can we get creative about challenging the most destructive environmental practices?

-听听听听听听 What can we do to make our city energy friendly?

-听听听听听听 How can we build societies of better and better instead of economies of more and more?

-听听听听听听 How can the WSF become the force that the WEF has become?

The groups will share their proposals for change, and select the best, for presentation to the whole throng. Five really awesome proposals will do it (although we will not complain if we get 50). Then we will all consider what we can carry home for action鈥攕tarting next week. If 100 people go home determined to make a difference, we will be happy; if 1000 do so, we will be delighted.

Please join us. We promise you a low conference fee: at $40 it comes to .00056 that of Davos (finally a chance to join the 0.1%!). We can also guarantee aa lot more fun: a living lab and do-it-yourself climactic picnic, on the ground. Who knows, we might even move the Earth!

漏 Henry Mintzberg 2016

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