The World Economic Forum kicked off in Davos this week and some major concerns and global issues are being addressed by world leaders. Here are some of the issues you care about and what some of global citizen’s favorite people had to say.

1) On girls and women:

Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook shut it down when she “took the risk of shocking everyone so early in the morning” and told the world that men still run the world and it’s not going so well. Which is completely true, and fantastic to hear from one of the few women in power.

62 million girls still don’t have access to education, which means those girls will face incredible obstacles to finding jobs with fair wages, and holding positions in government. This needs to change, and by accomplishing Global Goal 5: Gender equality it can.

2) On good governance:

“Leadership should be focused on extending the ladder of opportunity to everyone,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on the first day of Davos. Is is creepy I wish the US could clone him and he could be the next president of the US? Probably. But at least he’s bringing awareness of the importance of sustainable leadership to the world.


3) On health and well being:

US Vice President Joe Biden shared the US’s plans to “make a decade’s worth of advances in five years...and eventually end cancer as we know it.” With the hope that technology advances are equally shared between developing and developed countries this is great news. 

4) On the refugee crisis: 

German president Joachim Gauck spoke out sharing his reflections on the migration and refugee crisis in Europe. Gauck urges all global citizens and world leaders to see that “it is our humanitarian responsibility to take in victims of persecution.” Couldn’t agree more! 

5) On ending inequality:

It’s going to take some serious restructuring according to Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation. She also asked, “will technology be used by the few to create enclaves of wealth the further marginalize the most vulnerable?” These are types of powerful questions global citizens can be glad world leaders are talking about, and working to end.

Finally, what the heck is the fourth industrial revolution that everyone is talking about? 

It’s basically what Biden was talking about when he said the US is going to advance decades of technology and research into a matter of years, and many other innovative individuals and companies are moving into new advancements in technology the world has never seen before. There have been three industrial revolutions thus far.

The first, was steam, water, and mechanical engineering.

The second was division of labor, mass production, and electricity

The third was IT, electronics, and automated production

And the fourth according the the WEF here is cyber physical systems

The fourth is centered on the notion that access to knowledge, mobile devices, storage for information and other tech. capabilities are unlimited. The world will see crazy things soon, self-driving cars, 3-D printing, nanotechnology and these innovations should be shared by all.

It’s up to global citizens to make sure this technology is equally shared so that all countries and people have the chance to advance together, and the wealth and patents from these inventions do not remain solely with one person, company or government. 

What can you look forward as Davos continues through Saturday?

Canada will probably still be winning on the equality front. 

More world leaders will tell you that we can end extreme poverty!

And the world can find out which world leaders decide to truly see what it’s like to walk a mile in the shoes of a refugee by spending an hour in the life of refugees. Richard Branson took part in the experience which you can see here.

Maybe if more European leaders empathize with the situation refugees are faced with daily, economic fear of assisting them can be put aside.

You can reflect on what refugees go through by going to and tell world leader to help in TAKE ACTION NOW. 

TopicsRecapEqualityFinance & InnovationDavosWorld Economic Forum

Editorial

Defeat Poverty

"Men still run the world" and 4 more quotes on issues you care about from Davos

By Meghan Werft