The Open Forum, co-organized by the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches and the World Economic Forum, runs parallel to the Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters

The Open Forum is open to the general public

Discussions between key figures from business, politics and civil society will focus on globalization and its impact http://www.forumblog.org/openforum/

Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 26 January 2009 ? The Open Forum Davos 2009, which runs in parallel to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2009, is hosting a series of high-level discussions from 29-31 January on the issue of globalization and its effects. For the seventh year, the public is invited to debate with key figures from civil society, politics and business at the event in Davos-Klosters.

Leaders participating include Kofi Annan, Secretary-General, United Nations (1997-2006), President, Global Humanitarian Forum, and Member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum, who is on a panel discussion on environmental justice. Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, Federal Councillor of Justice and Police of the Swiss Confederation, is tackling questions of euthanasia together with Thomas Wipf, President of the Council of the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches, Switzerland.

Micheline Calmy-Rey, Federal Councillor of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, is introducing the topic "religion and human rights". Other panellists include Swiss National Councillors Martine Brunschwig Graf, Andi Gross and Rudolf Rechsteiner; former Swiss National Councillor Rudolf Strahm; Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank Jean-Pierre Roth; President of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo; UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Olivier de Schutter; and Managing Director of the World Bank Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

The Open Forum Davos 2009 has the following panels:

  • Global Financial Crisis: What Lessons Should Be Learned?

  • Is There a Solution for the Middle East?

  • Religion and Human Rights - A Contradiction?

  • Climate Justice: Basis of a New Global Solidarity? (Co-organized with the Global Humanitarian Forum)

  • Live and Let Die

  • Is the Right to Food an Illusion?

  • The EU - Model without Citizens?

The Open Forum Davos 2009 sessions are open to the public. No registration is required. Since there is a limited number of seats, people will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis. The sessions will be divided between a panel discussion and an open discussion with the audience.

For more information about the Meeting, please visit the Forum's website for the Annual Meeting 2009 at http://www.weforum.org/annualmeeting
Press Kit for the Annual Meeting at http://www.weforum.org/presskit
Programme of the Annual Meeting at http://www.weforum.org/annualmeeting/programme
Design the programme of the Open Forum on our Wiki at http://www.forumblog.org/openforum
Summaries of key sessions at http://www.weforum.org/annualmeeting/summaries2009
Press Conferences will be broadcast live on http://qik.com/worldeconomicforum and http://www.mogulus.com/worldeconomicforum
High-resolution photos of the Annual Meeting, free of charge at http://www.swiss-image.ch/Y249M7AC/INDEX.htm
See the best pictures from the Annual Meeting on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/worldeconomicforum
Watch Live Webcasts of Annual Meeting sessions at http://www.weforum.org/annualmeeting/webcasts
The Davos Debates on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/davos
Become a fan of the Forum on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum
Join the Forum's FriendFeed Room at http://www.friendfeed.com/davos
Befriend the Forum on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/worldeconomicforum
Follow the Forum on Twitter at http://twitter.com/davos
The Davos Universe at http://www.netvibes.com/davosconversation
Press Releases at http://www.weforum.org/pressreleases
For updates on the activities of the World Economic Forum, subscribe to: RSS feed

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The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. (http://www.weforum.org)

© Press Release 2009