The Swiss Alps
YESTERDAY brown was still thy head, as the locks of my loved one,
Whose sweet image so dear silently beckons afar.
Silver-grey is the early snow to-day on thy summit,
Through the tempestuous night streaming fast over thy brow.
Youth, alas, throughout life as closely to age is united
As, in some changeable dream, yesterday blends with to-day.
–Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1)
In this article: Switzerland and Swiss Alps in winter! Davos (the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland); Klaus Schwab – a German-born business professor at the University of Geneva; The World Economic Forum (WEF): History, Today and Future; The World Economic Forum annual meeting 2017 in Davos.
I created this article in between my office hours because today, this week the World is looking at the map of my beautiful Switzerland with more questions than we might envision… I aim to take away your attention from your reality and ask you to gift yourself with virtual presence in Switzerland! At The World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos.
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a federal republic in Europe. It consists of 26 cantons, and the city of Bern is the seat of the federal authorities. The country is in Western-Central Europe, and is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning an area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately eight million people is concentrated mostly on the plateau, where the largest cities are to be found: among them are the two global cities and economic centres Zürich and Geneva. The English name Switzerland is a compound containing Switzer, an obsolete term for the Swiss, which was in use during the 16th to 19th centuries. (2)
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,109 (2015). Davos is located on the river Landwasser, in the Rhaetian Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range. At 1,560 m (5,120 ft), it is the highest “town” in Europe. Davos is host to the World Economic Forum (WEF), an annual meeting of global political and business elites (often referred to simply as Davos) and the home of one of Switzerland’s biggest ski resorts. At the end of every year it serves as the site of the annual Spengler Cup ice hockey tournament, hosted by the HC Davos local hockey team. (2)
Switzerland is a stunning winter destination. The Alps sparkle with pristine pistes, jaw-dropping vistas and glamourous snow sports while the cities twinkle with Christmas markets, ice rinks and more. Here’s our guide to some of the coolest things to do and places to be this winter in Switzerland. (3)
Klaus Martin Schwab (born March 30, 1938) is a German-born engineer and economist, business professor at the University of Geneva, best known as the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum. Klaus M. Schwab holds a doctorate in Economics (summa cum laude) from the University of Fribourg, a doctorate in Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and a Master of Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Additionally, he has been the recipient of over a dozen honorary doctorates, and is an honorary professor of the Ben-Gurion University of Israel, and the China Foreign Affairs University. (4)
The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation.
The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
It was established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It is independent, impartial and not tied to any special interests. The Forum strives in all its efforts to demonstrate entrepreneurship in the global public interest while upholding the highest standards of governance. Moral and intellectual integrity is at the heart of everything it does.
Our activities are shaped by a unique institutional culture founded on the stakeholder theory, which asserts that an organization is accountable to all parts of society. The institution carefully blends and balances the best of many kinds of organizations, from both the public and private sectors, international organizations and academic institutions.
We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
History
Our interactive timeline captures key events from forty five years of Forum history (5)
The World Economic Forum annual meeting 2017 in Davos. January 17-20, 2017
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters remains the foremost creative force for engaging the world’s top leaders in collaborative activities to shape the global, regional and industry agendas at the beginning of each year. For over four decades, the World Economic Forum’s mission – improving the state of the world – has driven the design and development of the Annual Meeting programme. (6)
I will close with following quotes (reference – Top 5 Stories from the first day of Davos ):
“It is important to protect the environment while pursuing economic and social progress – to achieve harmony between man and nature, and harmony between man society.”
~Xi Jinping, President of China, WEF Jan 17, 2017
“I see him very differently than maybe you guys see him, but I think over the next four years … you’re going to start seeing him more the way I see him”
~Anthony Scaramucci, Donald Trump’s aid, WEF Jan 17, 2017
“Just eight men own as much wealth as half of humanity”
~Essay from Byanyima, Link , WEF Jan 17, 2017
“The Fourth Industrial Revolution is coming, whether we’re ready or not”
~WEF Jan 17, 2017
“Nobel Prize-winning economist wants to wave goodbye to the dollar”
~WEF Jan 17, 2017
(1) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe German poet, dramatist and philosopher, was born at Frankfort-on-Main on the 28th of August 1749.
