Irish Archbishop says uncertainty haunts Davos Forum

(Vatican Radio)  Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin says there’s a mood of uncertainty about many issues that is hanging over this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos.   The Irish archbishop is among faith leaders invited to the Davos Forum which is attended by scores of heads of state and government and over 2,000 leaders from business and society around the world.  He told Susy Hodges that "a crisis of leadership" and income inequalities are among the key issues under discussion at this year’s gathering of the world’s political and business elite.

 

Listen to the full interview with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin: 

 

Asked about the mood at the 2015 World Economic Forum, Archbishop Martin said there is a feeling of “uncertainty” about a whole series of areas that include economic models, security, especially concerning conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine and in other areas of the world, and cultural tensions.

Moving away from triumphalism

Along with this mood of uncertainty Archbishop Martin also spoke about this sense of “a crisis of leadership and in politics” which is the subject of several seminars during the Forum. 

“There’s a concern about (whether) our political institutions and political parties are doing the job they’re supposed to do? And there’s also this crisis that’s developed because of the great inequalities that exist.”

In general, Archbishop Martin said he sees a “certain moving away from external  triumphalism” among the political and business leaders attending this year’s Forum in Davos.

Invest in people

Saying we can’t build a stable future on fear (of the poor), Archbishop Martin explains that there is a more people-centric way of looking at economics and politics. 

“We must invest in the capacity of people to realize their God-given dignity and their God-given talents and that’s the purpose of an economy and that’s the purpose of politics.”