Just a Tweet Away with @DavidBeckmann #WEF

Photo by Flickr user World Economic Forum

Yesterday, David Beckmann tweeted: “I’ve been invited to the World Economic Forum in Davos this year.” (Follow @DavidBeckmann on Twitter.)

Since a portion of my day is spent facilitating the @bread4theworld twitter feed, I wondered if our twitter followers, me included, know why Davos is so important. So I set out this morning to do a little online investigating and this is what I’ve learned:

• The World Economic Forum (WEF) has taken place in Davos, Switzerland, since 1971. This year, the WEF is happening from January 25 to 29.
• In attendance are more than just government officials, but also academics, business representatives, journalists, religious leaders and other dignitaries.  The meetings create a cross-pollination of ideas to address the world’s economic and social problems.
• Transformational programs around poverty have been launched at past meetings, such as the Global Health Initiative (GHI), a program through which the U.S. government supports the work of Scaling Up Nutrition, a program that Bread for the World is mobilizing around in this year’s Offering of Letters.

Still, I wasn’t sure I understood why I should care about what is happening at Davos this week, so I asked my friend, Bread for the World Institute’s policy analyst Faustine Wabwire. Faustine pointed out that with competing interests in these tough economic times, global food security needs a strong voice and a renewed commitment from world leaders. “Investing in long-term development requires long-term, sustained commitment from national governments and the international donor community,” Faustine said. “As our leaders meet in Davos, we are reminding them to follow through on the commitments they have made in the fight against hunger, poverty, and disease.”

So I’ll be following @DavidBeckmann this week (and the hashtag #WEF) as he navigates the conversations with an ear toward solutions to end hunger and poverty. Be sure to follow us at @bread4theworld, where we will be posting different opportunities for you to include your voice and remind leaders that their choices can indeed make a world of difference.

Robin Stephenson is a regional organizer at Bread for the World.