Stories written by Jose Maria Figueres
Jose Maria Figueres is co-CEO of the World Economic Forum and former president of Costa Rica.

A BETTER WORLD IS POSSIBLE

By Jose Maria Figueres and - -
In today\'s world, security and prosperity have become two sides of the same coin, writes Jose Maria Figueres, co-CEO of the World Economic Forum and former president of Costa Rica. In this article, Figueres writes that we all deserve to live and work in a secure environment. And technology has advanced to the point were if we set our minds - and hearts - to the task of effectively combating poverty, we can succeed in improving the living conditions of millions. It will of course take a determined effort by all of us to make this possible, which is why at the World Economic Forum we chose \'\'Partnering for Security and Prosperity\'\' as the theme for our Annual Meeting 2004. I would hope we could all agree on the need for action to address the underlying causes of our problems, and this is where partnerships come in. The World Social Summit taking place in India has come a long way from its first session in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2000. From constituting an opposition to the present wave of development, it has moved to proclaiming that \'\'another world is possible\'\'. We salute this transition, and welcome even more interaction with Porto Alegre.

GLOBALISATION

By Jose Maria Figueres and - -
Globalisation is a double-edged tool, writes Jose Maria Figueres, managing director of the World Economic Forum and former president of Costa Rica (1994-1998). We can take advantage of it with sound national strategies designed to increase the well-being of our citizens. Or we can cross our arms and do nothing and allow globalisation to take advantage of us. Thus we have the possibility to decide and build our future, but no one will do it for us. The responsibility is ours. Globalisation is more than a simple process of economic opening and tariff reduction. Taking advantage of it requires clear policies and that at the same time reinforce macro-economic health, strengthen strategic social investment, and promote responsible use of natural resources. Convinced that business has responsibilities to society and can play a positive role in areas relating to development, the WEF supports programmes that work in this direction. Many governments and many grass roots organisations share this understanding. Today it is more important than ever to join forces and move forward. The World Economic Forum and the World Social Forum share the obligation to explore their common goals and work towards them rather than accentuate their differences.
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