World leaders discuss humanity, global challenges at Horasis Global Meeting

Horasis, a leading international think tank, brought together over 1,000 leading global figures virtually on June 8 to discuss how the coronavirus pandemic can be used to make a fresh start toward developing a more human-centered, cooperative approach to existing challenges.

The participants—which included senior politicians, Fortune 500 CEOs, and social and entrepreneurial leaders—specifically discussed the theme of “Fostering a Shared Humanity” in times of great uncertainty.

Dr. Frank-Jürgen Richter, chairman of Horasis, said the 2021 Horasis Global Meeting was organized as the world is at a crossroads where increased international collaboration is needed more than ever to explore a path forward post-pandemic and resolve pressing issues such as economic inequality and climate change.

“The Horasis community of world leaders will be instrumental in formulating actionable plans to lead the global community toward a prosperous, egalitarian future,” he added.

In one of the sessions, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian, Ghanaian Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Slovenian Labor Minister Janez Cigler Kralj, and Latvia Education Minister Ilga Suplinska spoke about how the opportunity offered by the current critical juncture in history should be seized to find shared solutions to the challenges facing businesses, governments, and humanity at large.

In addition, former Ecuadorian president Rosalía Arteaga Serrano and former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe shared their views about how the positive aspects of COVID-19 vaccine development can lead to the promotion of multilateralism across the world.

Former Finnish prime minister Esko Aho and former Latvian president Vaira Vike-Freiberga debated how greater trust and a deeper shared view of humanity can be developed between citizens and governments.

Other topics on the agenda of the conference included the future of Europe and the role it can play in the global context after the coronavirus experience, global cooperation on medical research, resetting corporate strategies to achieve profitability and global public betterment, digital technologies and the recovery of the travel and tourism sector, and under-representation of women in top jobs.

In the closing plenary session, potential ways to maintain the impetus for inclusive global development, promote fair globalization, and achieve equitable growth and well-being were discussed.

“Tech forces, societal forces, ESG forces: these and more are really driving change. But are these pressures enough to enact change in political quarters?” asked Lynn C. Fritz, proprietor, Lynmar Estate, USA.

Lord Karan Bilimoria, president, Confederation of British Industry, United Kingdom, said, “It’s not good enough to be the best in the world, but to be the best for the world.”

Bilimoria mentioned that he is driven during the pandemic by what he calls the ‘7 Cs’: calm, confidence, communication, collaboration, community, compassion, and cash.

The chairman of Horasis emphasized the significance of unity, especially in times of disruption, saying, “We need to unite and we have to join hands to tackle the challenges of the pandemic, climate change, and division within society.”

Launched in 2016, the annual Horasis Global Meeting is one of the world’s foremost discussion forums, offering an ideal platform to explore and foster cooperation, impact investing and sustainable growth across the world.

The summit—hosted annually in the seaside resort town of Cascais, Portugal—moved online due to the pandemic.

Besides its flagship event, the organization hosts the Horasis Extraordinary Meeting, the Horasis India Meeting, the Horasis China Meeting, the Horasis Asia Meeting, and the annual gatherings of the Horasis Visionary Circle—a peer-to-peer group of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and business leaders.