World Economic Forum 2014
Dear Co-workers,
The Cycle of Conferences is placing a focus, beginning today, on the World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland 22-25 January. The theme of this year’s Forum is: The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics and Business.
The annual Forum is a place where many decisions are made that will affect the world in both the near and distant future. The underlying themes and language used to promote the Forum express basic spiritual principles as seed ideas; and it is with these we work, to further empower them, visualising them blossoming and permeating the atmosphere of the Forum.
The expressed intent of the Forum is encapsulated in the following statement: “We encourage businesses, governments and civil society to commit together to improving the state of the world. Our Strategic and Industry Partners are instrumental in helping stakeholders meet key challenges such as building sustained economic growth, mitigating global risks, promoting health for all, improving social welfare and fostering environmental sustainability.”
Meditators might rightly ask what is ‘sustained economic growth’? And what does sustained economic growth look like for countries of the North and countries of the South? In the North particularly there is a need to move away from the path of increasing consumerism and an economics that relies on the depletion of natural resources.
From a spiritual perspective economics must be considered more broadly. The natural human pattern of consumption and production takes place at all levels – mental, emotional and physical. Needs and gifts are shared in relationship with others. Growth occurs as we draw upon our spiritual capital – latent faculties are developed and the produce is shared with others. Economic exchanges occur as needs are met by supplies. It is the quality and motive with which we imbue the work we do that is the paramount factor in contributing to the divine circulatory flow, rather than the form of the product itself.
The competitive system of the world economy, and the market for goods and services – as they currently function – foster greed and the enrichment of the few at the expense of the many. As Alice Bailey and other spiritual teachers such as Rudolf Steiner point out, economics that is centred on real human growth and development (mental and emotional as well as physical) fosters competition with oneself. We should be looking for educational systems that aim to increase each individual’s spiritual capital and encourage the sharing of this wealth with the world.
R E L A T E D
(a variety of
reflections
gathered
together
for the
World Goodwill
Seminar
on this theme)“Let the fires of divinity burn out all dross. Let the pure gold emerge. Give me the gold of living love to shower upon the hearts of all.” (Alice A. Bailey)
www.thenew
materialism.org/
pamphlet
The real living qualities invested in work by each person constitute a ‘gift wave’ of spiritual qualities connecting human beings together as one. Economics based on a desperate need to acquire and hoard things for oneself, blocks the circulation of the gift wave.
As the website of the World Economic Forum acknowledges, “The world economy is navigating uncharted waters in the wake of the global financial crisis. With the goal of building and sustaining economic growth in mind, the Forum is spearheading efforts to rethink infrastructure development, reshape responsible capitalism and encourage the free movement of people and goods.”
With this in mind the Cycle of Conferences will be working subjectively to empower this objective and we look forward to joining together in this spirit to strengthen the hands of those members of the new group of world servers who will be present at this Forum. Our work together lasts until the Forum ends on January 25.
