All economic forums have one common goal which is to bring together international economists, politicians and corporate leaders to discuss possible solutions to current economic problems.
The topics presented at this year’s Jeddah Economic Forum (JEF) were wisely chosen and timely. Most of the speakers used the events of Sept. 11 as their point of reference. As I sat listening and trying to make sense of what was being said, I could not help but reflect on a statement made by one of the speakers. He asked us all to reflect deeply upon the "whys" of Sept. 11 and what we as a responsible nation could do to make sure that it did not happen again.
Thinking about the "why" is correct but attempting to make sure that it does not happen again is a totally different matter. Life is complex and is without guarantees and we have to realize that the world has had its share of Sept. 11s throughout history.
As the forum went on, I noticed an element of blame emerge as Sept. 11 took centerstage as the main theme of the current economic breakdown. Sept. 11 is an incident like any other. Wars and destruction have always been part and parcel of lives and economies and yet, both continue despite the most awful and hideous events.
If the events of Sept. 11 are the root cause of a falling economy, then our responsibility as a society living in a common global environment is to deeply and seriously look into our souls and identify the "who, what, where, why, when and how" of Sept. 11.
The who? Our youth.
The what? What made them do it?
The where? Where were we while our youth were being brainwashed by certain people?
The why? Why were we not actively involved in what our youth were doing? Why were we not aware of the company they were keeping? Why were we not aware of the thoughts that were in their minds? Why couldn’t we detect the tell-tale signs of anger and resentment? Or did we and were we just afraid to confront them?
The when? When did we detach ourselves from our youth? When did we become too self-centered and selfish to have time for them? When did we allow materialistic desires to take over our lives and become more important to us than our own flesh and blood? When did we let go of the responsibility of parenting?
And finally, the how? How did we fall so low?
As citizens and decision-makers, we need to realize that hatred, greed, jealousy, vanity, and the like, are not only vices that lead to crime, injustice and rebellion, but are also potential opportunities for reform and social progress. Fortunately, this year, in the JEF, a panel was created to discuss the role of corporations and organizations in promoting this basic awareness of social responsibility.
Even though the topic of "social responsibility" was part of one specific panel, almost all of the speakers and panelists touched upon it time and again during the three days. Almost all mentioned the value of principles and ethics, integrity and honor, sincerity and transparency and almost all of them stressed the need to be proactive. There was a general consensus that admitted to the recent shift from businesses being only a "profitable" undertaking in the 1970s to businesses being more value-centered today.
Former US President Bill Clinton stressed the need to go forward regardless of the status quo. "Press on," he said, "don’t hate back; keep focused on your objectives." Others stated that we should "improve, innovate, be accountable and take responsibility" and most importantly "confront the wrong". And replace it with the "right".
Bahraini Crown Prince Salman Al-Khalifa stressed "peace" as a prerequisite for prosperity and discussed how a proper economic make-up if properly managed can be an engine for prosperity.
Prince Al-Waleed mentioned the importance of doing business with people who have a reputation for honesty and integrity. When asked about the secret of his success, he proudly admitted to taking responsibility for making informed decisions and taking calculated risks. He was, at the same time, realistic enough to mention the importance of hard work.
Can we press on and not hate back? Can we hold ourselves responsible and accountable for the actions of our youth? Can we confront wrong with honor and dignity rather than fear and humiliation? Can we focus on peace as a component of prosperity? Can we, as one panelist said, go the extra mile and not only "do what we should do, but do what we can do to make the world a better place"? Can we learn from Sept. 11 and move forward instead of getting angry in vain discussions of "whodunit"?
If we want to save the economy then we have to save its key components — the human capital which is our youth, male and female. As one speaker said, developing and taking care of human resources "is not a cost, but a capital." We need to keep that in focus. And as Neil Bush said, "In order to understand problems, we need to get to the root cause of the problem itself."
