Youth Voices at Davos

On January 23-26, under the theme “Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World”, the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) took place in Davos.

The meeting brought together leaders from business, government, international organizations and civil society in order to promote stronger multi-stakeholder collaboration and address the political, economic and societal challenges of our times.

50 Shapers - the #Davos50, the best young minds in the world - had the chance to bring their voices and ideas to Davos, as representatives of the Global Shapers Community. The Geneva Hub took part to some of the most amazing moments and initiatives of the Annual Meeting.

To start with, on January 19-21, the Hub went to Zurich to be part of the Pre-Davos Summit 2018. This event was hosted by the Zurich Hub with the goal of gathering together the #Davos50 and many Shapers from the Swiss Hubs. Shapers had the opportunity to actively engage in discussions on “How to use technology to create positive impact in our communities”.

For instance, they worked together in workshop sessions with the aim of creating and scaling local and global projects focused on Integration & Tolerance, Nutrition & Food Waste, Healthcare, Climate/Finance, Future Mobility, and the Future of Work.

After the Pre-Davos Summit, the actual WEF Annual Meeting started on January 23rd. This year Zineb El Ouazzani, Vice-President of the Geneva Hub, was selected as one of the #Davos50 to officially represent the voice of youth in Davos!

As a forward-looking female leader and entrepreneur, she has always put her passions and skills to good use by supporting organizations and projects focused on healthcare, education, e-waste and entrepreneurship at the local and global level. Various experiences brought her to be one of the 30 young talents for the Middle East and Africa’s MACH program (Microsoft Academy for College Hires). Recently, she moved to Geneva where she has undertaken a new amazing professional adventure. Indeed, Zineb has decided to apply her relentless can-do attitude to her start-up Rising Stars – a company whose purpose is to help millennials to thrive as they enter the workforce.

At Davos, she had the opportunity to share projects achieved by the Geneva Hub and bring forward her expertise in different topics related to the 4th industrial revolution and its impact on employability and on the transformation of workplaces. She met with Ellyn Shook (Chief Leadership & Human Resources Officer of Accenture), to talk about what being a Shaper means as well as about how to tackle challenges in local communities. If you lost it, you can re-watch the video of the discussion at the following link!

Furthermore, together with other fellow Global Shapers, Zineb had a great discussion with Jean-Philippe Courtois (Executive VP and President, Microsoft Global Sales) and Mary Snapp (Corporate VP and Lead for Microsoft Philanthropies) on how to leverage Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain to drive the digital conversation and shape the world for future generations.

Last but not least, she had the opportunity to meet and be inspired by Jack Ma (Alibaba Group) during the “Meet the Leader” session in Davos.

In this occasion, the Global Shapers had the chance to ask him questions about the impact and risks of Artificial Intelligence and new technologies and on the matter of gender equality. Jack Ma explained the possible risks deriving by the recent scientific and technological discoveries and underlined his optimism in thinking that it will be possible to fight and win against hunger, diseases, global warming and discrimination.

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Multicultural entrepreneurship and immigration

Brain drain or new mobility of Italian migrants? Defining the new generation of people who travel and work abroad is often a matter of personal interpretation. Nowadays, many Italians still look for a job in Switzerland as their grandpas did a few decades ago. The difference lays in their training and education, both top level and highly specialized.

On January 3 the RSI, the Swiss Italian television, aired a reportage on the Italians who take their chance in Suisse Romande, a Swiss area which features a multicultural environment conducive to the success of entrepreneurial projects and initiatives. Among them, Luigi Matrone.

Interviewed at a recent gathering of entrepreneurs organized by the Camera di Commercio Italiana in Geneva, Luigi expresses his appreciation for the networking opportunities that Geneva offers, as they foster the connection among entrepreneurs for new business projects in Geneva and, more broadly, in Suisse Romande. His Italian origins have not prevented him from being a leading entrepreneur in the digital sector in this area of Switzerland as well as a broad-minded individual who constantly seeks to have a positive impact on the Geneva’s local community.

Networking, connection among cultures, and the importance of giving back to the local community where he lives are the drivers of his actions. Luigi’s Swiss story starts in 2009 when he decided to leave Italy and move to Geneva: the reason behind this decision lay in his passion for the digital and technology industry and e-business-related solutions. In 2012, after spending a few years with P&G, a multinational consumer goods corporation, Luigi transformed his passion into his own business. He founded a consultancy firm exclusively focused on allowing multinational companies to stay ahead of time and on structuring, scaling and standardizing their digital transformation. Indeed, “ideas beyond the basics” and “inspiration beyond the obvious” are among the driving commandments of his firm.

Furthermore, Luigi has been part of the amazing group that founded the Geneva Hub and recently has served as its curator.

With him, the Hub went through disruptive transformation, became a model for other hubs, and strengthened the engagement of its shapers coming from more than fifteen countries towards the Geneva local community. Under his lead, the Hub was among the five hubs that won the “Shape a Better Future” Challenge by the Coca Cola Company (2015) with Reading for Change, a project aimed at improving integration and at giving more people access to information and education. As a prize, the Geneva Hub received $ 10,000 in acceleration funding and scaled up the project globally by partnering with other hubs in the Global Shapers Community.

At the end of the RSI’s interview, Luigi’s personal note casts light upon one of the aspects that ignites purpose-oriented networking and triggers the interest of forward-looking entrepreneurs like him in this city: in his words, “the multicultural environment that characterizes Geneva is the first and foremost stimulating factor” leading him and many others to choose this city as a professional and personal home.

EdCamp Ukraine 2016

During the Annual Curators Meeting 2015, my dear friend Olexandr, Curator of the Kharkiv Hub, invited me to be a speaker at his EdCamp Ukraine event in April 2016. I have to admit that I accepted without really knowing all the details of the event. The only thing I knew was that it was dedicated to empowering and inspiring teachers, and that alone was enough for me to say “Yes!”

I am so happy today that I was able to experience and report not only the extraordinary success of this initiative but also the warmth, love and hospitality of the Kharkiv Shapers and people. Staying in Ukraine was like rediscovering a part of my family that I had not seen for a long time: pure pleasure and joy!

The EdCamp (un)conference was organized in two days, and several Shapers took active part in the discussions as speakers and moderators: Katya and Daria from Kharkiv, Liliya from Lviv, Yauheni from Minsk, Yori from Amsterdam and myself. We brought new ideas, inspiration and energy to 500 teachers - passionate individuals who strive to raise, prepare and inspire their students to become great citizens - from all over Ukraine.

Among the other contributors, Yori and I gave insights on technology and innovation, new trends and possibilities (from 3D printing to particle accelerators in medicine; from robotics and genomics to the use of fundamental research in society), to highlight what the future will look like so that the teachers, in turn, can convey it to their students. Finally, the Shapers organized a special celebration for the 5th anniversary of our beautiful Community, involving teachers and young students and making us realize, once again, how powerful this incredible Community can be.

On the day after the conference, the wonderful Jane and Katya brought Yori and myself to visit the Bogodukhiv Orphanage for mentally and physically disabled children outside Kharkiv. There Yori shared his moving and inspiring story to show them how, even in the most adverse conditions, you should keep fighting for your dreams and what you think you deserve from life, and never give up.

"You have to change what you cannot accept, you have to accept what you cannot change, but is only you that has to decide what to accept in your life"

Even now, while writing, I get goose bumps and feel the strong emotions evoked by his powerful story.

Then we returned to Kharkiv, where we met young people with different types of disabilities, members of the Charitable Foundation called “Hesed Shaare-Tikvah” and some of them participants of the Kharkiv city public organization “Creavita”. The conversation that started after Yori's presentation was very touching and just the expressions on the faces of the audience - of excitement, hope and joy - were enough to make the whole day unforgettable.

Finally we also had a brainstorming meeting with the Livelihood Development Programme team and we ended the day with the lovely company of Katya’s family.

I left Ukraine with an intense feeling of gratitude for these beautiful people, with big hearts and shining eyes, fully committed towards their community, who made me feel part of their family and always at home. Dyakuyu!

This article is a personal reflection of the author, Giovanni Porcellana, Global Shaper at Geneva Hub

The beautiful story of a Hub

One month already passed since the Annual Curators Meeting 2015.

It has been an incredible event, full of beautiful experiences for the mind and the heart. However, many dear friends already wrote excellent words about it.

I want instead to tell a story - one of the many - around the ACM: the story of the Geneva hub. The ACM has been the greatest achievement, so far, of this awesome group, of which I am a proud "external" member / visiting shaper (since I’m formally part of the Turin Hub).

Geneva Shapers created a Media Team for the ACM, releasing every day a magazine to the curators, performing interviews, organizing out-of-agenda events and social activities around the city, and in general welcoming the curators like no hub ever did before.

But only a year ago, this would have never been possible, or even only imaginable.

Last year Geneva was still a sleeping hub, with few projects and few committed Shapers that were participating only as individuals, not as a team. It was very sad to see that what could have been the most connected hub of all, thanks to its proximity to the WEF, was only a fade copy of itself.

Like in the best stories of all times, this is the moment in which a core team of highly motivated and awesome Shapers decided that It was time to change the situation, and make Geneva an example for all the other hubs.

They started working on people first, then projects. At first, they established a united and strong team with the most committed Shapers, then worked on more projects ambitious, setting every time the bar higher and continuously engaging the hub members.From there, they started looking for new people that could fit in the newborn hub in terms of spirit, enthusiasm and passion. They were able to integrate them in a totally new environment, where people are alive and driven to improve the local community. The momentum kept growing.

From events like #ShapeTheWorld to the position in the final round of the Coca-Cola Challenge for Reading For Change, passing through closer interactions with the Global Shapers Team and the whole Community, Geneva hub became more engaged, active and aware of its potential.

At that point, they decided to take the ultimate challenge of the year, and make the ACM a flagship project of the hub. The result was simply beautiful.

What really excites me is to know that this is only the beginning. Quoting the curator, Luigi Matrone, "we have awakened a sleeping beauty and many other fairy tales are still to come". And I know what they are capable of!

Finally, few words to say that I am very grateful to have been accepted by this awesome group in their ranks. I’m so happy to be one of you: thank you Geneva Shapers! WHOA!!!

An Interview with Guillame Barazzone

On the occasion of the Annual Curators Meeting (ACM) 2015, taking place from 13 to 17 August in Geneva, Guillame Barazzone, Young Global Leader (YGL) 2015, gave an exclusive interview to the Geneva Hub Media Team, which will be featured in their daily ACM magazine. This week, he will be attending the Annual YGL Summit, also held in Geneva.

Guillaume is a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Christian Democratic Party (CDP). He was elected to the Administrative Council of the City of Geneva in 2012 and re-elected in 2015, and has been member of the Swiss National Council since December 2013. He holds a master's degree in law (L.L.M.) from Columbia Law School in New York. He has also studied at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) Columbia University.

Congratulations on your recent appointment as YGL in 2015. Can you tell us about your experience in this community so far? What do you like the most about being a YGL?

My experience has been limited so far, since I have only been a part of YGL for few months. That said, I have recently met very interesting Young Global Leaders and Global Shapers in Geneva. I am amazed by the various backgrounds and experiences of the members of the YGL community. It is a great opportunity for Geneva to host the YGL Annual Summit. I am excited about attending my first YGL event in my home town!

Having started your political career in Switzerland and in the Geneva Canton, you have gained significant knowledge of the area.In your opinion, what are the characteristics that make Geneva such a special place?

Geneva is Switzerland’s most international and multicultural city. Of its 480,000 inhabitants, 41% are foreigners representing 184 nationalities. This is very unusual for such a small city. Geneva’s global GDP is $51.6 billion. Its per capita of $108k, is one of the highest in the world. The healthy economic environment, combined with a steady political system, has ve been core in developing sustainable and diversified growth. The region’s economic layout includes many leading multinational headquarters, prominent financial institutions, international organization and NGOs, as well as a strong layer of diverse local service and industrial businesses. Geneva’s strong international purpose has made it the host of more than 95 international organizations, programs or institutes such as the UNO, WHO, WTO, WIPO, CERN and ICRC. Over 200 international NGOs and nonprofit organizations are registered in Geneva.

What has been the focus of your political action over the years? What are the areas you have tried to improve and how?

In Geneva, my main focus has been security and the environment. During the past 3 years we have developed the “proximity police” of Geneva and increased by 50% the number of policemen.

Our goal is to make Geneva one of the greenest cities in Europe. For that purpose, we are developing many “pocket parks” to increase the quality of the city urbanism.

As a member of the Swiss parliament, I was mainly involved in the drafting of the regulations on financial reform. My main focus was to ensure that Switzerland could implement the new GAFI (Groupe d'Action Financière Internationale, also know as Financial Action Task Force) rules regarding anti money laundering and effectively fight the financing of terrorism. We are also making sure that the Swiss financial institutions remain competitive and innovative.

According to the Tribune de Genève, you are one of the most influential members of parliament in 2015 rankings. How do you manage to keep a close link with your electorate, and particularly to engage youth?Being able to play a political role at the local level is vital. Meeting regularly with my constituents in the different neighborhoods of Geneva is very important to keep a close link with the electorate. It gives you new ideas and is the only way to really understand their concerns. Swiss people are regularly asked to vote on particular issues and this also helps keeping people engaged. As regards youth, social media is probably the most important communication channel.

In May, you have been reelected in the Administrative Council of the City of Geneva. What challenges will Geneva have to face in the coming years?

Geneva will have to face new challenges. The end of banking secrecy is one of them. The Swiss financial industry is becoming one of the most transparent in the world. In the future, Geneva can become an international hub for financial innovation and sustainable finance.

The continued strength of the Swiss franc against the US dollar and Euro, originating from Switzerland’s safe-haven status, has affected Geneva, which heavily depends on exports for its internationally orientated financial, trading and watch industries. In addition to currency pressure, the OECD’s has challenged Switzerland on its favorable tax structure for multinational companies (multinationals benefit from a 12% rate).

The stable economic environment and strong Swiss Franc have led to high labour costs and housing prices (the vacant house ratio is below 0.5%).

Geneva is perceived as expensive and unattractive in terms of living. This negative perception remains a challenge in attracting tourism, talent, and modernization. Additionally, the relatively solid economic situation has put little pressure on government and local businesses to reposition themselves.

In 2013, the Swiss nationalist party launched  a general referendum on immigration was launched by the Swiss nationalist party. On 9 February 2014, Swiss voters narrowly backed this controversial referendum proposal to bring back strict quotas for immigration from European Union countries. Final results showed 50.3% voted in favour (people from Geneva voted against it). This vote is catastrophic for Switzerland and Geneva because it could render the Swiss-EU agreement on freedom of movement moot. It further jeopardizes other Swiss-EU agreements on trade, air and road traffic, agriculture, science, research and education. While other cantons have more flexible options, Geneva is at the center of the issue, as its international organizations, NGO’s and multinational companies are greatly exposed to potentially restrictive immigration policy.

What are your expectations from your first YGL meeting? It is a great opportunity for Geneva to host the YGL Annual Summit.

I consider this first YGL meeting as a unique opportunity to acquaint myself with other YGLs, with which I hope to develop a fruitful relationship over the years. I am sure I will learn a great deal from my peers, and looking forward to exchanging views and acting as each other’s sounding board.

I am excited about attending my first YGL event in my hometown!

As today’s leader, what is your advice for tomorrow’s leaders, in particular for the Curators attending the Global Shapers Annual Curators Meeting (ACM) this week in Geneva?

Always be yourself and never pretend to be someone else. People will trust you as a leader because of your own personality and skills, and will turn away from someone who seems a fake.

For updates on the ACM 2015 follow the Geneva hub on Twitter @GenevaShapers and Facebook at Geneva Hub. Use the official hashtag #ShapersACM. Other hashtags include #ACM2015 & #ShapeTheWorld.

Geneva hub hosts its Annual Workshop

On a beautiful, sunny (and very hot!) Sunday, 12 July, in Geneva, the Geneva hub hosted its Annual Workshop. Thanks to the hospitality of Interpeace, the Shapers were able to run a day-long workshop in their beautiful office in the Maison de la Paix, a brand new building part of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies located at the heart of International Geneva.

The workshop served as a great opportunity to discuss the values of the hub and how they relate to the broader mission of the Global Shapers Community. Following an interactive group exercise, three main values were identified: Impact (Our projects are driven by the real needs of our community); Connector (Being based in Geneva we have a special responsibility in bringing the other hubs and shapers together); Growth (We learn from each other to become better leaders.

Through this workshop, the Geneva hub was also able to welcome and get to know some of the new shapers that have just been recruited. Moreover, having a couple of teambuilding activities in the fantastic Perle du Lac parc served as a perfect way to strengthen ties between shapers.

Finally, on this occasion shapers had the opportunity to discuss how to scale up existing projects, as well as to propose new ones for the upcoming months. Some of the most popular project areas suggested were education, innovation, technology and food.

In addition, shapers discussed their engagement in the upcoming Annual Curators Meeting, held in Geneva from 13 to 17 Geneva. Over 400 curators will be attending this important meeting and we are looking forward to welcoming all them.

Overall, the workshop was very successful and the hub decided to host it every six month, as a way to ensure coordination and share information on our activities. All the shapers who participated were very happy with the outcome and felt even more motivated to contribute to the activities of the hub for a positive impact in our local community and beyond.

Turning Davos moments into momentum

Last week, I attended the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos as one of 50 Global Shapers. It was an incredible and overwhelming experience. Many people talk about their "Davos moment," a meeting or one-on-one encounter that is transformative. I met with world leaders including Kofi Annan and Mohamed Yunus and each of these meetings was a "Davos moment." But now that I have come down from what they call the Magic Mountain, I can say that my Davos moment was something bigger and more powerful. It is less of a moment, and more of a momentum.

I heard it at an early breakfast meeting: "2013 will be a year for women's movements around the world." I saw it in the panels on women and decision making that included the likes of Christine Lagarde and Drew Gilpin Faust. I saw it in a preview of the film Girl Rising in the panel aptly called "Smart girls." My Davos moment that I hope turns into a momentum is about the importance of empowering girls and women in order to improve the state of the world.

The Global Shapers delegation that I was a part of had equal representation of young women and men. I was well aware that the percentage of women amongst the 2,000+ participants was around 17 percent. While much is rightly made about this dismal figure, it is not so much a reflection of the World Economic Forum, but rather a reflection of our societies.

So rather than dwell on the 17 percent, I am interested in how can we look into the mirror of our societies and see more women in positions of leadership? What will it take to raise women's profiles and make it easier for women to go all the way?

Here are some of my takeaways:

Women's empowerment is not just a task for women. Neither is it an issue that can only be addressed by men. Women and men -- across generations -- need to work together to make a gender-balanced society a reality. Fostering dialogue between men and women can contribute to recognizing each other's potential. Mutual understanding will help us to value our differences. For instance we might see that differences in management styles are in fact an asset - -not a weakness. Women should be able to embrace their own individualist styles and not fall into a specific category.

Traditions are manmade and can be changed by men and women. This quote from a participant at Davos really resonated with me. There is a need to change mind-sets about traditional gender roles and recognize and utilize the capacity or agency that each of us has, regardless of gender.

Focus on girls. Empowerment needs to start EARLY! If we want to contribute to a more gender-balanced society we need to focus on girls. Smart girls make sense: both from an egalitarian and economic perspective. A report by the Global Campaign for Education shows that a 1 percent increase in the number of women achieving a secondary school education can increase annual GDP growth by 0.3 percent.

The power of mentorship. This is by far my biggest takeaway that I want to share with the world. Mentoring is a great way to pass on one's knowledge to younger generations. Hearing about success stories (or failures) from more experienced women -- and men -- can have a real impact on young women's careers. Sometimes it's enough to know that generations before us have faced and overcome even greater challenges. It means that change is possible and this can empower young women to be more self-confident in voicing their aspirations and pursuing their goals.

I attended a session on public speaking that boosted my own self-confidence. The advice I received I will use going forwards. As a young professional, I will continue to seek out mentorship opportunities. I also recognize that going forwards I have a responsibility to help mentor young women and men.

Mentoring is something that each and every one of us can do. You don't need to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company to be a mentor. Leadership is everywhere, at every level of society and at every age.

So the next time a young person comes and talks to you, remember how powerful your positive advice can be in creating more empowered girls and women. In fact I urge you all to seek out mentorship opportunities and let's keep this momentum going. We all have a contribution to make to improve the state of our world.

This blog post was originally featured on the Huffington Post

Sarah Noble is a Global Shaper from the Geneva Hub and is one of 50 Global Shapers attending the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. She is committed to social change with a passion for conflict prevention and peace-building. She is currently Chief of Staff and Director of External Relations at Interpeace, one of the world’s leading peacebuilding organizations.

Smaller, younger NGOs to Davos: “We have a few tips too”

"Wow! Are all the panels that contentious?" asked a Davos first timer as he retrieved his parka on his way to the next session. Delighted about by the richness of the debate I just heard at the Davos Open Forum, I smiled to myself: NGO accountability is far from a dull subject -- and I have something to say about it.

Wednesday morning the Davos Open Forum kicked off its 11th edition with a panel featuring a fine selection of civil society power-thinkers, including Human Rights Watch's Ken Roth, and GreenPeace's Kumi Naidoo. Tasked with teasing out the ever-complicated question of NGO accountability, the panel agreed that the general principle was important, but couldn't reach consensus on how the principle should be applied, and who should be accountable to whom and why. The session left me with brain candy to consider for days. In reflecting on the panel's impasses, and my own value-added, one question emerged as most intriguing: What can the sector learn about accountability from smaller, younger NGOs?

Having experienced the growth of a start-up non-profit from its early beginnings, I can attest that every minute of our working life is precious because our human resources are scarce. In the early days, when founders split their time between 990 tax forms and envelope stuffing for holiday appeals, how do we make time for accountability? While we are accountable to our donors and grant bodies by spending their contributions wisely on programs, are we truly accountable to our beneficiaries -- those whom we aim to serve.

In the case of Asylum Access, we aim to better the lives of refugees in developing countries whose rights are violated. How are we accountable to them? Asylum Access has been thoughtful about this question since its doors opened in 2007, and it has paid off.

Our size allows for leadership to hear and learn from our client base. Because we are smaller, we don't need elaborate knowledge management systems to ensure we hear from refugees loud and often. Country Directors open office doors face straight to our waiting rooms, staff shares meals with community interpreters and we stand side by side with refugee leaders in advocacy initiatives. As we continue to grow, we are aware of the challenge of maintaining this dialogue space. This openness doesn't necessarily have to be a function of size -- larger NGOs can certainly ensure more accountability by making more opportunities for unstructured interaction between leadership and beneficiaries.

Soliciting feedback -- good and bad -- from clients is a must. The choice to use the term "client" represents our dedication to accountability. The refugees we represent are not indebted to us or owe us gratitude; we agree to help them in a particular way and they are entitled to hold us to that agreement. If a client is not satisfied with her service, she is entitled to ask us to do better. From our very first one-room office, we placed our complaints form and inbox prominently at the front of our intake desk. We are also piloting satisfaction surveys. In doing so, we give refugees the ability to provide feedback during any part of the process. This sends the message that we are not only concerned with final impact product, but also about the process -- are we respectful and empowering to our clients when we work towards finding solutions for them? Do we give them the choice to disagree or terminate our services? An accountability culture is easily scalable -- we have learned that easy, clear transparent protocols work. If the complaining takes more than one step, clients are less likely to offer their feedback.

To be sure, the structure and history of larger, established NGOs are not to be overlooked. They have opened paths and established best practices that many smaller NGOs draw upon when developing their own systems. Yet, smaller and younger shouldn't connote less accountable or less effective; on the contrary, organizations in their earlier stages of growth, like Asylum Access's stripped down accountability methods, also have lessons to share in helping us stay true to our mission.

Michelle Arevalo-Carpenter is a Global Shaper from the Geneva Hub. She is the Overseas Operations Director at Asylum Access, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to making refugee rights a reality in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Born and raised in Ecuador, she is also the founder and former Country Director of Asylum Access Ecuador.

This post appeared in the Huffington Post 

Trust and Legitimacy: the Intel Chip of Societies?

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Around the world we are witnessing social contracts being redrafted or in many cases rewritten. Turn on the news and you are pretty much guaranteed to see a headline about elections, constitutions, governments rising, governments falling, or popular protests.

The confrontation of differing interests, ideas and agendas – aka conflict – is inherent to social and political life. Conflict can play a positive role in social dynamics as a driving force of innovation and change. However, it becomes a destructive force when it results in violence and coercion.

So how can people and societies manage conflict without violence? What is the key to making relationships between people, and people and their governments, work?

There are many factors: some are tangible; others are not.

Two of the most important factors we need to pay more attention to are trust and legitimacy. Trust is the magic ingredient that makes relationships work between people and groups in society and their political institutions and economies. Legitimacy, in particular of political institutions, means that people in the ability of political institutions to perform their functions for the common good.

Given the complexity of our world, how can we build more trust and legitimacy? The key is to focus equal attention not only on what is done but on how it is being done.The process matters. For example, a constitution that is defined in a back-door closed room will have a lot less legitimacy than a constitution process that involves people.

We need to focus not only on the goal of building inclusive societies, but also on the path and process that leads us there. Equally important is ensuring that institutions and governance systems correspond to the needs and aspirations of people. Priorities and governance models need to be determined locally and, to be sustainable, these models need to be inclusive and founded on trust and legitimacy.

Trust and legitimacy are a bit like the Intel-processing systems of a computer. The Intel chip makes the whole computer work. You can’t see it, but if there is a problem with it, your whole computer is in trouble.

Sarah Noble is committed to social change with a passion for conflict prevention and peace-building. She is currently Chief of Staff and Director of External Relations at Interpeace and a Global Shaper in the Geneva hub. Sarah is one of 27 Global Shapers attending the World Economic Forum on the Middle East, North Africa and Eurasia taking place this week in Istanbul, Turkey.