Kaspar Villiger, President of Switzerland, gave the opening address at the first “Day of the Public Eye on Davos” conference at the United Nations Church Center in New York. He said he was interested in listening to human rights and environmental groups, but believed corporate globalization is the best way to solve the world’s problems. He indeed did not stay to listen, but promptly packed his bags and left the ‘Public Eye,’ likely to head back to the Waldorf Astoria for a meeting with some corporate executives. 

Someone in the audience commented that his approach to the Public Eye is similar to the way the World Economic Forum uses NGOs: For photo opportunities and public relations.

John Passacantando from Greenpeace spoke in the first panel of the conference titled: “The Social and Environmental Impacts of Corporate Globalization,” and related a first hand story about how the WEF operates. When he attended the 2000 WEF representing Greenpeace, forum attendants voted that global warming is the most important problem of our time. He was excited about their interest and later met with a group of automaker executives to explore solutions. They showed up and sat there, but then proceeded to form a committee on global warming that excluded Greenpeace. Klaus Schwab, WEF president, told him that Greenpeace had been too “action oriented.” Passacantando said that when corporate interests at the WEF use their interactions with NGOs as a “mask for crony capitalism…it can hurt and not help.” Greenpeace is boycotting this year’s forum. 

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz of Tebtebba, an indigenous rights group, reported a similar experience. When she attended a WEF, she met with a group of mining company executives who were working out how to get at the mineral resources in the homelands of indigenous people, which often are rich in minerals. The WEF wanted to better understand indigenous resistance so they could better suppress it, and to improve public relations. She said that she did not feel qualified to represent these millions of indigenous people.

Thelma Awori, director of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Africa, spoke of “private plunder - the ideology of privatization and deregulation that is the centerpiece of Structural Adjustment Programs (SAP’s) imposed on African nations by global institutions.”  She said the norm in the new world economy is that “states support their corporations to plunder other states,” and Africa is being devastated. 
Africa has become a dumping ground for toxic waste from wealthy countries, she said. The water privatization imposed on many countries by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have left many with no access to clean water; leading to an increase in preventable diseases. SAPs also force governments to cut public healthcare programs. 
In the midst of a huge AIDS epidemic, drug companies are still pushing to stop the manufacture of generic AIDS drugs, although their efforts at the World Trade Organization (WTO) recently failed.
“I consider this to be violence,” she said. “It’s white collar violence and it looks dignified, but it is causing death and destruction.” 
During the comment and question period, a debate developed over tactics for combatting corporate rule. Several people mentioned the idea of a UN peoples’ council and of efforts to purge the UN of corporate influence, while Adam Ma’anit of Corporate Observatory Holland, also speaking on the panel, said more direct democracy and local control are needed. He said the formation of a European Union has long been on the agenda of corporations, because it’s easier for them to trade and profit when things are centrally controlled. Meanwhile, many Europeans do not vote in elections concerning the EU because they don’t feel connected and don’t think they can make a difference. 
Tauli-Corpuz of Tebtebba agreed. “The distance is too great between people and governments,” she said. “We need diversity, we don’t need to be the same.” 
Thelma Awori didn’t disagree with the message of local control, but said that change in the UN and in global institution s also needs to happen, and could have many positive effects.
Ma’anit said he did not oppose globalization, but the way it’s being pushed by corporations, which in turn benefits them.

The Public eye on Davos conferece will continue through the weekend. More coverage later.