Every January, politicians, academic and business leaders from around the globe converge for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland to discuss initiatives and projects. For Davos 2017, the forum's agenda centered on the theme of empathy and education in light of the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States, Brexit and other shocking world issues that are changing lives in huge ways.
Discussing empathy might be unusual for such a forum. The Davos meet, after all, is composed of the world's elites whose life experiences are different from the ordinary people.
Yale president Peter Salovey, however, believes this is the best venue for the leaders to understand why populist sentiment is rising. "We live in a complex world, a world where our fellow citizens are telling us that they feel left out," Salovey said, according to BBC.
Smithsonian director Lonnie Bunch agrees with Salovey in that economic leaders should learn from what's really happening among the lowliest sectors of society. "You can't be a good businessman without understanding the societal issues that have shaped the moment you are in," he told the forum's attendees.
Businesses are apparently worried about a Donald Trump presidency, according to the Holmes Report. As a leader, Trump's manner of communicating his ideas often draws criticisms, especially when his tweets ignite more hate and confusion from the public.
Then there are certain policies that Trump could introduce or remove that could shift the system that could affect marginalized low-income families further. Business leaders in Davos, however, commit to drawing a hard line on its moral obligation towards its employees. They said that this time, along the lines of empathy, the workers or those in the lowest rank of the business should be treated like the most valuable assets of the company.
Salovey, meanwhile, believes that Yale's commitment to education diversity helps push the agenda of empathy. Universities can stimulate the consciousness and welcoming different students, even children of undocumented immigrants, sends out a strong message against those who say they don't belong in America.
