Davos 2026

 

No doubt that Mark Carney gave an evocative speech and spoke some truths. But the interpretation that the “rule-based-order” that has helped govern international trade and keep peace is dead or dying is histrionics. 

 

What the world is going through is a forced reboot that ought to have happened voluntarily a long time ago - to accommodate the dramatic shifts in global economy, with populous nations like China, India, other low-and-middle-income nations becoming major economic powers in their own right. 

 

From what seems like “rupture” of the existing system will evolve a new fair and democratic multipolar global order - which will be closer to balance (rather than a single hegemonic system) and account for the world’s population and economic distribution more equitably.

Recipe for peaceful global coexistence

 

I read something somewhere a long ago about how America celebrates the individual, Europe celebrates society, and India celebrates infinity.  While all humans need all these dimensions, different cultures and civilizations prioritize and weight the different dimensions differently.  

Thus, the idea of some "universal values" that can be imposed across the world, that any society has moral monopoly, and worse, a policing force can monitor values across the world and offer judgements is naive at best and dangerous at worst. 

Like individuals, all societies and countries can freely cooperate and work on common and mutually beneficial issues - trade, peace, science, education, etc, and exchange cultures and values freely. But should stay away from judging one and another's values or priorities or trying to homogenize values and culture.  Unconditional acceptance of differences is essential.

Acceptance

 I read something somewhere a long ago about how America celebrates the individual, Europe celebrates society, and India celebrates infinity. While all humans need all these dimensions, different cultures and civilizations prioritize and weight the different dimensions differently.

Thus the idea of some "universal values" that can be imposed across the world, that any society has moral monopoly, and worse, a policing force can monitor values across the world and offer judgements is naive at best and dangerous at worst.

Like individuals, all societies and countries can freely cooperate and work on common and mutually beneficial issues - trade, peace, science, education, etc, and exchange cultures and values freely. But should stay away from judging one and another's values or priorities or trying to homogenize values and culture. Unconditional acceptance of difference is essential.

A world in flux and changing fast

 The world at large is going through fundamental and rapid changes.

Several forces are at play: (a) growth of wireless technology, social media, and now AI; (b) democratizing of information, rapid doubling of information, and instant transmission of all news and ideas; (c) rapid shifts in global economy with huge low- and middle-income countries (China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa, others) growing rapidly; (d) migration within and between countries; (e ) changes in cultures; (f ) increasingly less effectiveness of national governments in a highly interconnected world, with multiple poles.

All of this is making the common person feel confused, all assumptions questioned, people feeling a sense of rootlessness, loss of purpose, absence of stability and certainty, loss of identity - and thus seeking for something, maybe meaning, maybe identity, maybe security.

How this plays out will define the next journey of humanity.

Intriguing, in India, which is now the world's most populated country, and also the fastest growing economy, people seem to be seeking roots, seeking identity, and seeking spirituality and religion (across multiple faiths) - as this year's new year wave of faith replacing fireworks, devotion replacing parties, and places of worship replacing clubs and bars. A movement also embraced by youth with a new-found fashion in "Bhajan Jamming".