Blocking Reforms

The sense of near-panic that pervaded Davos 2009, one year ago, has gone. For the financial sector, it is back to business as usual. For the captains of industry from the real economy the worries are still there. For they know that there will be no recovery of the real economy without recovery of jobs – and the latest ILO report released this week is not good for the OECD countries. The emerging economies, like China, India and Brazil, are doing better, but not the 30 industrialized economies in the OECD group.

Labour leaders are getting more of a hearing in Davos this year. ITUC, TUAC and UNI are pressing the case for reform of financial markets, and EI is working for reform of international cooperation for Education for All. We are getting a hearing, and I guess that must be a step in the right direction.

But is there any real change in the air? That is the big question. Wherever we raise the case for reform, the defenders of business as usual come back with their tired arguments. One of the expressions heard often around Davos this week was “Don’t they get it?” The answer, unfortunately, but realistically, is “No, they don’t”.

Despite the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s, despite a near meltdown of the global economy just one year ago, short-term profit-taking is alive and well, and those who benefit most will do “whatever it takes” to keep it that way by blocking reforms that were agreed as necessary just a few short months ago.

There were fewer major political leaders in Davos this year. They were back home, like the US leadership trying to reset the drive for reform, like the German and Australian leaders who judged they needed to address domestic issues, or they were in London at the conference on Afghanistan.

Today, EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen meets in private session with Forum constituents to urge them to throw their weight behind reform of international cooperation for financing of education. Industry leaders from the real economy seem to understand that Education for All is part of the key to real and sustainable recovery. We’ll see if they are willing to help overcome those who want to block reform.

Links:

• EI warns that public spending cuts will slow economic recovery
  http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=1184&theme=ei&country=global
• Global Campaign for Education urges improved education funding http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=1177&theme=educationforall&country=global