*{Understanding Global Anger: More Storms Ahead? [http://www.weforum.org/site/knowledgenavigator.nsf/Content/Understanding%20Global%20Anger%3A%20More%20Storms%20Ahead%3F?open&topic_id=300250000&theme_id=300]

            01.02.2002

            Annual Meeting 2002}

            After 11 September, questions about the roots and dimensions of global anger have taken on new significance. How are we to think about anger in the modern world? What can governments and non-state actors do to address some of the legitimate roots of, and credible threats posed by, economic, social and political grievances?

            Opening the discussion, Frederick Schauer, Academic Dean and Professor of the First Amendment, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA, reminded all that, "It would be a mistake to assume that all issues of anger around the world are 11 September focused, or 11 September related."

            Leading off the panel, Amre Moussa, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, outlined the economic, social and political problems facing the developing world in general, and Africa and the Middle East in particular. Economic disparity is at the root of much of the anger. The perception that the United States employs double standards when dealing with individual states exacerbates this problem. He emphasized, however, that, "The question is not anger against the United States, the question is anger against one or more [US] policies."

            Kumi Naidoo, Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, Civicus: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, USA, added that it is important for the developed world to understand the historical roots of the anger of the developing world. After 11 September, the good vs evil rhetoric of the Bush Administration has made dialogue and understanding more difficult because it eliminates any space for dissent. He noted that, "With immense power comes immense responsibility." 

            Aleksander Kwasniewski, President of Poland, called for a movement towards "high quality international solidarity" to address problems, and in particular to fight the extreme poverty facing the developing world. He said that the European consensus to fight terrorism after 11 September is an encouraging sign of what is possible. 

            Zaki Laïdi, Senior Research Fellow, Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Internationales, France, disagreed that the European reaction to the terrorist attack is an encouraging sign, as Europe has failed to come up with a meaningful and effective coalition to counter the threat. He identified globalized capitalism, the economic elite and the United States as the three main targets of global anger. While encouraging capital flows from the developed world to the developing would address some of the problems, the most important issues are responsibilities shared by the entire world.

            Jack Greenberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, McDonald's Corporation, USA, encouraged participants to look beyond the headlines when trying to determine the dimensions of world anger as "perception often doesn’t square with reality." In France recently, and in Seattle during the 1999 WTO ministerial, protestors targeted corporations, including McDonald’s. At the same time, the numbers of consumers patronizing McDonald’s worldwide outnumbered the protestors by millions. With "facts, dialogue and discussion," Greenberg asserted, policy-makers and the public can make better assessments of anger and more effective remedies to solve the problems at the root of that anger. 

            Summing up, Schauer pointed out that almost half of the discussion had focused on anger directed towards the United States. He agreed that this anger is often caused by US policy, although it is sometimes directed against the United States itself. Finally, Schauer said that every participant had underlined the importance of dialogue. He ended by stating that dialogue and dissent present problems as well as solutions, and the issue of which of those outcomes emerges and more importantly, when and why it emerges, is a difficult question.                    

                  *{Contributors:       Greenberg Jack
                  Kwasniewski Aleksander
                  Laïdi Zaki
                  Moussa Amre
                  Naidoo Kumi
                  Schauer Frederick}