A fairer and more inclusive society requires patience and faith
Sebastian Ko says ensuring the fruits of growth are shared by all, and not just the rich, requires patient effort to effect a global change in mindset
In a message to the World Economic Forum this year, Pope Francis implored businesses to "ensure that humanity is served by wealth and not ruled by it". How should we ensure this over the next decade? This was the question posed at a World Economic Forum (WEF) conference last month that focused on addressing social exclusion, held in the Vatican. I attended as the Hong Kong representative of the Global Shapers Community, an initiative for young people founded by the WEF.
The premise of the conference was that a global change in mindset is critical. To participate meaningfully in society, we must first avoid parochialism in all strata of society. It's time to question the concepts we have organised our lives around - for example, the idea that if we could "grow the pie" of wealth, our poverty alleviation policies should not focus on distributive measures. We need to find ways to talk about "fluffy" concepts - like dignity and justice - in effective ways with those who value the quantified and quantifiable.
There are great divides to bridge - among them, the values of different generations. African and Latin American conference-goers recounted how high-school students had lifted their families out of poverty through entrepreneurship - something their parents thought too risky or impossible to achieve.
Discussions also focused on what sociologists call the three pillars to transform a society: the dominant social value system; the supporting institutions and policies; and, political will and leadership.
To align our social value system, we must include the whole community. Paraphrasing the pope, one prison priest said that "the world needs to cry together and have the wounds of exclusion witnessed. We cannot truly address poverty unless it hurts our souls". To encourage inclusive discussions, we must allow the disempowered to have a voice.
The second pillar is about creating institutions and policies that cultivate inclusive values. Poverty and marginalisation have a wide impact on society, and so multi-dimensional solutions are vital.