World Economic Forum Global Shapers Community

World Economic Forum Global Shapers Community

The Global Shapers Community is a network of young leaders linked to the World Economic Forum that organizes city-based hubs of activists, entrepreneurs, and professionals. Launched by Klaus Schwab and associated with events such as the Davos meetings, the Community connects members to initiatives tied to institutions like the United Nations, European Commission, African Union, ASEAN, and philanthropic entities including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. Its alumni and participants have appeared alongside figures from Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron, Justin Trudeau, Barack Obama, Christine Lagarde, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Christine Lagarde, Antonio Guterres, Pope Francis, Malala Yousafzai, and organizations such as UNICEF, World Health Organization, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank.

History

The initiative began amid discussions at the World Economic Forum where Klaus Schwab sought youth engagement after encounters with activists linked to the Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street, and movements near forums like the G20 summit and the UN Climate Change Conference. Early promotion intersected with campaigns by leaders from David Cameron and Jacinda Ardern style proponents and drew support from networks including the Young Global Leaders and groups tied to Clinton Foundation partners. Expansion tracked global events such as the 2011 Arab Spring, the 2014 Ebola epidemic, the 2015 Paris Agreement, and the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting programmatic shifts toward resilience seen in collaborations with World Health Organization task forces, United Nations Development Programme, and regional actors like the African Development Bank and Inter-American Development Bank.

Organization and Governance

Governance is modeled on a hub-and-network design with oversight involving the World Economic Forum executive offices in Geneva and consultative contact with bodies like the European Commission, United Nations agencies, and advisory input from leaders who have served on boards alongside figures from Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Company, Microsoft, Google, Amazon (company), and Samsung. Leadership roles echo structures used by entities such as the International Olympic Committee and involve selection committees comparable to the Nobel Committee process in terms of vetting. Policies on ethics and engagement reference standards akin to those used by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, while funding has come through partnerships with corporations like PwC, EY, HSBC, Mastercard, and foundations connected to Ford Foundation or Open Society Foundations.

Membership and Hubs

Membership criteria emphasize age ranges and demonstrated leadership drawn from sectors represented by alumni such as executives from Apple Inc., researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, activists connected to Amnesty International, and social entrepreneurs affiliated with Ashoka. Hubs operate in cities including New York City, London, Tokyo, Shanghai, Mumbai, São Paulo, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lagos, Cairo, Mexico City, Istanbul, Moscow, Beijing, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Paris. Notable figures who have engaged with hubs include leaders from UNESCO, World Food Programme, Greenpeace, Sierra Club, TED, Clinton Global Initiative, and alumni who later joined cabinets such as those of Emmanuel Macron, Justin Trudeau, and Leo Varadkar.

Activities and Programs

Programs comprise civic projects, incubators, and events mirroring initiatives run by Ashoka, Skoll Foundation, and accelerator models like Y Combinator and Techstars. Activities include local service projects similar to campaigns by Doctors Without Borders during the Ebola epidemic, policy labs feeding into United Nations consultations, hackathons modeled on Code for America and partnerships with research centers such as Harvard Kennedy School, Stanford University, London School of Economics, and Tsinghua University. Global convenings are timed with the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting and other summits like the UN General Assembly, the G20 summit, and regional forums including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings. Initiatives address agendas raised by the Paris Agreement, Sustainable Development Goals, and technical collaborations with institutions such as World Health Organization and International Labour Organization.

Impact and Criticism

Supporters cite impacts in community development and leadership pipelines comparable to the influence of the Young Global Leaders and the Clinton Global Initiative, pointing to alumni who have advanced into roles at United Nations, European Parliament, national parliaments, multinational corporations like Uber Technologies, Tesla, Inc., and NGOs such as Oxfam. Criticism echoes scrutiny directed at global networks like the World Economic Forum and Davos—questions about elite networks drawn from analyses by journalists at The Guardian, commentators at Al Jazeera, and academics publishing in journals associated with Oxford University and Cambridge University. Critics raise concerns similar to debates around corporate capture of civil society and transparency issues seen in controversies involving entities such as Shell, ExxonMobil, and financial institutions like Deutsche Bank; defenders counter with comparisons to governance reforms at institutions like the International Monetary Fund. Ongoing debates reference investigative reporting by outlets including The New York Times, Financial Times, and Reuters as well as policy critiques from think tanks like Chatham House and Brookings Institution.

Category:World Economic Forum