GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Ann Dumaliang, Co-founder and Trustee of the Masungi Georeserve Foundation, made a compelling call to global leaders. Her message was clear: initiate meaningful conversations with the youth to effectively tackle the climate crisis.
During the session “Earth’s Wisdom Keepers,” which Ann led, she emphasized the importance of human ingenuity in the fight against climate and biodiversity crises. “We are reminded that human ingenuity is one of our greatest causes for hope in the unfolding mass extinctions caused by the climate and biodiversity crisis. To overcome this challenge to humanity and our shared home, we must regain trust in each other, dialogue, work together, and consciously lean into each other’s strengths. As different people, and as different generations,” she stated.
(Photo Credit: World Economic Forum)
Ann further underscored the need for a harmonious relationship with nature and the importance of heeding the voices of environmental defenders, scientists, and indigenous wisdom keepers.
“Yet to create genuine change and corrective systems, we need not just harmony with each other, but harmony really with the natural world. For this to happen, we must collectively overcome our ecological amnesia and regain our rootedness with nature. And to do that, we must listen to those at the front lines of the work. We must listen to environmental defenders who are watching out for our most vital ecosystems, science, and indigenous forms of wisdom,” she added.
Echoing Ann’s sentiments, world-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall shared, “There are young people like you, and between you, you’re probably interested in all the problems we face. So that’s my biggest hope for the future. Only young people around the world, once you know, understand the problem. Once you are empowered to take action, there’s no stopping you.” She also highlighted the remarkable ability of nature to recover, emphasizing the vital role of human participation in conservation efforts.
The theme “Rebuilding Trust” set the tone for this year’s Annual Meeting, which saw the participation of over 60 heads of state and government leaders and more than 800 top global business executives.
