Tsunami takes spotlight in Davos

Tsunami takes spotlight in Davos

Pana Janviroj, The Nation/Asia News Network, Davos, Switzerland

In deep snow at minus 12 degree Celsius, the tidal wave struck.

The "tsunami" disaster which struck 13 nations in the Indian Ocean at the end of last year is literary a "buzz" word at this year's World Economic Forum, where more than 2,000 business, political and social leaders are gathering amid one of Davos' coldest year.

From British Prime Minister Tony Blair to French President Jacque Chirac and Hollywood movie star Richard Gere -- each wants to see rich nations and their citizens, and companies exercise solidarity on other world's threatening disasters -- similar to what they did in fund mobilization for the tsunami-hit countries.

Tsunami -- the destructive tidal waves caused by an earthquake -- killed an estimated 280,000 people, mostly in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand on Dec. 26. Worldwide donations of more than US$2 billion has since been raised.

The world public response has been described as unprecedented, and political, entertainment and business leaders have been visibly quick to seize on this momentum for other world problems at WEF annual meeting here.

The tsunami demonstrated that there was no shortage of goodwill, said Blair as he outlined plans to end poverty in Africa; while Chirac, in a televised address, said coordination of international aids on the tsunami disaster reflected that "we all share a common destiny."

Chirac floated the controversial idea of levying taxes on capital flows, each plane ticket sold, and/or financial transactions in countries accommodating secret bank accounts, to raise funds to fight world poverty.

He also spoke of the "silent tsunamis" of famine, infectious disease, violence, revolt, anarchy, uncontrolled migratory movements and rises in extremism.

Gere told media leaders attending WEF at a special luncheon that there is a tsunami every week as people die of HIV/AIDS. He said the disease is a moral issue of "our time" and appealed for business support; while Sharon Stone, made a tearful plea for compassion from the corporate word.

WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab said the spirit of global solidarity in the aftermath of the tsunami must be kept "alive and expand".

Swiss President Samuel Schmid said the aftermath of the tsunami demonstrated that global solidarity of human kindness was possible and that "we are all inter-related."

But the popularization of tsunami has been not only good and bad.

According to Allan Rosenfield, dean of Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, more people actually die each day from diseases and malnutrition than the tsunami death toll.