The Caux Dialogue on Land and Security’s managing director, Irina Fedorenko, was invited to speak at the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) 2019 in Davos, Switzerland. She shares her personal experience below.

The annual World Economic Forum (WEF) held in Davos, Switzerland has just closed its doors for another year but this time I was part of it. Rather than focusing on the justified criticisms of excessive opulence and the ever-increasing number of private jets taken by the attendees, I would like to highlight the transformative dialogues and connections that shaped my Davos experience.

On 23 January 2019 a group of Oxford University students and alumni took to the floor in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Tent. We were speaking on behalf of the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust Scholarship and Leadership programme, the largest philanthropic scholarship supported by the University of Oxford.  During the panel entitled “Young Voices of Hope: Perspectives from the Latest Wave of Emerging Leaders” we shared the most challenging issues faced by our countries of origin and how our time at Oxford and within the Leadership Programme has inspired and equipped us to be the driving force behind tangible solutions.

While the WEF attracted global industry leaders to discuss the most pressing problems faced by society, we used this opportunity to remind them how urgent and vital it is to invest in young people who can work together towards a more tolerant, more understanding and more sustainable world. In the words of Trust Chairman, André Hoffmann, “Knowledgeable and skilled leaders are needed to shape more equitable and sustainable societies, particularly in trouble-stricken regions.” You can read more about the programme here.

The next day, 24 January 2019, I spoke at The Solver Series. This event was hosted by Mark Turell, the founder of unDavos, the platform which provides access and cross-pollination of ideas and connects those who want to change the world so that they can work together to achieve this. The discussion focused on water and technology and how innovation could be a force for good in ecosystem restoration and replenishment of water tables globally. Some exciting technologies were highlighted, such as Weathertec’s solar powered installations which turn atmospheric humidity into rain and BioCarbon Engineering’s use of drones to seed large areas of land. However, everyone agreed that the key to large-scale environmental restoration is wise governance and land management, topics that usually dominate the agenda of the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security.

Another highlight of that day was the SDGs 2030 party, which celebrated the planet as if it had achieved all of the Sustainable Development Goals and how the world would be looking by then. I used my chance to get up on stage and paint a picture of the future, where all the forests have been protected and all 350 million hectares that are currently in need of restoration have been reforested, which has stabilised the climate.

The last day of WEF, the stage was dominated by a rare and unique blend of people who are passionately committed to providing sustainable and purpose-driven services to build regenerative and inclusive economies and create green jobs. The Future of Humanity Forum took place, where a panel of CDLS participants spoke about economic solutions for sustainability. The panel consisted of myself, Ashish Domah (Founder of The SDGs Company), Dr Bremley Lygdoh (Founder of WorldView Impact), and Aland Laubsch, (CEO of Earth Pulse). We discussed land restoration and technology, and the role of blockchain technology in creating a sustainable economy and green jobs.  The event was recorded and will be turned into a film in order to educate a wider audience about the SDGs.

While the panel recognised the importance of small and individual actions in achieving sustainability targets, they emphasised that large-scale actions are usually driven by visionary CEOs and politicians. These themes echo the conversations and synergies that often arise in Caux.

Recognising this, we invited all participants to join us for the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security  and Ethical Leadership in Business conferences, taking place on 27-30 June 2019.

Through my work and my own personal journey, I have come to realize that there are a great many things I cannot control, but the little I can control, that I can change, is in me. There are two tools in particular that allowed me to start with myself and to navigate my way through this complex world. These two tools are …. Silence …. And Love. 

Here are some tips and images that might help make these tools more accessible. The first image is something that has somehow slipped its way into our lives (and our pockets) that we simply can’t live without anymore.  The Smartphone! And, what does every smartphone need no matter what generation it is? Connection and Energy.

We humans are bit like smartphones, because we also need the same two things... I would say Silence can provide some great connection, it’s like a secret password to some really amazing wi-fi, and energy is, a lot like love. In my experience I have found nothing that provides greater impact no matter what the domain.

Let’s start with Silence. Plenty of research has shown that in this terribly busy and loud world we live in, a little silence goes a long way.  They claim it can help us retain information better, reduce stress, increase happiness… basically good for everything. And yet…think about it, when was the last time you sat or walked in silence, without earphones, without looking at your phone and just listened to your own thoughts and feelings?  Was it recently?  Do you feel like you do it regularly?  Do you feel you have enough silence or quiet in your life?

Staying with the Smartphone image I would propose that you can look at your need for silence on three levels: one for downloading, one for communicating, and one for upgrading the system. For all of those things a good Wi-fi is useful.  First, for Downloading, a question to ask oneself is: do I have a daily (or regular) space for silence?  A walk, a moment of reflection, a moment to center myself? Am I listening to myself? This can allow me to process everything that I have heard or lived (or want to live) and even be a bit of a reset button to get you back into the present.

For the second, Communication, a good question is: am I “connecting” well to others, am I listening to them? For there to be listening someone needs to be silent.  A beautiful image that was once given to me is that when others speak, am I giving them the space to say all that they have to say? Can I be a blank page in front of them allowing them to write out everything they have inside?  There are certainly times where I have listened to someone with the type of pseudo-silence where I was either thinking of something else or just planning my response and found that my “connection” was not the best quality and therefore my responses were definitely off mark.

And lastly, for Upgrading, a question is: do I have periodic spaces of deeper silence or slowing down?  A long hike in nature, a retreat etc…Sometimes we need an extended moment of silence to be able to hear, see and say what it is we have inside. Sometimes we need a longer silence to upgrade our perspective and go beyond our own blockages and recognize our blindspots. A lot can be resolved, or improved with silence.

Now, for the second tool. Love.  In a world craving for likes and inundated with  heart emojis, I believe many would admit we have a slight deficit of Love. But what is love? It is a lot of things, and includes everything from what holds families together, to what friendship is made of, all our concepts of romance, and the simple interactions of common decency and respect between human beings. In other contexts the word compassion or perhaps in French “bienveillance” can also be suitable. I am talking about something concrete, more than an emotion. It takes effort, but at the same time can be as simple as a smile. Love is an another key ingredient in improving the world and yourself, because that is precisely what it does, it takes you beyond yourself and connects you to others and to life as a whole. It is an energy that you both give and can be charged by.

Perhaps a model that helps illustrate the love I am talking about is what I would call a “Love Triangle.”  Now this is not some sort of Hollywood or Netflix scenario, calm yourselves… Love, for me, has these three sides to it.  Myself, the other, and the whole (or Beyond).  It is a triangle and there is a flow, or energy, between them.  I cannot love others without in a sense also feeling connected to a greater whole (or drawn beyond), and I can’t love anyone without realizing that I have something of value to offer them.  In other words, I can’t love anyone without also loving myself and feeling connected to the greater whole and vice versa.  Now this Whole, or Beyond is naturally hard to define, I admit.  You can also put other words here like humanity, universe, or for those of a religious background you can put the word “God”, it all fits. 

If there isn’t a sense of flow between the three sides, then I would suggest something is missing. If you are constantly loving others but don’t take time for yourself (don’t charge your batteries, going back to our image) then be prepared for problems.  If you love and focus only on yourself then it is hard to serve and be connected to a greater whole and so forth. These can also be separate moments where you take time to be with yourself, or where you are concretely loving others, or in some way shape or form connecting with some greater whole. But ultimately, all love ideally has elements of all three sides of the triangle.

So what?  Seem basic?  Of course it is, but they are so basic that we also get a little side-tracked at times. Here are some guiding questions, perhaps to be asked in a moment of Silence, that help me center back on love: how does my love-triangle look? What would be love in this situation? Where can I put love in my work? What is the “why” of doing what I do?  Love is a great why, and Silence is great place to ask that why, to check it, to make sure you are still on course.

Now no need to pressure yourselves to stay three hours in silence and to be “love experts” tomorrow. Like every journey, you advance step by step. Just try to put a little more silence and little more love today. How about we give it a try, a short one, just 30 seconds of silence… without touching your smart phones… and simply enjoy the quiet and ask yourself where is the love in my life, and where can I put some more?

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How was that? Not too bad? Try a little longer next time.

I wish you good luck and much joy in finding good connection and in using (and charging) your energy.

Watch Rainer's entire TEDx Talk at Geneva University here.

Photo top: from TEDx YouTube video

Photos silence/love: Rainer Gude