The 2010 Summit
The 2010 Summit began with a gathering of the Honourees in the Munch Room of the Oslo City Hall. Many had traveled considerable distances to be present, and enjoyed the opportunity to meet their fellow Honourees before the ceremony. The 2010 Summit on Peace through Trade took place in the Banquet Hall of the Oslo City Hall.
Mr. Rajat K. Gupta of the International Chambers of Commerce opened with a keynote address to the assembled audience. Mr. Gupta touched upon a series of issues that made it necessary for world business to work to regain the public trust. He also showed to the efficacy of government bodies and NGOs adopting business practices to ensure best possible return-of-investment for their efforts. Mr. Rifkin outlined his views on the transition from a fossil fuels based economy to the “distributed energy world” we are headed for. In his view, the fact that this transition will coincide with the on-going changes in communication due to the internet, points to the coming of a 3rd Industrial Revolution.
In the panel debate which followed, Mr. Gupta was joined by former Norwegian prime minister Kjell Magne Bondevik and the 2009 Honouree, Anders Dahlvig, as they discussed whether elements from the Nordic Model had international relevance. Mr. Dahlvig shared several observations as to how IKEA’s strong sense of social purpose had contributed to the group’s business success, and had provided management with guidelines for operations. As regards the Nordic Model, he was convinced that the less authoritarian style of Scandinavian businesses made them very different from businesses elsewhere. Workers feel entitled to raise points of criticism without fear of retribution. Mr. Bondevik was very encouraged by how a business oriented approach was helping Africa raise itself from the development aid dependency one had previously fostered. Mr. Gupta, among other things, raised the interesting point that today’s new class of “super-wealthy” may be inspired by the Scandinavian sense of social responsibility in the philanthropic social welfare programs they are promoting.
The 2010 Business for Peace Honourees
The Honourees were introduced to the audience through a recounting of their significant individual contributions. These are truly outstanding leaders, each reflecting the criteria for the Business for Peace Award in their particular ways. The ceremony began with a greeting to the Honourees from the members of the award giving committee.
From the left. Mr. William Rosenzweig, Ms. Emily Cummins, Mr. Venkataramani Srivathsan, Mr. Luis Lopez Morton Servitje (representing his grandfather, Mr. Roberto Servitje Sendra), Mr. Francis Yeoh, Mr. Stef Wertheimer, and Mr. Amit Bajan (representing Mr. Ratan Tata). The Honourees were presented with their award and diploma by Mr. Per L. Saxegaard, chairman of the foundation. Mr. Francis Yeoh of Malaysia delivered the Honourees’ speech following the presentation of awards.
The Honourees and invited guests concluded the ceremony with the Honourees’ Dinner at Akershus Fortress. During dinner, the Honourees gave moving personal accounts of the reason why they had embraced sound ethical business practices in their work.
The 2010 Peace through Trade Summit – Highlights