Following Haleh Arbab’s talk on day one, Dr. Augusto Lopez-Claros opened the second day of the Association for Bahá’í Studies conference with a look at the challenges facing global institutions as they struggle to keep up with a rapidly changing world—the so called “governance gap.”
Citing a letter written by Shoghi Effendi in 1931, Lopez-Claros drew attention to how the Bahá’í writings foretell the inevitable global unrest that would result from such a gap, as well as the spiritually based solution required—a just and equitable system of global governance.
Lopez-Claros, who was Chief Economist of the World Economic Forum from 2004 till this year, highlighted population growth and changes in the global economy as two major forces contributing to the unprecedented complexity which these institutions are currently facing.
The systems we have today simply do not work, said Lopez-Claros. Most national and international governments are largely hierarchal, rigid, slow to react, and unrepresentative of the people.
With a world population expected to reach eight billion by 2020 and those living on less than two dollars a day to reach three billion, Lopez-Claros said we can expect increased stress from rising unemployment and poverty rates.
Key issues like global warming, AIDS, terrorism, peacekeeping, and protection from global economic crises are just a few of the other concerns beyond the grasp of national governments.
Citing cooperation and consultation, and using the European Union as an example, Lopez-Claros argued that new models of governance are needed to respond to the needs of the age. Ultimately, concludes Lopez-Claros, it is up to us to adapt our institutions to the times.
He also highlighted education as another key factor. Countries that place a high value on education have learned the skills to adapt to changing conditions while others have fallen behind, he noted.
In a breakout session on the next day, Lopez-Claros addressed another critical “gap” that is hindering progress at the international level — the gender gap.