Davos grapples with inequality

The following article by Michele Gilman, Venable Professor of Law, University of Baltimore, was posted on the Conversation website January 26, 2018:

This year’s World Economic Forum in Davos honored musician and philanthropist Elton John for his contributions to upholding ‘human dignity.’ AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

In accepting an award for his efforts to “uphold human dignity” at the 2018 World Economic Forum, musician and philanthropist Elton Johndecried economic inequality as “disgraceful.” Panelists at the invitation-only conference in Davos, Switzerland, hashed over inequality in line with its theme of “Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World.”

And in a report released to coincide with the elite confab, the charity Oxfam reported that 82 percent of the wealth created globally last year went to the top 1 percent while the bottom half of humanity, 3.7 billion people, saw absolutely no gains in their wealth. Continue reading “Davos grapples with inequality”