DAVOS & EAGLES

Davos or WEF (World Economic Forum) 2023 was an unexpected positive experience, one that gave me hope, many new, diverse collaborators and friends in what often seems like a lonely journey to challenge our existing, short-term, extractive, and often, suicidal economic models.

It is my hope, as I make my way up the mountain on Sunday from Zurich Haubtbahnhof, that there will be time to reflect deeply about our responsibility as leaders, including how to align our leadership with our hearts at this pivotal time in human history.

As we seriously enter our new Anthropocene reality, I intended to send out a sober write-up about how to finance a new agricultural system which enlists nature and its life-building super-powers as the main input providers for farming and a flawless ally against desertification and the perilous effects of climate extremes.  Then; I remembered a story which came to me in the past couple of weeks which I would rather share with you.

I grew up on the Skagen peninsula at the northern part of Denmark, a place where the sky is big, and the eagles fly high over the dunes of the ocean surrounding the landscape. In fact, due to its geography, it's the most important migratory bird area of Europe. The area also had the largest lake in northern Denmark. The lake was drained more than 100 years ago but still peak out whenever the pumps stop to reveal its beautiful peet underbelly refusing to die to the plow. There, right next to the drained lake you find Northern Europe's most important eagle sanctuary, founded in the 1970s with financial support help the Saudi Arabian Royal Family, Abdulaziz bin Saud

Saudi Arabia has saved the art and tradition of falconry, one of the oldest hunting traditions known to man, one that was lost in Europe until the 1980s (Birds of prey, like wolves were (is) seen as venom by Europeans).

Both the bird migration and the majestic eagles are now under threat from planned 250m high windmills and solar power farms, permissions grated as the politicians hunger to deliver on 2030 energy targets. These destructive projects, born from a linear, industrial, and singular problem-solving mindset, do address the energy transition but once again at the detriment of our life-support system – Nature.

We need holistic, visionary thinking like that presented at #COP28.

We cannot afford to work in narrow-minded (western dominated) self-interest silos, because in the end, we are all connected to one earth, one health, one destiny.

Therefore, at Davos it is my hope that we carry this in our hearts as we hustle and tussle in the snow:

• Remember that it is the complexity of systems and our ability to connect with each other and nature that sustains us and gives us purpose, not our monetary wealth.

• We all have a duty to honour the deep trust we carry as leaders and always respect the dignity and the universal truth of all peoples and species.

• That we recognise that people hurt people, we shame and bully each other, we are seekers of connection and love - we must accept its ok to make mistakes or get things wrong - and that, if you do, you promise to make things right.

So how about we go into Davos with the razor sharp vision of an Eagle?

This time, let's stop proveing to be right but begin doing what feels right?

 #WEF2024 #regenerativeleadership #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefinance #impactinvesting #LinkedInNewsUK

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