Conference Presentation, Panel, Fireside Chat
Lunch Program | Promoting Prosperity in a World in Transition
- Broadband internet is expected to become ubiquitous very soon, driving global middle-class aspirations that, if unmet, risk triggering fragility, conflict, and violence.
- Emerging middle-class opportunities for eight billion people must be balanced against creating new economic roles for individuals unable to transition to coding or new skills.
- Countries with early human capital investments, specifically Japan, Korea, and China, are projected to maintain strong performance, with Vietnam predicted to perform very well due to similar investments.
- A controversial country ranking from 1 to approximately 189 will be launched to assess human capital, likely upsetting nations ranked below their historical peers.
- Health improvements for all are anticipated through new technologies, contingent on heads of state and finance ministers recognizing their importance.
- Future health scenarios may include telemedicine, such as doctors in Boston treating patients in Rwanda, though current implementation requires state-level understanding.
- The global economic focus is expected to shift toward equality of opportunity rather than equality of outcomes to avoid demographic instability and political trouble.
- Policy changes regarding security and leadership are predicted to occur once women hold power across the board, influencing global decision-making.
- The Woodrow Wilson Center plans to publish a Power and Parity Index on May 15th detailing women's senior public service positions and pathways to power, with the US expected to rank in the middle.
- Demographic instability, including military coups, is a cited risk if equality of outcomes is not achieved or if education budgets are cut despite high population growth.
- Educating girls and women is projected to trigger a demographic transition reducing population growth, thereby linking female education directly to political stability.
- Healthcare issues, such as child mortality from diarrhea, are framed as education problems stemming from a lack of knowledge regarding dehydration.
- Growth in emerging markets is deemed essential for the mature developed world, particularly to counter the demographic imbalances present in the West.
- Global population is forecast to reach a 2 billion to 3 billion increase by the end of the century, with nearly all new residents located in the Middle East and Africa.
- Achieving increasing rates of return on investment requires a strategic focus on emerging markets.
- Without created opportunities in Africa and the Middle East, stability in the United States and Europe is predicted to be at risk.
- The world population could reach 4 billion, with conservative estimates placing 3 billion in regions like the Middle East and Africa, where Nigeria may surpass China's population within 100 years.
- Approximately half of Africa's 54 countries are viewed as successful, while the other half are considered breeding grounds for terrorism due to failing governments.
- A disruptive technology fund, launched with Credit Suisse, aims to identify and scale technologies allowing developing countries to leapfrog inefficient practices, such as drone blood delivery.
- Crowd-sourced data applications are expected to solve road maintenance issues, preventing exponential decay from potholes that could destroy $20 million infrastructure investments within one rainy season.
- The Road Lab pilot program will facilitate quick interventions on road maintenance through crowd-sourcing, and the disruptive technology fund remains open to further donor support.