World Economic Forum annual meet opens

The World Economic Forum's gala annual meet began today with Founder Klaus Schwab stressing on the need for cooperation and collaboration among everyone, while a performance by acclaimed musicians, including Sandeep Das from India, marked the inaugural ceremony.
The opening ceremony in this Swiss ski resort town also marked Annual Crystal Awards with this year's awardees including Chinese actress Yao Chen, Hollywood actor Leonardo Dicaprio, artist Olafur Eliasson and musician will.I.Am.
Schwab, who is WEF Founder and Executive Chairman, hoped that when participants go home they would be convinced that the future of our small global village can only be managed by collaboration and cooperation.

With the theme 'Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution', this year's pow wow of the rich and the influential is meeting against the backdrop of global economic uncertainties even as emerging nations, including India, present a bright spot in the world economic affairs.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is distinct in the speed, scale and force at which it transforms entire systems of production, distribution and consumption, according to WEF.
Acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma alongside musicians from his award-winning Silk Road Ensemble performed at the inaugural. Apart from India's Sandeep Das, Yo-Yo Ma was joined by Brazil's Sergio and Odair Assad, USA's Johnny Gandelsman, Spain's Cristina Pato, UK's Kathryn Stott China's Wu Tong.

Sandeep Das, who played tabla, is a disciple of Pandit Kishan Maharaj of Banaras Gharana and has been nominated for Grammy awards twice. He is also the founder of Harmony and Universality through Music (HUM).

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"We cannot allow corporate greed of coal, oil and gas industries to determine the needs of the people," DiCaprio said while referring to his visits to various countries to spread awareness about climate change challenge.
The actor also recalled that he saw crops of farmers getting wiped out in historic floods in India.
At WEF, DiCaprio also announced grants worth 14 million pounds from his foundation for addressing the climate change crisis.