This could be taken as an introduction for the NYC events section

Beginning January 31, the Swiss-based World Economic Forum will hold its first annual meeting ever in the United States in New York City at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. Some 3,200 business leaders, politicians, journalists and academics will meet behind closed doors to set an agenda for the global economy. Thousands of protesters are expected to converge in the New York. To help make sense of it all, the New York City Independent Media Center offers this factsheet on the World Economic Forum.

What is the World Economic Forum?

The WEF is a private member organization comprising representatives from 1,000 of the world's largest corporations including Microsoft, Monsanto, Nike, General Motors, and, until recently, Enron. Originally formed in 1971 as the European Management Forum, the Swiss-based group has grown into a major global agenda setter and a leading proponent of corporate globalization. Until this year, the organization held its annual meeting in the Swiss mountain resort town of Davos.

The exclusive meeting is open to members - who pay upwards of $30,000 in annual dues - as well as selected politicians, journalists and academics. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are both expected to be among the 3,200 in attendance. While the WEF helps set global economic and trade agendas that affect the world, the group predominantly includes
European and American businesses. The member breakdown by continent is Europe, 43 percent; North America, 26 percent; Asia, 13 percent; Central/South America, 7.5 percent; Middle East, 4.5 percent; Africa, 4.3 percent; Australasia, 2.2 percent.

Why is the Forum meeting in New York?

"As the world's financial capital and the site of the recent terrorist attacks, there could be no better place than New York City to confront (post 9/11) issues," said WEF founder Klaus Schwab on November 7th. City and state officials welcomed the decision with hopes that the meeting will help stimulate New York's lagging economy.

Protesters claim the meeting was moved to New York in an effort to muffle protest and dissent. "We are offended that at such time of crisis, the world's riches and powerful are descending upon the ruins of New York to plot and schmooze," read a statement by the Anti-Capitalist Convergence. After years of protests in Davos, speculation had been running high even before September 11th that the WEF would seek a new home for its annual meeting in a less protest-prone venue.

"City and World Economic Forum officials also note that one factor working in their favor is the diminished furor, particularly after Sept. 11, of the American anti-globalization movement," claimed the Washington Post. But activists are predicting the largest anti-corporate American protest since
April, 2000 when tens of thousands took to the streets of Washington D.C. to protest the World Bank.

What impact will the meeting have on the city?

The economic impact of the meeting on the city remains to be seen. While the business leaders and foreign dignitaries are among the world's wealthiest individuals, the city must spend millions in security costs. In Davos, a town of only 13,000 permanent residents, police spent $5.4 million last year in security. In New
York, which has a police force of 40,000, the security budget has not been released but the New York Times has reported a military-like force would be ready. "Law enforcement officials said the Police Department's response would have to include almost military-style tactics," the Times reported Jan. 11th. "All of the department's tools and the lessons learned about security since Sept. 11 will have to be put to use, officials said."

While the area near the meeting's headquarters at the Waldorf Astoria may be turned into a "frozen zone,"the city reportedly will not build any fences or gates around the hotel as seen at recent protests in Genoa and Quebec City.

Members will also attend functions elsewhere in the city. On Feb. 2nd, for example, the Forum will have to abandon the plush Waldorf ballroom to make way for a previously planned wedding. According to the Washington Post, the New York State Exchange has agreed to open its doors to host a party for 3,000 that Saturday night.

Who is protesting the WEF?

Scores of organizations have planned protests, marches and counter summits for the week of January 30-Feburary 4th including the Students For Global Justice, AFL-CIO, Another World Is Possible, Anti-Capitalist Convergence, Public Citizen and International ANSWER.

Why are people protesting?

The World Economic Forum is seen by many as the corporate architects of the recent wave of economic globalization. Representatives from WEF set the foundation for the formation of the World Trade Organization, the highly contentious global economic body that was the focus of the Seattle
protests in 1999.

In addition, WEF's growing clout is beginning to challenge even that of the United Nations which concerns many critics since the Forum is a private entity unaccountable to only its members. "Should a Forum that is dominated by corporate interests be encouraged to take on the role of mapping out future frameworks for global governance?" asked Australian scholar Peter Goodman in his piece "The WEF: Capital's First International?" According to protest groups, the answer is clearly no.

While many activists agree on many of the issues, debate has arisen over what tactics should and should not be used in a city still recovering from the devastating attacks in New York. Many debates have occurred on the NYC Indymedia site.

What is the connection between the World Economic Forum and the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization?

The IMF and World Bank were both formed following World War II ostensibly in an effort to help stabilize the international economy and to provide loans to struggling nations. The institutions, which are run by member nations, has spearheaded the neo-liberal economic model that has been criticized widely for
the inequality it produces both within countries and between first and third world nations. “Since the 1980s the debt situation has steadily worsened, so that now the total debt of the developing world equals about one-half their combined GNP and nearly twice their total annual export earnings,