In a ceremony on Saturday the World Economic Forum (WEF) honored artists like India’s Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and Chinese martial artist/actor Jet Li by presenting them with the coveted crystal award.
The WEF is a Geneva based non-profit organization. Its annual meeting, held this year in Davos, Switzerland, brings together top business leaders, political leaders, and selected intellectuals to discuss the most pressing issues worldwide. This year marks the 39th annual gathering of the organization which focused largely on the growing economic depression which has crippled the world market.
Every year the WEF makes an effort to acknowledge artists whose contributions to art and culture transcends the efforts of most by granting the prestigious Crystal Awards. This year’s honorees include Jet Li, Amitabh Bachchan, Mallika Sarabhai, and José Antonio Abreu.
Upon accepting the award Mallika Sarabhai, a famed Kuchipudi and Bharatnatyam dancer, stated that: “For 2000 years the arts have been something that have broken down barriers (… )It is very sad that today arts have become merely entertainment. When in the arts we have one of the most powerful languages to; talk about brotherhood; to talk about love; to talk against hatred; to talk against prejudice; to tell people that violence is not a necessary state of the world. One of the great tragedies is that we have not mainstreamed the use of arts for social change.”
When asked what the arts could do for better global understanding Indian actor and director Amitabh Bachchan said: “I’ve always believed cinema to be a great integrator. When we walk inside a darkened hall to watch a film we never are concerned about who’s sitting next to us; whether he’s a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian. We never consider the color of the skin of that person. But we enjoy the same product we laugh at the same jokes we sing the same songs we cry at the same emotion.”
Meanwhile Jet Li managed to highlight the core issue underlying the philanthropic ceremony by stating simply: “I spent many years learning about life,” indicated the martial arts master “then I realized why human beings need two arms (…) one is to receive and one is to give.”
By: Alberto Ramos Cordero
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