The cultural industry

Documented@Davos: Paulo Coehlo, Author from Michelle Laird on Vimeo.

Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho discussing the cultural industry at World Economic Forum at Davos.

The printing press revolutionised the way we handle information. The Bible was made available to the many, not the few.

Social media, the internet, is the second information revolution. The publishing industry has yet to catch up.

Social media, the internet, has given power to the people. We saw that in Iran, we saw it with the Arab Spring, we saw it with Occupy Wall Street. We the people are in power. Governments labour under the illusion they are in power.

Aleph, a journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway, No1 in all countries bar one, the UK. Not No1 or at least not well known in the UK due to the failure of bookshop chain Waterstone’s for whatever perverse reason known only to themselves to put Aleph on display.

- What a year!
- Paulo Coelho in Waterstone’s and the author the publisher forgot

Writers, artists, muscians want to create, they wish to share what they create

- Documented@Davos: SOPA Panel
- Thoughts of Paulo Coelho on Sopa
- Desmond Tutu and Paulo Coelho at Davos
- Paulo Coelho on writing I
- Paulo Coelho on Desert Island Discs
- The Journey of Paulo Coelho

Documented@Davos: SOPA Panel

Documented@Davos: SOPA Panel from Michelle Laird on Vimeo.

Excellent panel discussion at Davos on why Sopa is bad and possible ways forward.

We created Wikipedia, we made it all up ourselves. Much of the content on the net is provided by us. It is the human condition to create, to want to share.

Hollywood wants, Hollywood does not get.

Money no longer buys votes. We can mobilise via social media. we can Occupy!

Hollywood acted on behalf of Hollywood. Greed! Internet companies acted on behalf of the internet. Empowerment!

Sopa has opened an amazing can of worms. Internet companies are now demanding openness, transparency, lack of secrecy, good governance!

If Hollywood and the music industry stopped being so greedy, stopped criminalsing their customers, they would not have a problem.

Creative people wnat to share what they produce. It is the greed of Big Business that gets in the way.

Amazing. An intelligent American politician who actually talks sense, who knows what he is talking about.

We have Open Source Software. How about the same for legislation? Publish on the net. People invited not only to make comment, but to propose and draft amendments (cf Wikipedia). This reduces the worth of lobbyists to zero over night. It would also improve the political intake as they would be there to serve, to make a difference, not to get their snouts in the trough, as there would no longer be the money sloshing around.

Sopa would have been still born if instead of cooked up in secret between Hollywood and politicians for sale it had bene available to open public scrutiny.

Open Government? Participatory democracy?

- The cultural industry
- Defend our freedom to share (or why SOPA is a bad idea)
- Thoughts of Paulo Coelho on Sopa
- Stop SOPA
- We are in charge now
- A sense of the masses – a manifesto for the new revolution

Desmond Tutu and Paulo Coelho at Davos

Desmond Tutu and Paulo Coelho at Davos

We can no longer ignore this growing distance between rich and poor. It is time to close the gap. It is time to talk about making real changes so that the world becomes a more equitable place. — Desmond Tutu

No matter how powerful we are, if we are morally hollow, our world will collapse. — Desmond Tutu

I believe every human being is made for goodness – yes, even bankers! — Desmond Tutu

Desmond Tutu and Paulo Coelho at World Economic Forum in Davos.

Together with Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu is one of the founding members of The Elders.

Author of Aleph, Paulo Coelho is a UN Messenger of Peace.

The rich, powerful and influential meet once a year at the World Economic Forum in Davos to agree how the world will be run for the next year.

The World Social Forum is a parallel forum where the people of the world meet to put forward ideas for a better world.

- Paulo Coelho on writing I
- Paulo Coelho talks to Big Issue
- Tutu: The Authorised Portrait
- Time to close the gap

Paulo Coelho at World Economic Forum in Davos

http://cdn.livestream.com/embed/worldeconomicforum02?layout=4&clip=pla_99e2ceba-44cc-4779-882c-76792493d346&autoplay=false

There is probably a way to embed this video in wordpress, but I do not know how, therefore please click on the link.

http://livestre.am/AIAh

World Economic Forum in Davos is where the rich and powerful meet.

– Disruption Talk
– Hey Davos! What about the tax havens