The official themes for the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual Davos meetings have usually been an accurate reflection of the most pivotal global situation of the time. The 2026 theme is “A spirit of dialogue”. While at first glance it may seem an innocuous phrase, closer inspection reveals that it is deeply apposite to an alarming set of trends that have arisen fairly recently. At peril is not only the spirit of dialogue, but the concept of civilised dialogue itself, on which so much of the modern world has been constructed.
In his book Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow the philosopher Yuval Harari wrote that “the greatest scientific discovery was the discovery of ignorance.” This meant that thinkers and even institutions were prepared to accept that they did not have all the answers and that they were prepared to change their minds in the light of new information.
We take this for granted today. It is the basis of all scientific research, and in fact of almost all our belief systems – except for religious faith. Before the “discovery of ignorance” people put their faith in series of precepts and many refused to admit that the ideas they had inherited could have been wrong.
But for the new information concept to work, it was necessary to separate facts from superstition and unverifiable beliefs. Thus, first, facts had to be ascertained, then they had to be applied to theories, tested and retested; and only if they came through the logical process could they be accepted as true.
This quest for facts led inevitably to the study of nature: identifying, classifying and describing flora and fauna as well as people and objects and their properties; and observing their reactions to forces. It led to the exploration of the world, mapping and naming places, the oceans and their denizens, and eventually to space.
It led to the disciplines of physics, chemistry, mathematics, geology, archaeology and literature that continue to be the building blocks of our education worldwide.
The industrial revolution and everything else that came from that, Harari says in his Sapiens, emerged from this shift of thinking. Importantly, it also meant that the verity of a pronouncement no longer depended on who had said what – as it was previously when greater weight placed on religious and powerful secular leaders, but what was said. It did not matter if the ideas came from a pauper or a king as long as the ideas were sound and ascertained so through rigorous discussion and dialogue.
Universities and even schools no longer demanded rote learning from students but the ability to think, discuss and debate. Modern concepts of democracy are based on this – that the best decisions for a nation can come from anyone with no distinction for class, race, gender or age.
Edicts from those in power, which had earlier brooked no opposition, could now be challenged if they failed to meet the tests of logic and fact. Disputes had been conducted by slinging mud and abuse or coming to blows; now open discussion and dialogue held sway.
Religious belief, however, cannot be verified by fact or logic. But it has been possible to hold religious beliefs in this realm while simultaneously adhering to the fact-based universe that has produced so many modern miracles, including the latest: the AI phenomena.
Pillars of civilisation under attack
But this pillar of civilisation on which modern human life has rested for centuries has been coming under constant attack – as it did at the dawn of the Age of Reason.
We have already seen the era of “alternative facts”, the denial of reality, the shutting down of dialogue even in hallowed places of learning, the dismissal of the truth when it contradicts certain positions, the acceptance of blatant lies because of the power of those who utter them.
The fact and evidence-based pillar we have depended on for centuries is being hacked down. Rational discussion is being dismissed or even mocked. Fact-checkers, once essential to verify the truth of pronouncements, are being pilloried. Debate is being reduced to the spewing of abuse and name-calling.
Dialogue, which by its nature assumes the equality of the participants engaged in a search for truth or mutual accommodation, risks being replaced by shouting matches. Africans recognise this – they have been here before. Little wonder that in this unfolding universe of confusion, people the world over have either lost confidence in their leaders or blindly follow them slavishly, even if it leads to their own destruction.
Blurring the lines
Added to this alarming trend is the entry of AI. Proponents say it will lead to unprecedented growth; opponents that it is blurring the line between the real and the fake even more.
The cost is heavy. The WEF’s Global Risk Report 2025 says that mis- and dis-information are “the biggest risk in terms of severity facing the world in the next two years”. Supercharged by AI, “this erosion of truth costs the global economy [about] $78bn each year”; and 70% of people believe that leaders from business, government and media are deliberately misleading them.
No wonder that poll after poll shows that people have lost confidence not only in their leaders but, in many cases, even in political systems such as democracy, opting for hard right-wing parties with simple agendas. In the West and parts of Latin America, fascism and nativitism are on the march – further splintering societies.
What is the antidote, if there is one? Nicki Allit, head of strategic communications and coordination at the WEF, writes that in an era of “AI slop” – low-quality digital content made using AI, often to distort reality in order to generate revenue for its creators – “leaders must distinguish between reputation and brand to navigate the chaos.”
Brand is what your company, or organisation, or government tells the world about itself; reputation is what others tell about you – it is only earned over time and credibility born of actual performance.
In an increasingly polarised, uncertain world, “trust has become our most critical (and overlooked) currency.” This of course goes for countries as well as businesses.
Where does this place Africa and African organisations? The pace, scope, ambition and sophistication of dialogue on the continent is increasing. It is also bucking the trend toward top-down diktats and encouraging evidence-based discussions.
Despite the proliferation of social media, its youth seems able to distinguish the true from the false more readily than others, and have shown that they will not accept sloppy statements from their leaders.
The harsh lessons of trust and reputation – and how easy it is to lose both – have been learned across the continent.
More companies are building their brands on solid, verifiable facts rather than unsupported hyperbole. Governments are slower to follow but have shown willingness to do so. Trust is everything.
The 2026 WEF theme is sounding shrill alarm bells in many parts of the world and must be discussed at the highest levels of government and business; urgently, deeply, honestly and with great courage. Hopefully, Davos will provide just the platform needed for this.
As history has demonstrated, once the God of Truth has been slain, chaos and wholesale destruction has inevitably followed. But the same theme applied to Africa has the opposite connotation – it enhances the path the continent has chosen to follow. Africa seems determined to keep the spirit of dialogue and its companion, truth and logic, alive and well.