"The present crisis is the end of an era based on the dollar ... and we need a sheriff, we need a new sheriff, not the Washington consensus."
Soros Fund Management LLC chairperson George Soros speaking about how sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds and other new stakeholders in the global economy have become the emerging power brokers in the international economic order

"In the Arab world, corporate social responsibility is not just a concept but it is not yet the culture."
HM Queen Rania Al Abdullah, of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan commenting the country's commitment to corporate social responsibility

"Seventy per cent of Africans are employed in agriculture. If you really want to touch the lives of Africans and aid development, this is where you invest."
Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa President Namanga Ngongi stressing that more attention needs to be paid to agricultural development in Africa

"The sub prime crisis could have been largely avoided if the regulators had done their job...what is unique about this crisis is it is a clear case of failure of regulations and failure of regulators."
India's Minister of Finance Palaniappan Chidambaram explaining how the US sub prime crisis could have been avoided

"Mayors are able to drive change where governments are not able to."
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone explaining the role that local government plays in affecting change

"The WTO has to compromise between efficiency and legitimacy. We are not extremely efficient but we are member driven and that ensures legitimacy."
World Trade Organization director-general Pascal Lamy discussing the environment in which the major international institutions are now operating

"If vocation is the place where your deepest gladness meets the world's deepest needs, then that's where this [Davos] is. And let's get on with it."
Actor, writer and activist, Emma Thompson on receiving a Crystal Award from Klaus Schwab, Founder and Chairman of the World Economic Forum

"Peace has a greater chance today than before. I believe that the people of Gaza want peace."
Israel's President Shimon Peres expressing his hopes for a peaceful solution in Gaza

"America needs to be less shy about what a great country it is - the tradition of philanthropy there is not matched anywhere else."
News International chairperson and CEO Rupert Murdoch commenting on the volume of charity that is generated by the US

"The French are not afraid of globalisation, they want to be prepared for it so they can act on it rather than endure it."
French Prime Minister François Fillon stressing that the country is open to the challenges posed by globalisation

"This is a unique opportunity to create links between older leaders and younger ones. I encourage the Davos participants to help these young activists achieve their goals."
Emma Thompson, actor and writer, at the Voice of the Next Generation session

"We know that you cannot have modernization without values and these values are universal across all religions."
Archbishop Emeritus Archdiocese of Washington Theodore Cardinal McCarrick speaking about the role of religion in modern soceity

"Terrorism has nothing to do with religion because if it had anything to do with religion it would not go to kill people in a mosque."
Afghan president Hamid Karzai stressing that terrorism is not motivated by religion