Ideas as vital as money for the Davos recipe

Deals are not only sealed in private meeting rooms. A lucrative agreement can just as easily be made over a mouth-watering canapé at one of the numerous events held in the exclusive mountain resort.

Chelsea Clinton made a star guest appearance, moderating a highly-anticipated ‘e-philanthropy’ panel hosted by Ukrainian steel tycoon Victor Pinchuk.

In these sombre times it was a chance to hobnob with some of the people who are working to change the world. We spoke to some of the inspirational figures there.

“The shifting in power from hierarchies like governments to citizens and networks of citizens, this can have a very positive benefit on society – so even though the world is increasingly chaotic and there is less control, I ultimately think citizens can become stewards of their own well-being,” said the Senior Innovation Advisor to the US Secretary of State, Alex Ross.

The British inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners Lee, offered an idea, much in keeping with his own open philosophy of communication, as a way forward in dealing with one of the contemporary world’s most dangerous faultlines.

“In the Middle East everyone should make a point of trying to get to know someone from a culture that they may be afraid of, or that they may disapprove of, to find out how they think. The long term if you want what’s positive, is that people are starting to become more tolerant, accepting and more capable of actually living in peace,” he suggested.

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