Stefaniia Didenko: The "Glocal" Security Nexus

Stefaniia Didenko

Speaker of World Woman Forum 2026 in Davos, Ambassador of the Association of Towns of Ukraine, Consular Assistant of Romania, Accreditation Expert for Educational Programs at the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (Ukraine).

When Security Begins at the Local Level

For decades, international security has been discussed primarily through the language of military alliances, defense budgets, strategic deterrence, and geopolitical competition. National governments, armed forces, and international organizations have traditionally occupied the center of security planning, while municipalities were viewed mainly as providers of local public services or civil protection.

The experience of Ukraine has fundamentally challenged this assumption.

Russia's full-scale invasion demonstrated that the first line of national defense is often not a military headquarters but a local community. When missiles strike cities, infrastructure is destroyed, and millions of civilians are forced to flee, it is mayors, municipal councils, local emergency teams, volunteers, and community leaders who become the first responders. They organize evacuations, maintain water and energy systems, provide shelter for displaced families, restore essential services, and ensure that daily life continues under extraordinary circumstances.

Ukraine has shown the world that resilience is built from the ground up.

The Rise of the "Glocal" Security Model

This transformation can best be understood through the concept of glocalization, introduced by sociologist Roland Robertson in the early 1990s. The idea suggests that global challenges increasingly manifest themselves through local realities.

A missile attack on a small Ukrainian municipality and a NATO strategic planning document may appear to belong to different worlds. In reality, they describe the same security challenge viewed from different scales.

National security today depends upon local capacity.

Hybrid warfare, cyberattacks, energy disruption, mass migration, pandemics, climate disasters, and military aggression all unfold first within communities. The effectiveness of national defense therefore depends not only upon military capability but equally upon the resilience of municipalities.

The war in Ukraine has become perhaps the strongest contemporary demonstration of this principle.

Global Country Day & Parade of Nations 2026 in Davos: Celebrating Culture as the Foundation of Global Cooperation

Global Business Week 2026 | Davos, Switzerland

In a world where economic partnerships are increasingly shaped by trust, mutual understanding, and shared values, diplomacy extends far beyond government negotiations and boardroom meetings. It begins with people. It begins with culture.

This philosophy came to life during Global Country Day & Parade of Nations 2026, one of the most anticipated highlights of Global Business Week 2026, held in Davos, Switzerland. Bringing together official delegates, entrepreneurs, educators, investors, innovators, and community leaders from more than 40 countries, the event celebrated not only the diversity of nations but also the universal values that unite humanity.

Unlike traditional business networking events, Global Country Day demonstrated that meaningful international cooperation begins long before contracts are signed. It begins when people learn about one another's traditions, appreciate different perspectives, and discover the stories that shape every nation.

The evening transformed the venue into a vibrant international village. National delegations welcomed guests at beautifully designed country stands, each presenting a unique window into its culture through traditional decorations, handcrafted souvenirs, regional delicacies, books, and national symbols. Visitors travelled from one country to another in a single evening, experiencing the richness of global heritage while engaging in personal conversations with delegates who proudly represented their nations.

Mehmet Boy: Why Human Capital Will Define the Next Century

For decades, economists have debated what makes nations prosperous. Some point to natural resources. Others emphasize industrial capacity, financial markets, technological leadership, or geopolitical influence.

I believe the answer lies elsewhere.

The greatest strategic asset of the twenty-first century is not oil, rare minerals, artificial intelligence, or financial capital. It is educated human potential.

Every technological revolution throughout history has ultimately depended on people capable of imagining, creating, and responsibly applying new ideas. Machines increase productivity, but only education expands human capability. Technology can automate processes, yet it cannot replace judgment, integrity, creativity, or moral responsibility.

This is why education is no longer simply a social service. It has become the critical infrastructure upon which innovation, competitiveness, and sustainable economic development depend.

Women's Diplomacy by World Woman Forum 2026

WORLD WOMAN FORUM (WWF) 2026, one of the flagship events of GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK 2026, successfully concluded at the Davos Congress Centre, bringing together women entrepreneurs, business leaders, executives, investors, innovators, policymakers, educators, philanthropists and changemakers from more than 40 countries.

WORLD BUSINESS FORUM 2026 held in Davos

DAVOS, Switzerland — 11 July 2026 — The Davos World Business Forum 2026 successfully concluded at the Davos Congress Centre, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives, policymakers, innovators, educators, institutional leaders and business delegations from more than 40 countries.

Delegations from Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Taiwan, Australia, South Africa, the United States, Moldova, Lithuania, Georgia, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Poland, Austria and many other countries participated in discussions focused on international trade, innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable economic development.

Official website: http://GlobalBusinessWeek.com

The main theme of the 2026 forum is BUSINESS DIPLOMACY. This choice is not accidental. The world is entering a period in which entrepreneurs are increasingly becoming not only creators of companies, jobs, and technologies, but also informal diplomats: they connect markets, build trust between countries, shape supply chains, create partnerships, and maintain economic bridges where political relations are becoming more complex.

The Davos Business Forum welcomed an exceptional international line-up of business leaders, entrepreneurs, economists, investors and innovators representing multiple industries and regions of the world.

Discussions covered topics including:

• Global economic transformation
• International investment
• Artificial Intelligence and digital innovation
• Energy transition
• Family business development
• Entrepreneurship and startup ecosystems
• International trade
• Leadership and business strategy
• Education for future economies
• Sustainable economic growth
• Business diplomacy and international cooperation

The Forum was opened by Christina Batruch, daughter of Bohdan Hawrylyshyn, co-founder and first Director of the World Economic Forum. This year marks the 100th anniversary of his birth, making the opening of the Forum especially symbolic and historically meaningful.

GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK features a strong international line-up of speakers, entrepreneurs, educators and business leaders, including:

• Andrew Azarov (UK) 🇬🇧
• Larisa Miller (USA) 🇺🇸
• Evan Yang (Republic of China) 🇹🇼
• Christina Batruch (Switzerland) 🇨🇭
• Vladyslav Rashkovan (USA) 🇺🇸
• Abdullah Alsharif (Saudi Arabia) 🇸🇦
• Arvils Pekuless (Lithuania) 🇱🇹
• Kivanc Gorkem Uclertopragi (Turkey),
• Batyr Ravshanov (Turkmenistan) 🇹🇲
• Dr Olga Azarova (UK) 🇬🇧
• Dr Liudmyla Stanislavenko (Ukraine) 🇺🇦
• Durga Das (USA-India) 🇺🇸 🇮🇳
• Igor Tkachuk (Ukraine) 🇺🇦
• Elena Vykhrystyuk (Ukraine) 🇺🇦
• Paul Goggin (UK) 🇬🇧
• Cherry Chang (Republic of China) 🇹🇼
• Wendy Silinyana (South Africa) 🇿🇦
• Elena Lee (Kazakhstan) 🇰🇿
• Elena Chirich (Australia) 🇦🇺
• Lyazzat Alshinova (Kazakhstan) 🇰🇿
• Narmina Hasanova (Azerbaijan) 🇦🇿
• Dr. Watceilia Varso (Australia) 🇦🇺
• Jamilya Kerimova (Turkmenistan) 🇹🇲
• Dr Mohammad Al Sardari (Iraq),
• Dinora Saitova (Kazakhstan) 🇰🇿
• Tatiana Markova (Ukraine) 🇺🇦
• Viktoriya Trotska (USA) 🇺🇸
• Irina Nikolenko (Poland),
• Nazzara Ergasheva (Kyrgyzstan) 🇰🇬
• Irina Khazhalia (Georgia) 🇬🇪
• Svitlana Yashchenok (Austria) 🇦🇹
• Maria Luisa Huidobro (Spain)
• Irina Selevestru (Moldova)
• Stefania Didenko (Ukraine)
• Inga Malakmadze (Georgia)
• Ira Goel (Germany)
• Siphawe Gumede (South Africa)
• Aurika Vranchanu (Switzerland)
• and many other distinguished experts.

and many other distinguished experts, entrepreneurs, educators and representatives of business communities.

Why Davos Is a Symbolically Precise Location for WBF 2026

Davos has long been perceived as one of the main places of global dialogue. It is a city associated with the idea of international meetings, intellectual leadership, and discussions about the future of the world economy. But GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK 2026 adds an important emphasis to this context: while traditional global forums are often focused on major political and corporate players, GBW makes the international agenda more open to entrepreneurs, family business owners, start-ups, investors, educational leaders, and business communities from different countries.

Entrepreneurial capital is the most valuable resource on the planet. Without it, oil, gas, and gold would simply remain natural resources. Business is built on strong personalities who take responsibility and bring what they start to completion.

Today, according to the World Bank, the global population of working age — 15 to 64 years old — in 2025 was around 5.4 billion people, or approximately 65% of the world’s population. This group forms the main foundation of the global labour market, entrepreneurship, consumption, and economic activity. At the same time, if we include all categories — business founders, start-up founders, and the self-employed — the number of entrepreneurs among them is around 600 million people, or 11%. If we count only entrepreneurs who create and manage companies, their share is estimated at no more than 1–2% of the population.

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2025/2026 also shows that modern entrepreneurship is becoming more conscious: 84% of early-stage entrepreneurs take social and/or environmental impact into account in business decisions, while youth entrepreneurial activity remains historically high. This means that entrepreneurs are not simply the vanguard of the world economy. They are a vast human layer that creates jobs, products, innovations, local ecosystems, and new forms of international cooperation. This is why GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK addresses precisely this force and works to build a culture of entrepreneurship across different generations.

Business Beyond the Conference Hall

Beyond formal sessions, the Forum featured extensive networking programmes, bilateral business meetings, partnership negotiations, cultural diplomacy events and executive roundtables.

Many participants described the combination of professional dialogue and relationship-building activities as one of the Forum's greatest strengths, creating an atmosphere where long-term international partnerships could develop naturally.

The Forum concluded with numerous new cooperation agreements, investment discussions and cross-border initiatives expected to continue long after the event.

Family Business: The Hidden Pillar of Global GDP

GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK has special significance for family companies. Family business is not limited to small family shops or local enterprises. It also includes large industrial groups, educational networks, agribusinesses, manufacturing companies, investment structures, brands, development companies, and international holdings. For example, around 80% of the economies of Germany and Japan — both leading technological countries — is created by family corporations.
According to McKinsey, family-owned businesses collectively contribute more than 70% of global GDP, generate annual revenues of around USD 60–70 trillion, and provide approximately 60% of global employment.

This statistic changes the way we look at family entrepreneurship. Family business is not the private story of one family. It is one of the main mechanisms for developing global economic resilience.

That is why, in the structure of GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK 2026, the transition from three intensive days of business forums to a strategic family business retreat is so important.

Join the GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK 2027: +44-744-218-77-04 

Official website: globalbusinessweek.com

#GlobalBusinessWeek #100NewsTV

We think you might also like these articles:

• Startup World Cup Championship 2026: Davos to Host the Next Generation of Global Entrepreneurs

• GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM 2026 will be held in Davos

• Dr Olga Azarova: FAMILY BUSINESS RETREAT is a MINIBOSS invention for raising strong heirs 

Zelensky in Washington performed a "feat" that previously seemed impossible — Politico.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to the United States on July 28 accomplished a feat that seemed impossible a year ago. He managed to convince Washington that Kyiv could win the war, writes Politico.

Unlike Zelensky's exhausting visit to the Oval Office in February 2025, this time he left the meeting with President Donald Trump in a high spirits. 

The Ukrainian president completed the trip with another victory, watching as the Senate voted by a landslide majority to introduce new sanctions against countries buying Russian oil.

The publication notes that this was the culmination of the day, which turned out to be a remarkable turn after Zelensky's previous visit. The vote, which the Ukrainian leader watched from the gallery in the Senate chamber, brought Congress one step closer to achieving the main priority for Zelensky and is another signal that Kyiv's fate is improving not only on the battlefield.

The Ukrainian leader emphasized that sanctions could help consolidate the gains Ukraine has made in combat and force Putin to the negotiating table, even as he renewed his request for greater access to key weapons systems.

Clearly, Zelenskyy’s proposal carries weight, and lawmakers across the ideological spectrum appear to have backed his strategy. It is also worth noting the emerging consensus that Ukraine can defeat Russia.

"The shift in dynamics is driven by the success they are achieving on the battlefield," said Republican Senator John Boozman.

The vote on sanctions also coincided with the memorial service for the late Senator Lindsey Graham—a proponent of the legislation and a key ally of Ukraine. Zelenskyy attended Graham’s funeral in Washington alongside Trump, senior lawmakers, and other foreign dignitaries.

"The atmosphere surrounding Trump and Zelenskyy is completely different now compared to a year ago, given that Ukraine is performing much better in the war," said a former U.S. administration official.