The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, brings together the world’s political, business, and thought leaders to discuss the most pressing issues of our time. Of course, conversations such as those that are happening at the World Economic Forum are also happening in everyday life: in people’s living rooms, in local communities, over a family dinner table, and on Facebook. I have always been a fan of the DAVOS conference for a variety of reasons; primarily I love the assembling of thought leaders on big topics.

As part of facebooks desire to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected, Facebook is partnering with the World Economic Forum 2009. For the first time ever, Facebook will be running real-time ‘polls’ during a select group of panels at the World Economic Forum. Over the next few days, polls will appear in News Feeds of a randomly-generated set of people from Facebook’s 150 million user base, and will ask questions like, “Which renewable energy source is most promising?” and, “If you lost Internet connectivity for an extended period, would there be vitally important data you’d leave behind in the cloud?” Facebook users’ responses to the polls will be viewed live during the discussion forum, enabling the Davos audience to get a real-time pulse on what millions of people around the world are thinking and feeling.

Just this morning, nearly 2,500 Facebook users responded to the question, “Will Pakistan and its neighbors experience greater instability in 2009?” Within about three minutes, 56% of the users responded “Yes,” 19% responded “No,” and 25% responded “Not Sure.” All of this was taking place as WEF delegates — including the Prime Minister of Pakistan — were participating in the “Pakistan and its Neighbors” panel at Davos, and the results were projected on screens at Davos for delegates to see and discuss.

Here are some of the poll questions that will be posed to Facebook users during the next few days, beginning today:
- Where do you think the greatest need is for regenerative medicine?
- If you lost Internet connectivity for an extended period, would there be vitally important data you’d leave behind in the cloud?
- Which renewable energy source is most promising?
- Can the Obama Administration lead the US economy back on track in 2009?
- Would you use nanotechnology to treat your cancer?
- Will confidence be restored in markets and growth in 2009?
- Will the world experience a backlash against globalization in 2009?

If you want to see what people are saying on twitter go here to join in the conversation

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