Seize Your Leadership Day: A Reason to Think
I spent over an hour going through my article collection and found nothing that seems worth sharing; I seem to have used up all the good stuff on this week’s Saturday Odd Bits, check them out, especially if you’re interested in Microsoft, and be sure to subscribe via RSS or EMAIL while you’re there.
Then I remembered one item I’ve been meaning to share with you and this particular weekend seems like an appropriate time to do it.
You may have seen it, since it’s been making the round of the Internet, but even so, I still want to share it with you.
It’s called If the World Were a Village of 100 People
If we could reduce the world’s population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, the demographics would look something like this:
- The village would have 60 Asians, 14 Africans, 12 Europeans, 8 Latin Americans, 5 from the USA and Canada, and 1 from the South Pacific
- 51 would be male, 49 would be female
- 82 would be non-white; 18 white
- 67 would be non-Christian; 33 would be Christian
- 80 would live in substandard housing
- 67 would be unable to read
- 50 would be malnourished and 1 dying of starvation
- 33 would be without access to a safe water supply
- 39 would lack access to improved sanitation
- 24 would not have any electricity (And of the 76 that do have electricity, most would only use it for light at night.)
- 7 people would have access to the Internet
- 1 would have a college education
- 1 would have HIV
- 2 would be near birth; 1 near death
- 5 would control 32% of the entire world’s wealth; all 5 would be US citizens
- 33 would be receiving—and attempting to live on—only 3% of the income of “the village”
Most stats about global conditions involve large numbers and are wrapped up in scholarly or, worse yet, political language that makes your eyes glaze over.
Seeing it reduced to just 100 makes it easy to grasp the implications of what’s going on.
Think about them with an open mind sans ideology and share your thoughts.
It’s a discussion that needs to happen—everywhere.
Image credit: nono farahshila on flickr
12 Comments
Seems interesting that only 7 people could access internet. That means we will still have to reach the rest 93 to tap our full potential ’cause the ideas we hear are only a portion of this 7 people
Hi Sachin, you are so right. Amazing how bringing it down to a proportion of 100 drives home just how few people in the world have access or basics, for that matter.
Thanks for stopping by and adding your thoughts. I hope you’ll continue to visit me at MAPping Company Success.
These numbers very much portray the reality on the ground. The big numbers usually hide the underlying reality – marking them up for 100 is a good reality check on the world.
And facts like: 80 would live in substandard housing, 67 would be unable to read,
50 would be malnourished make me wonder why people forget these and fight on petty issues (as compared to basic things like this)..
I am floored by those statistics. WOW! The world needs to do a better job. It does really accentuate why the USA must help with all of the disasters when they happen. We are clearly one of the few that can help. Thanks for getting the gears grinding this morning.
Teresa
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Hi Vishak, I think people prefer to fight about ideological stuff because it’s easier and not nearly as messy. Real people starve, bleed and die, while ideology allows people to feel virtuous and high-minded without getting their hands dirty.
Sorry for my delay in responding, Leadership Turn was cancelled, so I’m not here as frequently.
I hope you’ll visit me at MAPping Company Success.
Hi Teresa, Yes, the numbers have far more impact when we can wrap our minds around them; all the zeros that typically follow each number seem to move it from real to unreal.
As I mention, Leadership Turn is no more, but I continue to offer my thoughts at MAPping Company Success I hope to see you there.
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Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.
Hi Kamlesh, excellent approach. I’ve written several posts on that theme as have many others. The problem is that the managers who listen already do that, while those that need to don’t listen.
BTW, Leadership Turn was cancelled, I hope you’ll visit me at MAPpingComapnySuccess.
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A large percentage of of the things you point out happens to be supprisingly appropriate and that makes me wonder why I had not looked at this in this light before. Your piece truly did switch the light on for me as far as this topic goes. However at this time there is actually one issue I am not really too comfy with so while I make an effort to reconcile that with the actual central idea of your point, let me see just what all the rest of the readers have to point out.Well done.
Thank you for your demonstration reducing the global statistics to a village size. It is a great idea to develop awareness !