Watching Hans Rosling's latest presentation at Swedish statistical institute "GapMinder".
"Don't Panic - End Poverty"
It is a bit long and overlaps a lot with his TED Talks, if you have already seen them. But if you have not, it's interesting how his trips to Malawi, South East Asia, etc. put poverty in a flesh and blood, rug on the floor of the mud hut, context.
He starts with his trademark audience quiz. This time it's not multiple choice, and only 3 questions.
1. How many people (out of 10) have electricity?
The audience answers average around 40% of people in the world have electricity, which was the rate in 1960. The actual rate with electricity today is over 80% (I have read it's 87, but he rounds to 8).
2. How many children (out of 10) are vaccinated against measles?
Highest audience response was 3 (followed by 1, 2 and 4). The right answer, 83% of the world's children are vaccinated.
3. How many girls (out of 10) go to primary school?
Most of the audience answers range from 3-6. But it's 90%.
Rosling is facing the same challenge that used electronics traders face in addressing "#ewaste policy".
Simple. The Press reports "if it bleeds, it leads". Consumers buy bad news. And one of the biggest concerns those of us working with Agbogbloshie face is that if the "Ewaste Scare" is a hoax, does Agbogbloshie just fall off the map? Is there a way to harness these western eyeballs to achieve something good for the people who live in or near the slums of Old Fadama?
Rosling is doing a good job of correcting the exaggerated perceptions, but seems to also struggle with the temptation, therefore, to shrug. So he emphasizes this time that while 12% extreme poverty is an amazing improvement over the past 3 decades, that it still represents a BILLION people.
How would Rosling react if he was in the audience, and the leader of an NGO was on stage, telling everyone the exact opposite of the truth, that things are getting "worse"? How would he feel if an NGO called him a "poverty denier", comparing him to climate change skeptics?
Fortunately, the discourse over economic statistics is more civil than in the Waste business, where stock in defamation lawsuits is rising faster than scrap metal and plastic prices.
"Don't Panic - End Poverty"
It is a bit long and overlaps a lot with his TED Talks, if you have already seen them. But if you have not, it's interesting how his trips to Malawi, South East Asia, etc. put poverty in a flesh and blood, rug on the floor of the mud hut, context.
He starts with his trademark audience quiz. This time it's not multiple choice, and only 3 questions.
1. How many people (out of 10) have electricity?
The audience answers average around 40% of people in the world have electricity, which was the rate in 1960. The actual rate with electricity today is over 80% (I have read it's 87, but he rounds to 8).
2. How many children (out of 10) are vaccinated against measles?
Highest audience response was 3 (followed by 1, 2 and 4). The right answer, 83% of the world's children are vaccinated.
3. How many girls (out of 10) go to primary school?
Most of the audience answers range from 3-6. But it's 90%.
Rosling is facing the same challenge that used electronics traders face in addressing "#ewaste policy".
Simple. The Press reports "if it bleeds, it leads". Consumers buy bad news. And one of the biggest concerns those of us working with Agbogbloshie face is that if the "Ewaste Scare" is a hoax, does Agbogbloshie just fall off the map? Is there a way to harness these western eyeballs to achieve something good for the people who live in or near the slums of Old Fadama?
Rosling is doing a good job of correcting the exaggerated perceptions, but seems to also struggle with the temptation, therefore, to shrug. So he emphasizes this time that while 12% extreme poverty is an amazing improvement over the past 3 decades, that it still represents a BILLION people.
How would Rosling react if he was in the audience, and the leader of an NGO was on stage, telling everyone the exact opposite of the truth, that things are getting "worse"? How would he feel if an NGO called him a "poverty denier", comparing him to climate change skeptics?
Fortunately, the discourse over economic statistics is more civil than in the Waste business, where stock in defamation lawsuits is rising faster than scrap metal and plastic prices.
