via vpod.tv

The real world and why it matters.

During the last leweb3 conference in Paris (December 2006, I know I am…late ;-), I had the chance to be “confronted” with the reality of Hans Rosling (his blog, wikipedia).

Confronted, because this very smart guy is definitely bringing a new and fresh view on a lot of stereotypes we have concerning the different countries in the world… Really.
Chance, because yes, it was a great chance to see Hans and to ask yourself if the way you are thinking is the right one or not.

Very very refreshing. Have a look, it is also very entertaining and funny. Great what Hans can do with statistics :-)

Some inputs I have noted down during the presentation:

• we meet wrong preconceived ideas concerning the situation in the world, our common taxonomy: western world – long life in small family vs. third world – short life in large family
• in 1962, 2/3 of the countries, representing 3 billion people, were in the situation of “short life in large family”
• in 2004, about all the countries have joined the “long life in small family”!
• about 2 children per woman all other the world
• 2050-2060: 9-10 billion people, stabilized
• the bedrooms of the world have not globalized, but modernized!
• we have to think in terms of modernization, and not globalization
• length of life is not medical doctors, it is the bathroom and the kitchen
• if you have food in the kitchen and soap in the bathroom, the life expectency is going from 40 to 60
• medicine will bring the years above 60
• basic life conditions have dramtically improved all over the world in the last 40 years
• poverty line is at 1$/day, that means when you have to invest 80% of your income to buy the food (we are talking about purchasing dollar, i.e. what you can locally buy with the dollars)
• the 20% richest take 74% of the money, the 20% poorest take 2% of the money, 60% of the current population take 24%. this money is investing in the kitchen and the bathroom
• success is when a population can reach the 3$/day level: there, families have secured school for the kids and medical services for four family
• we have to develop a fact-based world view fron now on
• the countries of the world are going through their own modernization projects, each at its own pace
• rural development has stopped now, there are about 3 billion people living in cities and 3 billion people living in rural areas, the 2 next generations will live in cities
• http://www.gapminder.org!!!
• there is not real factual link between democratization and modernization
• cheap electricity first in poor countries!
• we are loosing 10 million kids per year because we cannot deliver enough drugs to the countries, 10 million kids per year
• Sweden should be a good part of the world vs. Sweden should be part of a good world!