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”
If to take a look at the world from this condensed perspective,
the need for acceptance, understanding and education becomes evident.
Think of it!
If you woke up this morning with more health than sickness,
you are luckier than the million that will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced a war,
the loneliness of imprisonment,
an agony of tortures
or a famine
You are happier, than 500 million persons in this world.
If you are able to go to church, mosque or synagogue without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death,
you are happier, than 3 billion persons in this world.
If there is a meal in your refrigerator,
if you are dressed and have got shoes,
if you have a bed and a roof above your head,
you are better off, than 75% of people in this world.
If your parents are still alive and still married,
then you are a rarity.
If you have a bank account,
money in your purse,
and there is some trifle in your coin box,
you belong to 8% of well-provided people in this world.
If you read this text, you are blessed because
You do not belong to those 2 billion people who cannot read!!!
