Mapping Global Disparities

It can be difficult to grasp the magnitude of global disparities. Fortunately, the University of Sheffield World Mapper project offers striking pictures of what can sometimes be an abstract discussion. Look, for example, at the map of the world total population…

…compared to that of the GDP wealth (indicating international purchasing power)…

…or that of human poverty (human poverty index that includes non-financial aspects of poverty like life expectancy, adult literacy, and water quality)…

Quite striking indeed!

World Mapper offers international mapping on a wide variety of issues. Look for example at this map of the distribution of global protests against the invasion of Iraq in 2003:

According to World Mapper, “There were protests against the war recorded in 96 of the 200 mapped territories . . . The largest protests were in Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States - which together account for 80% of protesters”

It is even possible to consult and improve the database.

Undressing against the G8

The Rostock June 2 anti-G8 protests mobilized several tens of thousands of people and entailed about 1,000 wounded among the police and protesters. But while in Germany some protesters wore black hoods and scarves to hide their faces, in the UK others showed almost everything. On that same day, the Pants to Poverty group, an offspring of the English “Make Poverty History” global campaign, organized an anti-G8 protest in which participants had only their underwear on. I guess it was all fair trade garment…