The World At A Glance

FROM: Brad Evans

What NEED does this meet?
This idea serves the general well being of the Earth. It is a way of keeping all informed of the state of the world's violence, environmental degredation, disease and human inequities. A focus point for discussion and hopefully action.

What is the APPROACH?
A website displays the globe divided into 10 km square blocks. This globe is searcheable, magnifiable and spinnable. Each block has colours and/or symbols indicating it's state based on information from various concerned groups.

First there would be an indicator of violence as it applies to the local population of each block. Are the inhabitants in danger of immediate violence from war, civil unrest or perhaps their own government and police force?

Then there would be an indication on how human needs are being met. Is there sufficient availability of drinkable water, food and medicines?

Then an environmental indicator would attest to the safety of the environment for human beings. Factors such as pollution, old landmines and/or some other local danger.

Once immediate humman needs are expressed by indicators, then we can move on and have indicators expressing political freedom, average affluence and longevity.

And after human needs are expressed then there would be indicators of the quality of the land, environmental degradation and the effects of overpopulation.

Administered well, the World At A Glance would contain unbiased, up to date information for all to see.

What are the BENEFITS to people?
All the above information is available in some for or other, but I feel that it needs to be compiled into one easy to read and understand situation map. The World At A Glance will remind people that things are not well outside of their own sphere. It will help groups and governments decide where resources and efforts need to be directed.

Some governments may be embarrased into addressing the troubles in their countries. Many school children around the world will seek to change all the indicators on the World At A Glance to the best values.

What is the COMPETITION?
I'm sure that some governments and some think tanks have situation maps of the world. There are situation maps for certain commodities.

What BUDGET & LOGISTICS are required?
The technical expertise of building this would come from the open source community. That part would be free. Most of the effort would be in coordinating and rating the information and its sources.

A templates of factors and scales would have to be devised with the help of experts. That fact that these experts would be people who have devoted their lives to addressing human need, would mean that they would be probably be willing to participate freely.

I think a line from the movie 'Field of Dreams' can describe how people might be attracted to this project .. "If you build it, they will come".