We are the 1%... (yet we still don’t have enough?)

Entry started on Friday November 29^th, 2013

It is 3:00am on Friday November 29^th, 2013 and I can’t fall asleep because my brain won’t stop processing economic statistics. Numbers have a way of captivating my brain in ways that words can’t describe, leaving me in a state of paralysis until my psychological chaos turns to discernible patterns. And the patterns are unsettling.

I just shared a cab ride with one of my co-workers from a night out on the town and we had one of the most enlightening conversations since I arrived to India. Of all things, we talked about the economic reality of India. Bars in Mumbai were a new experience for both of us and we couldn’t help but make observations about how the well-off party away into the night while much of the country still suffers from poverty and underdevelopment. Just as there is a time for celebrating a tough week at the office, there is also a time to reflect on how we live a fortunate lifestyle which only few in the world enjoy.

We are the 1%. Really.

 “We are the 99%” was coined as part of the Occupy Wall Street movement and reflects societal discord that the rest of us “99%” are paying the price for the mistakes of a tiny upper class minority. There was much hatred and jealousy towards the ultra-elite that have seemingly built their worlds on everyone else’s shoulders. Well, more of us are part of that 1% than we think.

I first came across these statistics while learning about poverty in 2008:

• 1.4 billion people, or nearly 20% of the world’s population, lives on less than $1.25/day
• Considered much more fortunate than the first category, the next richest 60% of the world’s population lives less than $10/day 

Stalin himself said that while the death of one man is a tragedy, the death of many is a statistic. These figures are so staggering for me that they can at times lose their meaning. It’s only when I relate them to myself that I can finally have an appreciation for the true scale of poverty:

• I earn more in three weeks than 80% of the people in this world make in a year
• My Nikon D90 is worth more than the networth of some of the people it has captured
• By the time I was 20, I had more money in my savings account than 20% of the world’s population earns in their lifetime
• I am about to travel halfway across India by train for $10 and I’m actually blown away by how good of a deal it is. While that’s pocket change for me, some have to save for weeks to afford that ticket

Sure, I was fortunate to have an entrepreneurial stint and a high-paying oil and gas internship, but that only put me a few years ahead of my peers. I am so grateful for what I have and visiting the developing world every couple years is the only way I maintain perspective and stay humble.

Taken during my South America trip in 2011: this is the Rocinha Favela (favela = slum in Portuguese) in Rio de Janeiro. It is the world’s largest slum at near 2.3 square km’s. The population of Rocinha is estimated to be anywhere from 60,000 to 150,000 although some believe more than 400,000 people live in this favela

I am one of the richest people in the world for no reason other than where I was born

Being born into the first world is in so many ways a privilege. Our slap chops and snuggies are made in China. When we can’t watch our NetFlix because our internet is down, our help desk calls are answered by Indians. Our offices are cleaned by immigrants. Even within India, the middle and upper classes have easy access to cheap labour. We are the ones to have lived a decadent life on the backs of everywhere else. We cannot be the 1% without the other 99%. We have become a society where we are quick to place blame on the ultra-elite before looking in the mirror.

In Calgary, I used to volunteer for the Aga Khan foundation as a corporate promoter for the World Partnership Walk (WPW), an annual event that raises money for a great organization focused on alleviating poverty. I went from corporation to corporation in downtown Calgary delivering lunchtime presentations about the WPW and the development it supports. I organized a presentation, with food sponsored by Subway, for 12 members of my company. Only 3 actually showed up to the event, 1 of which was at the presentation.

Sadly, even a room full of individuals with huge earning potential and great careers were eager to receive a free lunch on account of a presentation on poverty. This extends to the development space too, where I have heard of meetings at the UN where its attendees will say “if they aren’t serving lunch here I’m going to leave”. I read somewhere that when you start paying attention to the world, the world stops paying attention to you. This certainly holds true for me. I have lost more friends than I gained through sharing my passion for creating a better world.

Poverty hides plain sight: this photo of a slum was taken during my first day in India from the railway platform of the Bandra Railway Station. My first impression of the country was watching an adolescent girl openly defecating right onto a railway track here. Bandra is one of the poshest neighbourhoods in the city where many of India’s Bollywood stars live, yet one still easily finds poverty within arm’s reach.

Just as the Occupy movement led to no change in the behaviours of the ultra-elite, an Apple ad for the next iPad is more likely to move us to line up at the nearest Apple Store than an emotional TV advertisement on global poverty will move us to take action on the issue. Some would even enjoy having a free lunch in the process. We already have literally the entire world at our disposal, yet we can only focus on our problems and continue to ignore the needs of others. Should we really be surprised that the Occupy movement did nothing substantial to change the way our corporations think?

“I blame big oil and Wall Street bankers for this one. GRRRRRRRR.”

I struggled at this point in my entry to conclude my thoughts and wasn’t sure where to go from here. It bothered me for weeks until somehow, in a rickshaw on my way to the Dasra office one morning, I had an epiphany.

The 1% is actually no better off than the 99%

The happiest and most generous people I have ever met in my life were the poorest. The first time this ever shocked me was truly a picturesque moment in Laos where I watched a father carry his daughter towards his simple dwelling made of bamboo and wood. His face beamed with a heart-warming smile brighter than the sunset over the valley. I will never forget that smile. 

In appreciation for the simple things, Indian locals immensely enjoy getting me to take photos of them with my camera. One of my best life experiences was living in a rural homestay in China where my fellow villagers lived simple lives full of compassion. They may be poor financially but have a form of wealth that some of us may never know.

This boy in the Chor Bazaar of Mumbai asked me to take his photo. He is our future. By 2022, 25% of the world’s working population will be in India. In his eyes I see his optimism, kindness and curiosity. He has captured my heart and has given me hope in our future.

We have much to learn from the poor and we have no right to feel so insecure when we already have so much. Somewhere in our quest for economic liberty we created a society based on insecurity and fear:

• For a country with more liberty and wealth than most in the world, it is surprising that 1 in 10 Americans take anti-depressants
• In chasing a prestigious career path, 93% of law school graduates in Vancouver, Canada are unable to find articling placements with law firms and are left unemployed or in roles undeserving of their talents
• Karoshi is a world-famous Japanese word for “death from overwork” where, believe it or not, workers would rather give their lives to their companies than to give it to themselves

The up-and-coming parts of the world are not too far behind us in unhappiness either: 

• South Korean mothers have stopped birthing children because it is becoming too expensive to provide their children with the educational opportunities that would earn them respect in their communities
• A Chinese friend of mine had experienced several of her friends committing suicide in University because of the immense societal pressure and expectations on them. An economic miracle, the country now ranks 7th in the world in its suicide rate

Our constant climb to the top has made us lose our humanity. At the end of the day, what is it all for?

I believe that we can do so much better

Any one who is able to read this blog from the comfort of their home is part of the real 1%. If the poor can be so incredibly happy, why can't we? Imagine a world where we are able to cast away our insecurities and simply lived by what our inner voices guide us towards. We would stop consuming useless crap and have much more of what truly nourishes our souls like music, art, theatre, dance, philosophy, generosity, laughter, joy and love. We would actually talk to our neighbours and stop to open doors for others. Some may even become philanthropists.

The other 99% looks up to us as a model for their lives. What kind of world do we want them to strive for? 

My opinion: hopefully not the one we live in.