UNFPA’s State of the World Population 2021 is a beautiful and engaging report dealing with complex, sensitive and sad issues. It focuses on bodily autonomy – the power to make decision about healthcare, contraception and sex. Globally, only 55% of girls and women have such power. Education, cultural norms, and accessibility of health services can improve these numbers. The report is also a mine of country indicators on sexual and reproductive health; gender, rights and human capital; and demographics. We are 7875 million humans in the world. Niger has the highest proportion of young people (49.5% are 14 years old or younger). Japan has the highest proportion of old people (28.7% are 65 years old or older).
 
In social media land, audio is all the fuss. Under Clubhouse’s influence, Twitter launches Spaces, Spotify acquires Locker Room, and Facebook pivots to audio. Beyond live audio, all platforms, including Amazon, are getting podcast features. The audio war is on among online platforms….and Clubhouse App downloads and usages are starting to fade.
 
Todd Moss and Michael Pisa’s “Bitcoin mining is bad for the world: the limited options for addressing the problem” questions the social value of cryptocurrencies. The hot topic of the moment is the carbon footprint of crypto mining. Mining centers are located near renewable energy sources, but 60% of their energy still comes from fossil fuels.

My quote this week is from Osman Abdulrahman Abu Al Gasim: “With regards to the Juba Peace Agreement, we, as IDPs [internally displaced people], are not part of it at all. Since 1956, we have been living through hurt and genocide in camps, in addition to rape, murder and theft. Therefore no one should ever talk about peace.”