June 2026

It’s a dumb question and an impossible one since it already exists. Yet it is a necessary one. A trillion is a difficult sum to fathom, it means a 1000 billion, just as a billion is a 1000 million.   Still, it is necessary because it speaks of and to income inequality. It reveals and aggravates it. The World bank estimates that worldwide one in ten of us live in extreme poverty, that is on less than $2.15 a day, that means scrounging for food and maybe not getting it. And as the presence of trillionaires emphasizes vast inequalities, it also emphasizes opportunities that are out of balance.

If we want to live in a democracy then we can’t dictate, “thou shall not be a trillionaire”, but we can frame the acquisition of wealth and underline the responsibilities that ought to come with it, whether they include taxes, philanthropy or anything else that might redress the necessary balance required of a desired economy. Mostly we can, each of us, be aware of what it means, be aware of the implications. Then we would better be able to support measures and vote for people who will not enable great wealth disparities. Even more relevant we can voice our concern and let it be known that the making of trillionaires is not something we believe constructive to a better future.

Besides individuals, some corporations such as Apple and Amazon are trillionaires too. The same applies to them, perhaps even more so when we remember what happens when we allow them to be too big to fail.

There’s nothing new in saying that a society with too many rich people leads to too many poor ones; that it is morally, ethically, spiritually wrong; and that it stands for something that will hinder humanity’s progress toward all that social justice means. But it does seem necessary.

For some, gender is fixed, male and female. We in the West now recognize that is not necessarily so, there are others, usually fitting within the LGBTQ spectrum. That is us, but actually there are other cultures who more formally recognize genders going beyond male and female.

• The Hijra of South Asia, mainly India. They do suffer from marginalization, but since 2014 have been given some recognition when India, Bangladesh and Nepal recognized the rights of non-binary people.
• The Bugis of Sulawesi recognize 3 genders besides male and female, Calalai who are women exhibiting male characteristics, Calabai who are men exhibiting feminine characteristics, and Bissu who can be either and are the priests. They have had to adapt to Islam, but have still managed to retain their cultural norms.
• Muxe among the Zapotec people in the Oaxaca region of Mexico who are men who have female identity.
• The Sekrata among the Sakalawa people in Madagascar who are male who when they are perceived as having feminine traits as children are raised as girls and recognized as a separate gender.
• The Two-Spirit people among several North American indigenous cultures, people who are recognized to embody both male and female spirits.

It’s comforting to know that some cultures think outside the box!

*reposted from GGID page

Here are 3 more Earth Prize winners. Let me first share that the Earth prize every year asks teenagers from all over the world, the same question: What environmental problem would you solve and how? Last post I wrote about the young Palestinians who turned rubble into bricks. These 3 are just as inspiring.

An 18-year-old from Ireland, Arya Satheesh, invented with a solution to deal with microplastics. Instead of trying to remove them, her solution uses a plant-based plastic like material embedded with enzymes which over time dissolves and degrades the microplastics in their environment. It’s called Eco-Purge and works in soil, salt water as well as fresh water.

In Kenya, Frederick Njoroke Kariuki and MIron Onsarigo, both 17, invented HewaSafi, clean air in Swahili. It’s an exhaust filter made from maize cobs, coconut shells, algae, agricultural waste and disposed of batteries. It is cheap to make and has proved effective. It reduces up to 90% of CO2 and carbon monoxide of the shared minibuses and motorcycle taxis which are a big means of transportation in many African cities.

In India where clean water can be a problem, Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal, and Avyana Mehta, all 16, invented Plas-Stick, a biodegradable powder made from discarded tamarind seeds which purifies the water. It was designed to be simple, affordable and accessible and becomes something that can be of help to the 2.2. billion people who do not have access to clean potable water.

With such young people caring about the world, the future is encouraging.

*reposted from GGID page