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Hey Denison,

It is no secret that today's world is wildly unequal. We tend to take for granted the simple necessities of life, such as food, shelter, and access to water and education. Yet it seems as if most of us are completely unaware of the enormous amount that our fellow human beings lack access to some - if not all - of these necessities. Nearly a billion people came into the the 21st century without the ability to read a book or sign their own names. Another 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, while 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation. And almost half of the world - over three billion people - live on less than $2.50 a day. Last time I checked, you couldn't even get a PB&J from Slayter for that much money.

When academics start throwing the word 'billion' around, facts like the ones above become difficult to comprehend, so let me put this in perspective: if every single adult and child in the U.S. were illiterate, they would still only represent a third of the world's illiterate population. And the amount of people who die due to poverty every day (25,000) would wipe out a dozen colleges the size of Denison.

This naturally leads the concerned citizen to ask why these enormous inequities exist, how they can be fixed, and whether or not richer nations even have a moral obligation to help. If you want to engage in a discussion about the economic aid and international development necessary to solve some of the world's problems, I invite you to join the Roosevelt Institute this Friday for a conversation with economist Dr. Fadhel Kaboub, who will present a talk entitled "The Economics of Life with Dignity: Rethinking Economic Development" at 3:30 PM in Burton Morgan 218. Pizza will be served.

-Jason Cox