Director of the Gapminder Foundation, Ola Rossling

Ola Rossling is working together with his father Hans Rossling. They are both working with Global Health, and Ola is Director of the Gapminder Foundation. You can read more about this, on his website. With funny experiments and different examinations they are together trying to the get whole world to a better place to live. Ola try to get people engaged about the clima change and how we are going to take care of all the people when the population grow so fast. Before we ask the questions our teacher showed us a short video with big global issues. Here is their website; https://www.gapminder.org/

We students got the opportunity to ask Ola Rossling open questions about things we were wondering about. It could be almost everything. The questions have to be global or involved or a large group of people.

 

Here are questions and answers we've talked to about With Ola Rossling. Q stands for question and A stands for answer.

Q: Hey Ola! I was just wondering about what you think is the worst situation in the world, and how we can change that?

A: — War and a billion people in extreme poverty is the absolute worst thing on earth. Anything else that is bad (like risks of pandemics and need to protect the environment) are all blocked if large parts of the earth are still chaotic. If this billion people could get peace, order and basic infrastructure and education (which the other 6 billions already have; access to: roads, electricity, water, schools and basic health care) the last billion could also (within 20 years) leave poverty behind, and get integrated in the world economy and live better lives. What should be done? I think better global understanding could help people in powerful positions make better decisions. That’s why I work with promoting a fact-based worldview!

Q: How can we save the world? It’s a very open question, but what do you think? Where do we start, and what is the most important thing to focus on?

A: — I think “save the world” is a phrases that is misleading. Compare it withi another misleading phrase: “war on terror”. Phrases like those paints a picture in our minds. With “war on terror” you imagine a battle field you can go to, a fight you can take and win, and then you go home and it’s over.  No terrorist expert would say that’s how you get rid of terrorism.  Saving the world is similar. It sounds like there is a drastic sudden action you can take, and then the problem is solved. Nope. we need to constantly be aware of things that can be improved and often we are wrong, because we have wishful thinking. Our sudden actions often lead to unintended consequences. If you want to save something, go for something smaller than the world. There are tons of problems. Learn a lot about it, and about neighbouring subject matters. When you got enough knowledge, there might be something you can do. Or you realized there’s really another problem you should focus on. Be curious! The world needs more curious people and fewer savers. I think! ;)

 

We’ve learned a lot about the world and how things really are, instead of only what the media shows us.

Here is a photo of Ola Rossling

This post is written by Sigmund.