the.world.is.flat-第103章
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of money ＇worldwide＇ going to fight malaria 。 。 。 When the people who have the need
don't have the money； it takes outside groups and charities to get them to the point
where the system can kick in for them。〃
Up to now； though； argued Gates； 〃we have not given these people a chance ＇to be in
the flat world＇。 The kid who is connected tothe Internet today； if he has the curiosity
and an Internet connection； is as ＇empow380
ered＇ as me。 But if he does not get the right nutrition； he will never play that game。
Yes； the world is smaller； but do we really see the conditions that people live in？
Isn't the world still really big enough that we don't see the real conditions that
people live in； the kid whose life can be saved for 80？〃
Let's stop here for a moment and imagine how beneficial it would be for the world；
and for America； if rural China； India； and Africa were to grow into little Americas
or European Unions in economic and opportunity terms。 But the chances of their getting
into such a virtuous cycle is tiny without a real humanitarian push by flat…world
businesses； philanthropies； and governments to devote more resources to their
problems。 The only way out is through new ways of collaboration between the flat and
unflat parts of the world。
In 2003； the Gates Foundation launched a project called Grand Challenges in Global
Health。 What I like about it is the way the Gates Foundation approached solving this
problem。 They didn't say； 〃We； the rich Western foundation； will now deliver you the
solution；〃 and then issue instructions and write some checks。 They said； 〃Let's
collaborate horizontally on defining both the problem and the solutions…let's create
value that way…and then ＇the foundation＇ will invest our money in the solutions we
both define。〃 So the Gates Foundation placed ads on the Web and in more conventional
channels across both the developed and the developing worlds； asking scientists to
respond to one big question： What are the biggest problems that； if science attended
to them and solved them； could most dramaticallychange the fate of the several billion
people trapped in the vicious cycle of infant mortality； low life expectancy； and
disease？ The foundation got about eight thousand pages of ideas from hundreds of
scientists from around the world； including Nobel laureates。 It then culled through
them and distilled them down to a list of fourteen Grand Challenges…challenges where
a technological innovation could remove a critical barrier to the solving of an
important health problem in the developing world。 In the fall of 2003； it announced
these fourteen Grand Challenges worldwide。 They include the following： How to create
effective single…dose vaccines that can be used soon after birth； how to prepare
vaccines that do not require refrigera
tion； how to develop needle…free delivery systems for vaccines； how to better
understand which immunological responses provide protective immunity； how to better
control insects that transmit agents of disease； how to develop a genetic or chemical
strategy to incapacitate a disease…transmitting insect population； how to create a
full range of optimal bioavailable nutrients in a single staple plant species； and
how to create immunological methods that can cure chronic infections。 Within a year；
the foundation received sixteen hundred proposals for ways to meet these challenges
from scientists in seventy…five countries； and the foundation is now in the process
of funding the best proposals with 250 million in cash。
〃We're trying to accomplish two things with this program；〃 explained Rick Klausner；
a former head of the National Cancer Institute who now runs the global health programs
for the Gates Foundation。 〃The first is ＇to make＇ a moral appeal to the scientific
imagination； ＇pointing out＇ that there are great problems to be solved that we； the
scientific community； have ignored； even though we pride ourselves in how
international weare。 We have not taken our responsibilities as globalproblem solvers
as seriously as our self…identity as an international community。 We wanted the Grand
Challenges to say these are the most exciting； sexy； scientific things that anyone
in the world could work on right now 。 。 。 The idea was to fire the imagination。 The
second thing is to actually direct some of the foundation's resources to see if we
could do it。〃
Given the phenomenal advances in technology in the last twenty years； it is easy to
assume that we already have all the tools to address some of these challenges and
that the only thing lacking is money。 I wish that were the case。 But it is not。 In
the instance of malaria； for example； it isn't just the drugs that are missing。 As
anyone who has visited Africa or rural India knows； the health…care systems in these
areas are often broken or functioning at a very low level。 So the Gates Foundation
is trying to stimulate the development of drugs and delivery systems that presume
a broken health…care system and therefore can be safely self…administered by ordinary
people in the field。 That may be the grandest challenge of all： to use the tools of
the flat world to design tools that work in an unflat world。 〃The most important
health…care system in the world is a mother；〃
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said Klausner。 〃How do you get things in her hands that she understands and can afford
and can use？〃
The tragedy of all these people is really a dual tragedy； added Klausner。 There is
the individual tragedy of facing a death sentence from disease or a life sentence
of broken families and limited expectations。 And there is the tragedy for the world
because of the incredible lost contribution that all these people still outside the
flat world could be making。 In a flat world； where we are connecting all the knowledge
pools together； imagine what knowledge those people could bring to science or
education。 In a flat world； where innovation can come from anywhere； we are letting
a huge pool of potential contributors and collaborators slip under the waves。 There
is no question that poverty causes ill health； but ill health also traps people in
poverty； which in turn weakens them and keeps them from grasping the first rung of
the ladder to middle…class hope。 Until and unless we can meet some of these grand
challenges； much of that 50 percent of the world that is still not flat will stay
that way…no matter how flat the other 50 percent gets。
TOO DlSEMPOWERED
There's not just the flat world and the unflat world。 Many people live in the twilight
zone between the two。 Among these are the people I call the too disempowered。 They
are a large group of people who have not been fully encompassed by the flattening
of the world。 Unlike the too sick； who have yet even to get a chance to step onto
the flat world； the too disempowered are people who you might say are half flat。 They
are healthy people who live in countries with significant areas that have been
flattened but who don't have the tools or the skills or the infrastructure to
participate in any meaningful or sustained way。 They have just enough information
to know that the world is flattening around them and that they aren't really getting
any of the benefits。 Being flat is good but full of pressure； being unflat is awful
and full of pain； but being half flat has its own special anxiety。 As exciting and
as visible as the flat
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Indian high…tech sector is； have no illusions： It accounts for 0。2 percent of
employment in India。 Add those Indians involved in manufacturing for export； and you
get a total of 2 percent of employment in India。
The half flat are all those other hundreds of millions of people； particularly in
rural India； rural China； and rural Eastern Europe； who are close enough to see； touch；
and occasionally benefit from the flat world but who are not really living inside
it themselves。 We saw how big and how angry this group can be in the spring of 2004
Indian national elections； in which the ruling BJP was surprisingly tossed out of
office…despite having overseen a surge in India's growth rate…largely
