For the first time in human history, the majority of the world’s population is now living in urban environments.  Of the 3 billion people who live in cities today, about 1 billion live in slums without clean water.  Solving the problems of the poor can reward the business community both morally and financially.  Micro-payments are a fairly recent phenomenon in the west but they’ve been a way of life for people that come from places where one may only make a dollar a day.  Being able to handle small transactions is the only way to do business with the fastest growing, neediest segments of our society.

1 billion people x .05cents/person = 50 million dollars .  Not bad…

Sneakers are the most important accessory worn by today’s youth. In inner city neighborhoods, judgment is passed from a distance, so you must put your best foot forward at all times.  At the age where you live in your parents apartment, don’t drive, and in most instances, don’t have a  real job, your appearance is what separates you from the rest. Sneakers allow you to add some color and style to the traditional uniform of dark jeans or jean shorts, a black or white t-shirt or a sweat shirt.  You need sneakers for sports and for everyday wear but one thing is for certain, they better be clean.

Sneaker wearers have no problem paying in excess of $150 on the latest shoe endorsed by a popular athlete or rap star to have the style edge at school and on the block. The competition is cutthroat, so it’s critical to make a statement — a big, bold, confident one.  One that says, “this is who I am and I’m proud of it.”  I may not be able to afford a Mercedes or other pricey items that have badge value, but I can afford a great pair of sneakers that make an equally aspirational statement about who I am.  Just as you shouldn’t drive around in a dirty Mercedes, you won’t tolerate scuff marks on your sneakers.  Take care of your ride.

From the series, Diverse Insights™ Ten Commandments of Change.

Anyone who has spent time in NYC during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas has no doubt witnessed a uniquely New York phenomenon – the pop-up Christmas tree concessions that miraculously appear every year on many city sidewalks and parks. While a city-run auction controls who gets the prime spots managed by the Parks and Recreation department – last year they ranged from $650 for Cunningham Park in Queens to $23,025 for SoHo Square – city code allows anyone to sell coniferous tress on any sidewalk without a permit, as long as they get permission from the owner of the closest business. Not only do these temporary stores give New Yorkers an easy way to buy a tree, they give all New Yorkers and visitors a wonderful visual and olfactory reminder that the holiday season is once again upon us.

Similar to  kids in inner cities in the United States, kids in developing countries around the world are forced to grow up fast.  Not because they want to, but because they have to.  In Cambodia, it isn’t unusual to see young kids minding their parents’ shops, often at the expense of school.  When a family’s entire income and well being depends on their business, it becomes the entire family’s responsibility to pitch in and keep it going.  Kind of puts a different spin on family business, doesn’t it?

When Motorola introduced the first portable cellular phone in 1983 – a 16 ounce “DynaTAC” costing $3500 – no one could have ever imagined the role these devices would come to play in our lives. Not only have they surpassed their landline counterparts, they have also replaced a lot of other devices that have nothing to do with the original phone function – to speak with others. We can now use our mobile devices to email, access web content, keep track of our schedules, play music, take pictures, make videos, send text messages, keep track of addresses, read books, play games, perform calculations, record voices, watch TV shows, tell time, wake us up, and help us navigate. With the right app, we can even determine if a surface is level or not.

Today, the term “mobile phone” is a misnomer. It’s more like a critical lifeline we can’t live without — a highly personal, indispensable tool that we depend on to manage our increasingly complex, fast paced lives. As the world becomes more mobile, the most effective way to reach out and touch someone is via the device that very few leave home without.

Bearing the burden and heat of the day - Matthew 20:12

It is common knowledge that the stronger a society’s economy, the less importance the people put on religion. As people become more financially “secure,” they assume that security is enduring and that it will carry over into other aspects of their lives. It is only when they lose that security that they realize there was really no true security to begin with.

People who live in developing countries or underprivileged parts of developed countries have always turned to religion to find strength and solace in something outside of themselves and the system that so often seems to be stacked against them. When the playing field is anything but level, people rely on their faith, hope and belief to get them through.