Reporters on the Job
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Filling in the Gaps: To report today's story about Brazilian companies sponsoring basic education classes for workers, correspondent Andrew Downie visited an oil refinery in a Rio suburb. He watched as workers studied math and English. "Each had a study module. They helped each other, and the teacher walked around offering assistance. I followed her and took notes. What struck me was the woman who couldn't tell whether 99 cents was a larger number than 69 cents (see story)," he says.
But upon reflection, he realized he'd seen the gaps in the education of some Brazilians during his own community volunteer efforts. "I teach a chess class Tuesday nights in a
favela - a slum - at community center. Initially, I really struggled to even convey the basics. One girl couldn't seem to understand the moves of the chess pieces. It wasn't until the next week that I realized why: she didn't understand key words, such as 'diagonal' and 'backwards.'
Survey says...
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Global Wealth Skewed: Two percent of adults possess more than half of the world's wealth, while the bottom 50 percent possesses just 1 percent, according to a UN study released Tuesday. The Helsinki-based institute said this was the first global research on the topic. The study is based on figures from 2000.
A couple needed $1 million in capital to number among the richest 37 million people in the world, the top 1 percent. More than half of that group lives in the US or Japan, where average per capita net assets were $181,000 (in the US, $144,000). Still, many in the wealthy West don't own their homes, and have high debts. "Many people in high-income countries have negative net worth and - somewhat paradoxically - are among the poorest people in the world in terms of household wealth," the report said, according to Reuters.
David Clark Scott
World editor
Cultural snapshot
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DUCK AND COVER:
Filipino children wore specially designed padded hats during earthquake preparedness drills in Manila Tuesday.
ROMEO RANOCO /REUTERS
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