Aug 2024: Pepe, Party and Protection

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Pepe, Party and Protection

written by Aurélie

Take it from Pepe

Pepe Mujica, former Uruguayan president – also known as the world's poorest president – is an outspoken critic of consumerism. In a recent New York Times interview he cuts straight to the heart of our modern dilemma:

We live to buy. We work to buy.
Pepe Mujica

By securing a basic income for all — starting with those who need it most — we can empower people to break free from this cycle and create a society where well-being takes precedence over relentless consumption.

Digital well-being

In recent years, my approach to holidays has drastically changed. Instead of city-hopping, I now seek remote huts for digital detox and an escape from constant connectivity. While it's easy to blame smartphones, a recent study suggests that just cutting your daily screen time by an hour can significantly improve wellbeing and lead to lasting, positive effects.

Or take a page from Pepe, who threw away his phone four years ago: “It made me crazy. All day talking nonsense.”

Late to the party

In Sierra Leone, the average person can expect only 53 years of “full health” from birth. However, pension benefits don't start until age 60. This means that, on average, people wait seven years after their health declines before receiving support, and typically only one year before reaching the life expectancy of 61 years. Even more concerning is that less than 5% of the population is covered by any social protection program.

While researching this, I discovered that my remaining life expectancy  is also estimated to be 61 years. How much time do you have left?

Ethical blueprint

When grappling with tough questions like How much should I give?, there is one philosopher I turn to for clear, honest advice: Peter Singer. He suggests that those who are financially comfortable should aim to give around 5% of their income, with those less well-off giving a bit less, and the very wealthy giving even more. Social Income is keeping its 1% standard, with the goal of  inspiring as many people as possible to start taking action.

What about Pepe? He donated 90% of his $12,000 monthly presidential salary to charities.

Same same

Have you ever noticed how AI responses can sound oddly similar? I recently learned that this consistency stems from highly exploitative circumstances: the review and training of AI models. Hundreds of thousands of hours are spent refining these systems,  often outsourced to the global south. This behind-the-scenes work ends up making much of the AI-generated text sound alike.

Words like delve, explore, tapestry, testament and leverage are especially often and repeatedly used by 🤖!

My World in Data

2 million

That’s the number of hectares of Sierra Leone's 5.4 million hectares of arable land that have been leased to foreign companies, often without involving local communities. In response, volunteer paralegals are traveling across the country, empowering these communities to stand up against this exploitation.

105 million

This is how much money the five biggest US tech companies invested last year into the vast, power-hungry facilities running their AI systems. That's a significant energy demand, raising the question: Is AI part of the solution or the problem when it comes to climate change? It depends, but the New York Times is optimistic, stating, “If we’re smart about how we use AI, it might eventually offer a lot of environmental bang for the buck."

My World in News

• The world’s first basic income pilot for Indigenous peoples that also fights the climate crisis (The Guardian)
• How a custom of thanks is making Sierra Leone women in agriculture more vulnerable (The Conversation)
• Sierra Leone’s president criticizes the UN Security Council of not serving Africa’s interest (United Nations)
• Minnesota organization pioneers guaranteed income initiative for artists (Hyperallergic)

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