Utopia By Numbers

Painting by numbers may not be the most creative experience for a painter, but the systematic step-by-step methodology gaurantees a relatively decent result. It may not be spectacular nor a killer-app but it works and is effective. If we can achieve utopia by numbers, it may not be spectacular with good sound bites for the evening news, but it will eradicate poverty from human society. That's good enough for me.

What is utopia by numbers? It is the top five percent of the richest people on earth, giving a little of their fortune, to provide micro-creadit programs with the seed money they need, to grow communities of entrepreneurs around the globe, helping the poorest ten percent of the world's population. Micro-credit programs are proven effective methodology that works. Not spectacular, just effective.

If a billionaire on Forbes' list should be interested in helping to eradicate poverty, utopia by numbers is simple. He only needs to donate $500,000 to help 1,000 people who would each get $500 loans from established micro-credit agencies. He only needs to follow-through by sitting on the agencies' board of directors, and evaluate the various programs to cross-pollinate best practices. With most of these programs having proven repayment rates of over 95%, the initial seed money will last a long time. In fact, the billionaire can make an annual donation of $500,000 and the magic of compounding will quicking turn his contribution into a billion dollar foundation. With government participation of tax credits, micro-credit can be a growing industry with significant financial returns on investment, as well as invaluable social returns.

Just like in painting by numbers, we don't try to paint all the numbers all at once. By simply following a boring step-by-step procedure to fill in one square at a time, one color at a time, a complex beautiful picture can be created. As it is said in the ancient Chinese proverb, "A ten thousand mile journey begins with a single step." So utopia by number begins with the first billionaire, the first micro-credit loan, the first government sponsored program. We are already well on our way to utopia. There remain many more numbers to fill, but there is time, and money. All we need is the will, not just political will, but personal will.