The World of Child 6 Billion

World population reached 6 billion people in 1999. The child who brought the world population to 6 billion could have been born in your neighborhood or halfway around the world. What concerns will Child 6 Billion's generation face?

A colorful six-page fold-out discussion guide is available that highlights six basic needs of people worldwide plus examples of projects that are helping to meet these needs in Burkina Faso, Indonesia, the Dominican Republic, Botswana, Bolivia, and Laos. The Discussion Guide includes questions and answers to stimulate debate about resources and how they are used, and data on world population change. The six topics discussed here reflect issues Child 6 Billion will face wherever he or she was born.

Discussion Guide

Background Information

Population growth and basic needs. read background information

Air (Bolivia)

Air pollution does not recognize international boundaries—it is truly both a local and a global problem. read about AIR

Water (Burkino Faso)

Changing the amount of water we demand is a surer path to water security than striving to meet higher demand. read about WATER

Nutrition (Indonesia)

One child younger than 5 years old dies from hunger and related causes every 2.7 seconds. read about NUTRITION

Health (Laos)

Infectious and parasitic diseases cause one-quarter of all deaths in the world. read about HEALTH

Housing (Botswana)

Housing is most sorely needed and most difficult to find in areas that have urbanized quickly. read about HOUSING

Education (Dominican Republic)

Basic education is crucial for sustained economic development and for reducing poverty, preserving the environment, and promoting equality. read about EDUCATION

Map of Focus Countries

Presentation Guide

• Fourteen slides of data, most presented graphically
• "Talking points" and questions that pertain to each of the six issues introduced in the Discussion Guide — everyone's need for clean air, safe water, sound nutrition, good health, adequate housing, and education
• Special suggestions for those who have lived in developing countries, to help personalize the presentation
• Discussion suggestions for each topic
• Suggestions for follow-up activities or research (listed as "Other Topics for Extension")
• A list of recommended resources for further exploration

view Presentation Guide

Lessons

A four-page series of lesson plans to complement The World of Child Six Billion discussion guide

• Where Water is Precious
• Population Matters?
• Why is Girl Education Important?
• Inform Public Policy
• Population Growth Quiz
• Resources

download PDF (448KB)

Additional Lessons:

• Malaria: A World Wide Health Issue
• Using the Human Development Report
• Will Child 6 Billion Be A Refugee?
• The World of Child 6 Billion — Population Projections
• Population Growth and Consumption Fact Sheet: download PDF (39KB)

view Lessons

About the authors

The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) and the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) developed The World of Child Six Billion materials.

PRB is an educational organization that provides objective, timely information on U.S. and international population trends and their implications.

NPCA is a national network of returned Peace Corps Volunteers, staff, and other friends of Peace Corps that is dedicated to increasing Americans' knowledge about other countries.

The U.S. Agency for International Development funds this project.

Sources

• Cornell University. Access online at http://ciifad-iap.cornell.edu/.
• Robert Engleman and Pamela LeRoy, Sustaining Water (Washington, DC: Population Action International, 1993).
• Habitat for Humanity. Access online at www.habitat.org/.
• Carl Haub and Diana Cornelius, World Population Data Sheet, (Washington DC: Population Reference Bureau, 1998).
• Don Hinrichsen, Bryant Robey, and Ushma Upadhyay, "Solutions for a Water Short World," Population Reports Series M, No. 14 (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998).
• Bruce Link, "Life-time and five-year prevalence of homelessness in the United States," American Journal of Public Health 84, No. 12 (December 1994).
• Malaria Foundation International. Access online at www.malaria.org.
• Natural Resource Defense Council. Access online at www.nrdc.org/article/rcequal.html.
• The Nature Conservancy, Noel Kempff Climate Action Project, brochure (Arlington, Va.: The Nature Conservancy, 1999).
• S. Jay Olshansky, Bruce Carnes, Richard G. Rogers, and Len Smith, "Infectious Diseases: New and Ancient Threats to World Health," Population Bulletin 52, No. 2 (Washington, DC: Population Reference Bureau, 1997).
• United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT), An Urbanizing World (New York: United Nations, 1996).
• United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), The Progress of Nations 1998 (New York: United Nations, 1998).
• UNICEF, The State of the World's Children 1997 (New York: United Nations, 1997).
• UNICEF, The State of the World's Children 1998 (New York: United Nations, 1998).
• United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), The Sixth World Food Survey (New York: United Nations, 1996).
• United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Access online at www.usaid.gov; www.usaid.gov/economic_growth/abel2/.
• World Health Organization. Access online at www.who.int/aboutwho/en/preventing/malaria.htm; www.who.int/.
• World Resources Institute, World Resources 1998-99 (Washington, DC: World Resources Institute, 1998).