A Message from Stephen Hawking: "It can be done"

While engaged in morning review of news feeds on current events and new technologies, I stumbled upon a gem so compelling that I had to pause and look for a transcript so I could post it. I didn't find one so I transcribed the message myself.

Stephen Hawking delivered this impactful and inspirational message at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting as part of the session on Sustainable Development: A Vision for the Future. I have heard it once before, but today it meant even more to me as the challenges that we face become ever clearer every day. 

The United Nations Sustainable Development Summit takes place in New York on September 25 - 27. The focus is Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

We owe it to ourselves, our children, our countries, our communities, and our planet to pay close attention.

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Stephen Hawking's Hopes for Humanity

The reason I am talking to you today is to add my voice to those who want immediate action on the key challenges that face our global community.

I hope that in 2015 people with power can show creativity, courage, and leadership. Let them rise to the challenge of the Sustainable Development Goals and act - not out of self-interest but of common interest. 

I am very aware of the preciousness of time. Seize the moment. Act now.

I have spent my life traveling across the universe inside my mind. Through Theoretical Physics I have sought to answer some of the great questions. But there are other challenges, other big questions which must be answered and these will also need a new generation who are interested, engaged, and with an understanding of science.

How will we feed an ever growing population, provide clean water, generate renewable energy, prevent and cure disease, and slow down global climate change?

I hope that science and technology will provide the answers to these questions. But it will take people, human beings with knowledge and understanding to implement these solutions.

One of the great revelations of the Space Age has been the perspective it has given humanity on ourselves. When we see the earth from space, we see ourselves as a whole. We see the unity and not the divisions. It is such a simple image with a compelling message. One planet. One human race.

We are here together and we need to live together with tolerance and respect. We must become Global Citizens. Our only boundaries are the way we see ourselves. The only borders, the way we see each other.

I have been enormously privileged through my work to be able to contribute to our understanding of the universe but it would be an empty universe indeed if it were not for the people I love and who love me. Without them the wonder of it all would be lost on me.

Let us fight for every woman and every man to have the opportunity to live healthy, secure lives, full of opportunity and love. 

We are all time travelers, journeying together into the future. But let us work together to make that future a place we want to visit.

Be brave, be determined, overcome the odds. It can be done.

Author: Stephen Hawking

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BIG DATA is Really a Big Deal

If it's true that you get what you measure, are we measuring the right things?

BIG DATA has become part of our lexicon of new references. As we continue to explore who we are and where we're going, BIG DATA is our companion, our friend, and sometimes our foe. I speak of BIG DATA as if it is a living thing because it is.

The saying goes - and goes - that you get what you measure. I believe that you get what you get until you decide to measure what you want instead. Only then will you be able to effectively alter your trajectory with focus - aiming towards your goals. Whether you measure before or after, gathering and analyzing sufficient data points is how it's done. 

We're Not There Yet

On Monday Melinda Gates, Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Chelsea Clinton hosted Not There Yet: A Data Driven Analysis of Gender Equality. The event highlighted 20 years of initiatives that have resulted in some dramatic gains in Health and Education, but show mixed progress in many other areas such as Economic Empowerment and the impact of Climate Change on the lives of women and girls.

The No Ceilings Full Participation Project brought to the forefront efforts that have been undertaken by the UN Women's Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). Four sessions have been previously hosted in:

• Mexico (1975)
• Copenhagen (1980)
• Nairobi (1985)
• Beijing (1995)

Following the great work produced in Beijing, 5-year check points issued progress reports on Beijing+5, Beijing+10, and Beijing+15. We're now at Beijing+20 with much of the work still undone on the Beijing Platform for Action. Promises made by many governments and organizations 20 years ago have been met with slow resolve, even slower action, or not at all.

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A girl born today will be 81 years old before she has the same chance as a man to be CEO of a company ... and she will have to wait until she's 50 to have an equal chance to lead a country

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women Executive Director

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The data tells the story and provides the blueprint for how we should proceed. So what's all the fuss about data-driven action plans for gender equality? Answer - there's not enough of it. There's not enough data or gender equality. However, we do know enough to move forward forcefully towards a 50-50 planet by 2030. 

Ernst & Young has started an 80-year countdown clock to fast forward gender parity in the workplace. Others will follow their lead and it can be done.

We Need New Data - BIG DATA

Data combined with significant efforts have already made a dramatic difference in Health improvements around the globe. One significant example is that mothers are 42% less likely to die from complications of pregnancy than in 1995. This is a BIG accomplishment.

Additional data on health, education, economics, climate change, peace and security, and many other areas demonstrate that we're moving forward albeit slowly.

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...the Gates Foundation is focused on health because we believe that a productive life begins first and foremost with having good health

Melinda Gates - The Gates Foundation, No Ceilings (2015)

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More data is being gathered and consolidated by UN Women, World Health Organization, The Full Participation Project, and many organizations around the world. In some cases the amount of data is overwhelming. In other cases it's underwhelming. 

Collecting and analyzing BIG DATA on issues affecting women and girls helps to refine the blueprint for progress and will let us know how quickly we need to put our feet on the gas or whether a shift in strategy is required.

During the live streaming of "No Ceilings: The Full Participation Project" I listened intently with my daughter at my side as one story after another demonstrated global challenges and ways that those challenges are being tackled. The highlight for her was seeing and hearing Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai advise the world to "Aim Higher!" on all educational initiatives.

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...guarantee free education for 12 years for every child - every girl and every boy - to end poverty and violence ...to go forward I say "Aim Higher!" and we will reach our goals

Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai, No Ceilings (2015)

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We can see in the data that major progress has been made in Primary education. However, there's still a 24% gap for countries providing tuition-free Secondary education and an even wider gap at University levels. Malala challenged World Leaders to ensure that every child gets a solid education.

There is so much more to measure, study, and take action on in education and in other areas.

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Download The Full Participation Report

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...as long as girls and women are valued less, fed less, fed last, overworked, underpaid, not schooled and subjected to violence in and out of their homes - the potential of the human family to create a peaceful, prosperous world will not be realized


Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, Beijing (1995)

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Not surprisingly Secretary Clinton's message and the messages from all of the leaders who took the stage echoed the same sentiments each in their own voice, in their own way. It would be a shame for us to analyze these areas in 2030 with similar gaps remaining. 

We can do better and we will. Here's how.

"Aim Higher!" for Gender Parity around the world. We can do this!

Women in Leadership - Call to Action

Gender equality and pay equity are front and center as human rights issues (as well they
should be!) thanks to The Clintons and many other powerful voices like Bill and Melinda Gates.  In recent weeks, prominent global leaders and concerned citizens all around the world have spoken out about the inequalities that plague women after centuries of challenges.  As a woman in technology, woman in leadership, woman veteran, woman of color, and any other type of "woman" label that can be attached to me, I'm greatly concerned. 

I'm concerned for my daughter.  The outlook for her reaching the top leadership ranks in traditional work settings is grim though not impossible.  My daughter has tremendous advantages that many others don't (for one she has me).  However, one or two or 50 making it thru the "eye of the corporate needle" on any level is just not good enough.  I've learned over my lifetime that challenges for others who are like me equal challenges for me.  With that in mind I've recently re-awakened to add my time, my talents, and my treasures to the cause.  The bottom line is that we have families to raise - and a world to run.  The question now is "what's our next move?"

Women perform 66 percent of the world’s work, and produce 50 percent of the food, yet earn only 10 percent of the income and own 1 percent of the property. Whether the issue is improving education in the developing world, or fighting global climate change, or addressing nearly any other challenge we face, empowering women is a critical part of the equation.

Former President Bill Clinton addressing the annual meeting of the Clinton

Global Initiative (September 2009)

Of course there's something seriously wrong with this picture.  I pray that the data was and is wrong.  Not much has changed in the areas cited since 2009 - in very small part because of the global economic crisis.  If the data is right, then we're way beyond simple questions and answers.  The United Nations Millennium Development Goals provide concrete steps for navigating our way out of the craze.  I'm looking forward to a new data set from The Clinton's New Women's Global Initiative in partnership with Google and the World Bank.

In the meantime my focus is on Big Data, the integration of technology and humanity, and people at work.  Big Data is getting bigger - leading to deeper insights and faster decision-making, technology innovations are speeding up - converting expensive challenges into cheaper-better-more accessible solutions, and the world of work may become computerized at alarming rates.  Why is this a concern for women?  Because many of the roles that are currently performed by women are in the crosshairs for computerization.

For those of us who have our heads down taking care of our families, there is a "work" tsunami approaching that may knock us off balance, leaving us wondering what our next move should be.  The alarms are sounding so please pause to hear the follow-up announcement and then decide if it's OK to keep doing what you're doing - or if it's worth your time to acquire additional strategic skills to help you get ahead in the new economy.