Understanding the world population is hindered by the sheer size of the task. We can measure numbers and statistics, but the reality of 6.5 billion people is infinitely more difficult to comprehend. While no project could accurately portray the life experiences of each one of us, looking at a representative sample of 100 is a more manageable place to begin, and is a figure we can actually visualize. It is our hope that this work will inspire others to see the world in a new way. Who are the people each of us shares our neighborhood, community, town, school, and country with? Where does each of us fit in?

The media created by the 100 People Foundation is intended to educate, entertain and inspire participants to learn more about world geography, culture, language, religion, music and our shared resources.

The 100 People Foundation exists to provide a structure and an organization for the project 100 People: A World Portrait. We believe that visual arts-based educational and multimedia programs are the most powerful channels through which we can build awareness, facilitate communication about diversity and activate change within our global community.

The project will find and capture in film, photography, music and text 100 individuals who represent the global population, proportionate to annual global surveys and statistics. This World Portrait will be used to make an introduction between the peoples of the earth and to facilitate a greater understanding of the diversity and the commonalities among us.