GLOBAL CITIZENS' HOPES AND FEARS FOR THE NEXT CENTURY

The target sample size was 500 for each country, with the exception of a 1,000 sample size in the United States and Germany. In 20 of the 27 countries, the survey sample provided national representation; in the other seven countries - Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Mexico, Russia and Thailand - the survey samples are urban-only. In-person, door-to-door interviewing was used in these seven countries as well as in Argentina, Egypt, Malaysia, Philippines, Poland and Turkey. Telephone interviewing was used in all other countries. The complete data set was statistically weighted so that the overall survey results reflect the proportional populations of the countries/urban areas in the sample.

The Angus Reid Group is Canada's premier market research and public opinion polling firm with offices across Canada and the United States. The company also provides international clients with a regularly-scheduled quarterly global polling program wherein upwards of 30 countries over a two-month timeframe are sampled for opinions on private sector and public matters. The Angus Reid Group also publishes, on a quarterly basis, the World Monitor - a digest of world public opinion trends and insights gleaned from its world polling activities.

GLOBAL CITIZENS' HOPES AND FEARS FOR THE NEXT CENTURY

The Angus Reid World Poll, conducted in 27 countries during November and December of 1999, examined people's hopes and fears for the next century. Survey respondents were asked to assess the likelihood of four potential achievements or events over the next 100 years.

The findings indicate that people around the world are optimistic that a cure for cancer will be found in the 21st century, but they are pessimistic that world hunger will be brought to an end during the same time period. With the exception of Americans and Columbians, citizens in every other country included in this latest World Poll view the possibility of a world war in the next century as an unlikely event. International public opinion is mixed on the likelihood of making contact with intelligent life from another planet in the next 100 years, but a significant minority in most countries see such an event as a real possibility.

A Cure For Cancer

• In every country surveyed, a majority of World Poll respondents said they believe it is "very likely" (27%) or "fairly likely" (43%) that cancer will be cured in the next century.
• People in Italy (92%) were most likely to express confidence that a cure for cancer will be found in the next 100 years.
• Respondents in Latin America were uniformly optimistic about the likelihood of cancer being cured in the next century: 87 percent in urban Colombia (including 60% who say a cure for cancer is "very likely"), 86 percent in urban Chile (45% "very likely"), 84 percent in urban Mexico (43% "very likely"), 82 percent in Argentina (37% "very likely") and 81 percent in urban Brazil (47% "very likely").
• Likewise, people in a number of Asian countries expressed a great deal of confidence that a cure for cancer awaits us in the next century: 84 percent in Hong Kong S.A.R. (19% "very likely"), 82 percent in urban China (19% "very likely") and 80 percent in urban Thailand (21% "very likely").
• Malaysians (52%) and urban Russians (53%), as well as World Poll respondents in Japan (57%) and Canada (59%) were less confident that cancer will be cured in the next century.

Nevertheless, this possibility was still perceived as a likely event by a majority in each of these countries.

Another World War

• A majority of respondents in 14 of the 27 surveyed countries believe that the possibility of a world war in the next century is unlikely. However, most countries' citizens are far from confident that such an event is "not at all likely".
• Respondents in Europe were most confident that a world war is unlikely in the next 100 years: fully three-quarters (76%) of Germans and Italians, as well as 69 percent of Spaniards, 63 percent of French respondents and 60 percent of U.K. respondents think that a world war is unlikely in the next century.
• In Asia, a majority of World Poll respondents in Japan (67%) and Hong Kong S.A.R. (55%) felt a world war is unlikely in the next century, but people in Malaysia (48%), urban China (43%), Taiwan (42%), urban Thailand (41%) and South Korea (40%) expressed less confidence that a world war will not occur in the next 100 years.
• Most interestingly - and perhaps most alarmingly - of U.S. respondents, 55 percent say they think a world war will take place in the next 100 years, including one-quarter (24%) who see this event as "very likely". Columbia is the only other country polled where a majority (60%) believe another world war is inevitable.
• As well, most urban Russians were not prepared to reject the possibility of another world war in the next century (36% think it is likely versus 46% unlikely).

Contact With Intelligent Life From Another Planet

• There is more skepticism that humans will make contact with intelligent life from another planet in the next century. In 19 of the 27 surveyed countries, a majority of respondents said this event is unlikely, but for a significant minority in almost every country, contact with extraterrestrial life is considered a real possibility for the 21st century.
• Eight in ten World Poll respondents in Germany (83%) and the Philippines (85%) as well as three-quarters in France (78%), Canada (72%) and Japan (72%) view contact with life from another planet as an unlikely event in the next century. As well, many people in Poland (69%), the U.S. (68%), the Netherlands (66%), the U.K. (65%) and Italy (64%) do not expect us to encounter extraterrestrial life in the next 100 years.
• On the other hand, a slim majority of people polled in urban Chile (52%) and urban China (51%) think it is likely that we will make contact with life from another planet in the next century, as well as nearly one-half (46%) of World Poll respondents in Mexico and urban Thailand.
• In fact, with only a few exceptions (Poland, Germany, France, Malaysia and the Philippines), a significant minority of one in five or more World Poll respondents in every country said contact with extraterrestrial life is a real possibility in the next century.

An End To World Hunger

• People in the 27 countries polled in our latest World Poll are very pessimistic about the chances of world hunger being ended in the next century. In fact, a majority of respondents in every country think it is "not very likely" or "not at all likely" that the 21st century will see an end to world hunger.
• Respondents in Europe were most pessimistic about the likelihood of world hunger ending in the next 100 years: 95 percent in Germany (including 59% who said an end to world hunger is "not at all likely"), 92 percent in the Netherlands, 91 percent in Spain (71% "not at all likely") and 90 percent in each of France and the U.K. (59% "not at all likely" in the latter country).
• Significant minorities of World Poll respondents in Egypt (48%), urban Russia (35%), as well as most Asian countries including urban China (28%), Malaysia (25%) and urban Thailand (25%), expressed optimism that world hunger will be ended in the next century. Nevertheless, even in these countries, a majority view the possibility of world hunger ending in the next 100 years as an unlikely event.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright Senior Vice-President Angus Reid Group (416) 324-2900 Tricia Benn Research Manager Angus Reid Group (416) 324-2900