To celebrate this unique status, Western Union is calling for Africa’s most globally connected individuals to step forward and take the Western Union Network Challenge at www.westernunionworld.com/yourworld.

The search will be fuelled by a new interactive, online Application called Your World which Western Union has created to mark its birthday. It visualises Facebook fans’ global connections and users receive a score that shows how globally connected they are. They can compare their ranking against their Facebook Friends; against others in their country and against others in the world.

Launching the Network Challenge, Western Union President and CEO, Hikmet Ersek, said:
“When we were thinking how best to celebrate our landmark 160th anniversary and the role we play in connecting people across the globe, Your World made perfect sense.

“We’re incredibly proud that people across the globe have been inviting us to be part of their lives for 160 years. Today, we’re online, on mobile and landlines, around the corner in over 400,000 Agent locations and around the clock, potentially touching the lives of one sixth of the world’s population. That gives us a privileged and unique perspective on the world.

“We wanted to find a way to give consumers their own bird’s eye view of their personal network in the world. As well as being a fun way to celebrate the power of human connectivity, Your World is going to create some fascinating insights, and perhaps encourage more of us to reach out to our fellow global citizens.”

Based on the Western Union Network Challenge, the most globally networked individual will have a unique opportunity to use his or her extensive network as a force for good. Your World is live – to see your global connections go to www.westernunionworld.com/yourworld and type in your Facebook log-in details.