DESIS NEWSLETTER 1 - EASTERN EXPRESS
Editorial
Ancient cultures, their ways to understand relationships, their particular ways to assume the everyday and to think about the future, their sense of silence and respect, their skills and creativity, all this has made them last along centuries, but not only, in so doing, they have also inspired the whole world. And now they can be, and as a matter of fact they already are, re-vitalized by the on-going wave of social innovation and, there, become the building material for a sustainable future.
India and China are both millenary old and, at the same time, leading powers on the contemporary global scene. Now, what could design for social innovation and sustainability learn from them?
This issue, officially number 1, is way concentrated, like a good Expresso; it is –almost all- focused on two of our peers in the East: China and India, and two conferences happening there: Cumulus conference in Shangai and LeNS (the Learning Network on education for Sustainability conference) in Bangalore.
Our aim then is to grasp some of the wisdom embed by these cultures for the sake of Design, Social Innovation and Sustainability.
We hope you enjoy it.
[For the full version and texts in-depth of this NL1 please visit www.DESIS-network.org where you can download the full version of this issue with in-depth texts].
------KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGES ------
News regarding information exchanges and horizontal connections among DESIS members
DESIS CHINA & Cumulus
Young Creators for Better City & Better Life, 7 - 10 September 2010
Originally a fish and textile town, Shanghai is now China’s largest city, comparable to New York or Tokyo and in recent decades, it has experienced a building roar at a flabbergasted scale. Still, it keeps on being a city of tradition and ancient wisdom combined with the highest facilities regarding knowledge and communication, a city with strong character, creative people and great cultural life. It is not unintended indeed, that the Universal Exhibition EXPO2000 is taken place there. In this framework, The International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media will celebrate its 2oth anniversary hosting also its Shangai Cumulus Conference:
And great news: on Sept. the 10th, at the UN Pavilion, Expo Site there will be an EXPO Session - DESIS Forum!, followed by a “Pecha Kucha” with the presentation of Projects on Social Innovation and Sustainability!.
All info at www.DESIS-network.org and http://www.cumulus2010tongji.org/
DESIS INDIA
The LeNS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE in Bangalore, an invitation to “explore” Design: NOW.
Located on the Mysore Plateau in southwestern Karnataka, “Bengaluru”, Bangalore is the hosting city to the coming LeNS conference. As a worldwide network, LeNS has looked for innovative methodological ways to approach/work/analyze/spread out the issue of “Sustainability” targeting, basically, the academia. The conference will take place from 29th September to 1st October 2010.
More info at: www.DESIS-network.org
MORE ON INDIA, PARTNERS:
Under the national coordination of Prof. Shashank Metha (NID Ahmedabad), DESIS-India is in their fine period of foundation; different interested design schools/institutions/persons are finding the most pertinent way to start working together. One of this designers/organizations is Aditya Dev Sood from CKS - the center for knowledge societies-. CKS has hosted the Doors of Perception Conferences in Bangalore and Delhi in 2003, 2005 and 2007. Their 'used in India' installation on street media technology from 2005 has been showcased at various locations in India and Europe. These days CKS regularly hosts Pecha-Kucha on various topics in Bangalore and New Delhi along with other local partners. This year, CKS will be a key stakeholder in the UNIDR conference on strategic design and public policy being held in New York.
Find out more at DESIS website.
On Rajasthan
Sahil Bagga & Sarthak Sengupta
Social Innovation and Design from the Indian Outback
Our story begins in Ahmedabad, one of India’s largest cloths manufacturing cities catering to both the domestic and the export market. This bulk production results to bulk by-products from the mills, comprising of numerous pieces of cut waste cloth, which are then sold in kilos to village locals who have found an innovative use for them or contact design@sahilsarthak.com
------ NEWS FROM DESIS FRIENDS ------
SIX Summer School 15-17 September, Singapore
What makes cities a buzz?
The most dynamic cities in the world have always been immersed in the critical innovations of their time, but why do some do it better than others? What inhibits a city's abity to innovate? How can cities around the world capitalize on and mobilize the wealth, creativity and knowledge within them to speed up our ability to tackle social challenges?
Find out more on this topics and the conference at: socialinnovationexchange.org/summer-school
NEWS from BERLIN
It is not always easy to get to know a city if you don't live in it long enough. Some of the most interesting and important aspects may not be seen when you just have few days as a tourist. Id22: Institute for Creative Sustainability is organizing the Creative Sustainability Tours!
Find out more at DESIS website.
------ DESIS DOTS (in the net) - Short presentation of projects ------
_From DESIS Middle East
Public library for non-public in Tel Aviv - By Adital Ela, Nissan Graisel
A public library for “non-public” is born in Tel Aviv. Since there is not public library at the Neve Sha'anan "migrant workers" neighbourhood in Tel Aviv, a group of artists decided to not only provide the basis of a library but to prompt interaction and contact among its inhabitants. A list of desired books was produced with the help of members of the local community, and today the library contains more than 2.500 books in Nepalese, Thai, Hindi, Mandarin, Chinese, Tagalog, Arabic, French, Romanian, Spanish and Hebrew.
More at www.DESIS-network.org DESIS ME-Middle East
MORE ON DESIS (ME) Sustainability in the Urban Context - Exhibition
In September 2010 a unique exhibition will open at the Tel Aviv City Museum (Israel) that will touch upon incorporating sustainable habits and actions in the urban context. The exhibition will present conceptual and realized projects from around the world, traditional and contemporary projects in various fields: design, architecture, urban planning, social innovation, art, etc. Cases from DESIS Europe, ME, and Colombia will be shown.
More at www.DESIS-network.org DESIS ME-Middle East
DESIS EUROPE
SEE workshop and (Re)designing the Regions in Malmö (Sweden). By François Jégou
DESIS Europe is already active with projects, research and workshops but had not been effectively launched: this was one the many activities scheduled between the 1st and 4th of June in Malmö.
More at www.DESIS-network.org DESIS EUROPE
DESIS COLOMBIA
Among the new cases found by our students participating in DESIS Colombia, one has strongly called our attention: Frutos de Utopía (fruits from Utopia), a project working on saving traditional food from the Andean Plateau. The case has already entered the P2P foundation network aiming at spreading out its voice around the world.
More info at: www.DESIS-network /DESIS COLOMBIA
------ BUILDING UP KNOWLEDGE ------
New air in Design
Reports on recently published works from students
By Joon Sang Baek
Followed by the understanding of ICT-supported collaborative services in various
contexts, Joon Sang’s research focuses on the use of the Internet technologies to promote
sustainable food production and consumption in Milan. More on his work at DESIS website or
contact Joon Sang at joonsbaek@gmail...
------ DESIS ALBUM ------
– work in progress. A “behind the scenes” space to periodically introduce DESIS members and partners
Jogi Panghaal, Aditya Dev Sood and Ana Meroni.
------ DESIS VOICES -----
A space for members/guest to “have a say”
- Jogi Panghaal:
"In my recent trip to MIlan, I met Prof. Manzini and we talked about DESIS Project.
I feel very inspired by the new potential that this thinking brings to our own cultures and I really feel that it has the power to give birth to new cultures and I really feel that it has the power to give birth to new cultures of practices, activities and services that use the promise of new technologies, (particularly digital) new access, new organisations and new education that is transforming our societies in India.
I feel DESIS peers would give me the space and tools to reflect back on my work and help me in co-discovering new opportunities for our own people or identifying practices that are already qualifying to be fitting in DESIS parameters."