AR interviews ::: Farshid

Interview with Farshid Moussavi (at) AR

Published on Feb 2, 2015

Farshid Moussavi is director of Farshid Moussavi Architecture and Professor-in-Practice at Harvard GSD. In this in-depth interview she discusses her education, inspirations and career from interning with Zaha Hadid to publishing the Function series of books – a critical analysis of the role of ornament, form and style in architecture.

Dancing with Data

Published on Oct 20, 2014

Professor Chris Speed, Chair of Design Informatics, presents the fourth lecture in the 2014 Our Changing World series, entitled "Dancing with Data".

This talk speculates upon a future time in which objects will begin to interact with us in different ways. Such an enquiry is part of what is being described as an Internet of Things. The term, Internet of Things, refers to the technical and cultural shift that is anticipated as society moves to a ubiquitous form of computing in which every device is on, and every physical object is connected in some way to the Internet.

The focus of the talk is to anticipate a time when the scale of data that becomes associated with physical objects is so great that it allows unforeseen patterns and opportunities to be identified.

Recorded on 14 October 2014 at the University of Edinburgh's Appleton Tower.

Albert Einstein Documentary HD

The best Albert Einstein documentary. If you only watch one Einstein documentary this is the one! One of my personal favorite things to watch ever. Features comments from Neil deGrasse Tyson and more.

E General Relativity 1905-2005

Einstein's General Relativity, from 1905 to 2005 - Kip Thorne - 11/16/2005

Published on Dec 9, 2014

"Einstein's General Relativity, from 1905 to 2005: Warped Spacetime, Black Holes, Gravitational Waves, and the Accelerating Universe," was presented as part of the Einstein Centennial Lecture Series and Earnest C. Watson Lecture Series at Caltech. Professor Thorne was introduced by Tom Tombrello, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Physics and Division Chair of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy. Learn more about the lecture: http://www.caltech.edu/content/einste...

Produced in association with Caltech Academic Media Technologies.
© 2005 California Institute of Technology

Want Democratic Change in 2015? Try More Empathy and Creativity

Want Democratic Change in 2015? Try More Empathy and Creativity

By Julia Roig, President, Partners for Democratic Change 

As we begin the New Year, my Facebook feed, Linkedin, and email inbox have been full of hopeful predictions for 2015. For example, Carl Gershman from the National Endowment for Democracy gives us reasons to feel optimistic about the triumph of democracy in the world. I’m also sure that many of us received the checklist on how we can contribute to peace from thePeace and Collaborative Development Network. And then we were all shocked by the horrible terrorist attack in Paris. In my community of professionals working in international development, we seem to share a deep sense of optimism that positive change is possible. But in the face of senseless and tragic violence and such horrific strikes against fundamental freedoms, how do we stay motivated and keep going on with our work? As I reflect on my year ahead at Partners, I find myself focusing on what I believe is the essence of our work as change agents: to find and promote more empathy.

For the past several months I keep bringing up empathy in different contexts and conversations, and more and more I am convinced that it is the fundamental catalyst for both interpersonal and societal change. One popular definitionby Dr. Brené Brown describes empathy as the ability to identify with or understand another’s situation or feelings. This idea is what fuels genuine connections that recognize and acknowledge diverse perspectives and emotions and is a fundamental concept underlying so much of Partners’ work in peace-building and democracy building:

• Conflict Resolution requires empathy. All mediators and facilitators know that you must negotiate based on interests and not on positions.  We are called upon as neutrals to help parties in conflict understand each other to satisfy each other’s needs and reach an agreement that works for everyone.
• Advocacy requires empathy. As an advocate for a cause, if you have a blind spot and don’t understand those who disagree with you, how will you ever address their concerns sufficiently to minimize dissent and move forward with your agenda? When training in cooperative advocacy, Partners often leads activists through an exercise of putting themselves in the shoes of the “other side” to make their arguments for them and identify the facts that support those arguments.
• Leadership requires empathy. Effective leaders in open, transparent, and democratic institutionspractice empathy. They build broad teams by understanding different talents and identifying everyone needed to get a job done. But more than that, empathetic leaders do a lot of listening and seek ways to be the most helpful to those they manage to be successful.
• Authentic partnerships require empathy. As an international NGO, we work in partnership with our local affiliates in all our programming. We obviously come from different perspectives, but to work together effectively we have to understand each other’s realities. Some of us are sitting at desks in DC, and some are working in the field in Aden, Yemen. Empathy allows our partnerships to be flexible and respectful.

If empathy is a distinctly human capability, why is it so difficult in practice? Power, ego, insecurities, and trauma all get in the way of experiencing empathy. This inability to practice empathy affects us personally, professionally, and as a nation, and we get stuck in conflictive, vicious cycles as human beings. In the U.S., how do we find empathy for Russians?  For Iranians?  For Central Americans?  And how should that empathy inform our public policies?

Empathy through Creativity.  So, one of the most important tasks in front of us in 2015 is to work to build more empathy in ourselves and in the world. And I am particularly inspired by the power of developing empathy through creativity. One of the most popular Ted Talks (ever) is by Sir Ken Robinson discussing how our educational systemis beating creativity out of us and teaching kids how to be “right” and “wrong.”  We learn to develop an internal voice that makes us judgmental of others and ourselves.   He cites studies of musicians, dancers, and other artists that show that the parts of our brains that are triggered when we are creative are also actively suppressing judgment and self-criticism. We hold ourselves open to all possibilities when we are in a creative flow, and are more open to empathy.

This rings true to me, as we know as peace-builders that using the arts is an important tool for building understanding, tolerance, and reconciliation. For example, in Iraq, Partners has a program working with youth in high-conflict areas that not only incorporates the arts and sports to establish relationships, teamwork, and leadership skills, but also lessons of empathy for those of different religious and ethnic affiliations.

Building Bridges for more Creativity. One of the ways for us to use more creativity in our work in the international development field is to seek out new partnerships with artists whose profession is to entertain and inspire through powerful narratives that touch us emotionally. The Alliance for Peacebuilding is spearheading just such an exciting initiative together with the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. The Media and Peacebuilding Roundtable held its first gathering in Los Angeles last fall with representatives from the movie industry, gamers, world-builders, and other creative leaders to discuss potential for collaboration with peace-builders. What struck me the most after spending the day with these artists was how differently they think about the world and their work, and how their mediums don’t restrict them to pre-existing paradigms. They can literally create new worlds and construct new stories; the only limitation is their imaginations and their inspiration to touch an audience in meaningful ways. Reflecting with some of my colleagues from DC afterwards, one of our common refrains was “my mind is blown.” I guess that is what happens when you see the possibilities of making the world you want, while viewing different mediums to share that hopeful, better world with others.

One of the fruits of these new relationships was that Partners was able to participate at the end of last year in a creative new Peace Portals initiative sponsored by Shared Studios in Manhattan. One of our staff members entered into a shipping container that was outfitted as a studio and was able to see and hear the full body image of an Iranian citizen that walked into a similar shipping container on the streets of Tehran. They had an informal conversation for 20 minutes about life, his love of motorcycles, their jobs, and the weather, (a powerful experience straight out of Star Trek). Hundreds of ordinary people participated in the Portals and one by one they are building empathy for the citizens living in a country far away from their own reality.

Using these kinds of amazing technologies, and sharing each other’s stories in new creative ways will help us be successful in working for more peaceful democratic change in 2015. There is a lot of solidarity right now throughout the world for writers and cartoonists in particular. For the New Year, I wish for all Partners’ colleagues and friends to find a creative flow that allows you to find and promote more empathy.

http://www.internationalpeaceandconflict.org/profiles/blog/list?user=0ziriq5b0t0vb

ArchiCulture

Archiculture Official Trailer from arbuckle industries on Vimeo.
Logline
Archiculture examines the current and future state of studio-based, design education.

Synopsis
Archiculture takes a thoughtful, yet critical look at the architectural studio. The film offers a unique glimpse into the world of studio-based, design education through the eyes of a group of students finishing their final design projects. Interviews with leading professionals, historians and educators help create crucial dialog around the key issues faced by this unique teaching methodology.

Outline
1. Intro - Welcome to archiCULTURE
2. Design Education - So What Exactly is Design Education?
3. Studio Culture - Meet Your New Family
4. Critique - Desk Crits, Pin Ups, Juries O’ My!
5. Best Architects - Making it as an Architect
6. School vs. Practice - Two Worlds Collide
7. Starchitecture - The Plague of the Starchitect
8. New generation - The Designers of Tomorrow
9. The Future - I See Myself...

To stay updated about local screenings please follow us on our Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Archiculture/176928975652899

http://www.archiculturefilm.com/

Calling Ylvp15

https://eng.si.se/areas-of-operation/leadership-programmes-and-cultural-exchange/young-leaders-visitors-programme/
The application process for YLVP 2015 is open! For more information on how to apply, please see Application procedure.

The application process for YLVP 2015 is now open! Deadline for applications is December 12, 2014.

Who can apply to YLVP?

• Be an engaged leader within the spheres of society, culture, politics or media (for example project managers, youth leaders, journalists, bloggers, activists, youth politicians, cultural workers, civil servants, lawyers and pedagogues).

• Work actively for democracy and human rights.

• Be between 20-32 years old (at the time of the start of the programme).

• Have a good working knowledge of both written and spoken English.

• A citizen of Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Palestine*, Yemen or Sweden

How do we select our participants?

• The relevance and quality of personal motivation and commitment, and the applicant’s answers to the YLVP application form.

• An assessment of the CV.

• The general qualifications of the applicant.

How to apply?

• A completed YLVP Application Form 2015 in English,  including your contact details and the contact details of two reference persons.

• An updated CV in English

• A photo (not compulsory)

Important dates

• Deadline for applications: December 12, 2014

• Google Hangout interviews: 26 January-6 February

• Accepted applicants will be informed by: 26 February

• YLVP module 1 in Sweden: May 17-June 5, 2015

• YLVP follow up in the MENA region (location to be confirmed): November 21-27, 2015

Want to check us out on social media? See Young Leaders Visitors Programme (YLVP)

To apply to Young Leaders Visitors Programme you have to:

* Palestinian ID holders, including Jerusalem ID

Please note that we will not be able to make any exceptions to the eligibility requirements.

The Swedish Institute will appoint a selection committee consisting of staff from the Swedish Institute as well as representatives from partner organisations and field experts. The applications will be evaluated according to the following selection criteria:

Out of all applicants, a number of shortlisted candidates will be called for interviews as a second step in the selection process. The interviews will be conducted through Google Hangout.

The Swedish Institute will then contact 30 selected applicants by email by February 16, 2015, and offer them a place in the Young Leaders Visitors Programme. The Swedish Institute will also compose a list of reserve candidates in case a second selection round would be needed. Reserves who have been offered a place in the Young Leaders Visitors programme will be notified by February 26, 2015. As far as possible, the Swedish Institute will ensure that there is an even distribution of candidates from the different countries.

Please note that the Young Leaders Visitors Programme is an intensive programme with a full day schedule and many evening activities. All selected participants will have to commit to participate in all activities of both module 1 and 2.

You are welcome to apply to the Young Leaders Visitors Programme 2015 starting from November 11, 2014.

Apply by filling out the YLVP Application Form 2015 and submit it through our Application portal together with your CV in English. Please note that we do not accept applications submitted by email. Deadline for applications is December 12, 2014. Only applicants who have submitted a complete application will be considered for the programme.

Please note that the reference persons should be someone who knows your work in the areas of democracy and human rights. We may contact the reference persons of the applicants who are selected for an interview. We only need the contact details of the references (name, job title, telephone number and email), i.e. no letters of recommendation. We accept references who speak English, Arabic or French.

If you have any questions regarding the application form, please contact ylvp(a)si.se.

Due to the large number of applications that we receive, we are unfortunately not able to send personal replies to all applicants. Hence, if you have not heard from us by February 26, 2015, you have not been accepted to the Young Leaders Visitors Programme. However, you are more than welcome to apply again for next year’s programme.

Want to know more about the YLVP? See About the Programme