Videos

Tools for Changemakers – David Bollier in conversation with John Thackara

Mutual aid. Local money. Collaborative care. Alternative futures are being created around the world – but not, for the most part, in plain sight. David Bollier’s new book – Commoner’s Catalog for Changemaking: Tools for the Transitions Ahead – brings dozens of social projects like these to the fore. Inspired by The Whole Earth Catalog of the early 1970s, Bollier’s premise is that “the next big thing will be a lot of small things” – (words he borrows from the Belgian designer Thomas Lommé). Our conversation here ranges from the history of mutual aid and commoning, to our respect for a pluriverse of cultures that respect all of life, not just human life.
See this video on youtube for sources mentioned in the video.

Microbes and Social Equity – Dr Sue Ishaq in conversation with John Thackara

The more we learn about life on earth, the clearer it becomes that the well-being of humans, and of non-humans, is inter-connected. They are a single story. Sustainable design, in this context, means designing for all of life – not just human life. That’s a big step! Not so long ago, human-centered design was considered progressive in itself – and now we have to design for all of life? All of life is not just large, visible lifeforms – like trees, or bears. It also includes microbes that are all around us, and inside us – but invisibly. Ninety nine percent of life, it turns out, is invisible – so how do we design for that? To begin that conversation, my guest in this conversation is Dr. Suzanne Ishaq – a microbiome researcher and founder of the Microbes and Social Equity working group

Rural Ecological Design, Quanzhou, China (June 2021)