No Poverty

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No Poverty No Poverty Creativity 无贫穷 http://city.cri.cn/unesco-iccsd 2030 绿色印刷产品 创意 C2030 #6

No Poverty

无贫穷

4 Preface by Sarah Orlando 52 P overty Alleviation in Trial and Practice in the Rainforest Village of Hebian/ an Interview with Li Xiaoyun by Yang Biqiong

THE BIG PICTURE 62 What Did China Do to Fight Period Poverty in 大背景 9 Ec o-Civilization and the COVID-19 Pandemic 2020? by Yang Biqiong by Hans d’Orville and Mehri Madarshahi

13 What is Stakeholder Capitalism? By Klaus Schwab and Peter Vanham VISUALIZE ME 文化视觉 68 Environmental Migrants: the Last Illusion 16 Can Cheap Countries Catch Up? By Ricardo by Alessandro Grassani Hausmann

18 K eeping Poverty Reduction Front and Center by Juan Manuel Santos and Sabina Alkire SERIAL INNOVATORS 对话创新者 79 W orld Food Programme: Innovation and Copyright statement Digital Transformation to Address Humanita- rian Crises/ Harnessing Technology and The producer and contributors share the copyright THE SMALL PICTURE Data for Targeted Emergency Aid 微格局 of the published text. All contributions can be used 21 R edesigning the Welfare State/ an Interview for the producer's derivative publications, official with Hilary Cottam by Alice Rawsthorn website, and social networks account without further notice to the author. Without any written 28 What It Takes to Make a Home by Julia CREATIVE SENSES 创意资讯 approval, the words and pictures in this journal Albani 87 The 3rd UNESCO Creative Cities Summit shall not be reproduced or used in any form or by held in Beijing / Chengdu Design Week/ any method. 33 How Two Doctors Designed a Vital Telemedi- Charitable Art Education For the original articles used by this journal, the cine Service for Pakistan/ an Interview with author agrees to authorize this journal to act as the Sara Saeed Khurram and Iffat Zafar Aga by agent for the transmission of electronic version of Alice Rawsthorn his/ her works through wired and wireless Internet. 96 The Last Page 尾记 And the journal has the right to authorize third parties to carry out electronic dissemination of information wired and wireless network. The CHINA LOGS 中国日志 payment received by the author for this publica- 43 How Design Can Help in Poverty Alleviation tion includes the expenses for the use mentioned by Tang Jian above. When author is not specified, it was written by C2030 Editorial Department.The opinions 46 Design Education Empowers Poverty Allevi- expressed in this journal are those of the author, 6tion by Ma Muqun and not necessarily those of the producer and do not commit the producer. 49 Village Mothers Take the E-Commerce Route In the event that the original author could not by Yang Biqiong be smoothly contacted, should any copyright issues arise, the original author can contact the producer for negotiating a solution. Cover: Environmental Migrants: the Last by Alessandro Grassani Illusion

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 3 specific health and socioeconomic circumstances. innovative use of blockchain in the aid of refugees Similarly, the pandemic is taking a toll on the fighting hunger issues (among others). world’s women and children.” There is another important aspect: the defini- Preface Ensuring social protection of all, especially tion of poverty. vulnerable groups, is critical to the mission of Although previously defined only in monetary by Sarah Orlando reducing poverty. Nonetheless, more than half of terms (USD1.90 a day is the international poverty the world’s population (4 billion people in 2016) are rate), in selecting the contributions to this issue we still not benefiting from any form of social protec- have chosen to take into consideration the global tion, many of whom are workers in the informal Multi Dimensional Poverty Index (MPI). economy whose incomes Launched in 2010 by the At the time of writing, due to COVID-19, an unprece- increase in global poverty in decades” stated The dropped by 60 per cent during Oxford Poverty and Human dented health, economic and social crisis is Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020 (SDG the first months of the crisis. MORE THAN 700 MILLION Development Initiative at the continuing to threaten lives and livelihoods, making Report 2020). And this phenomenon does PEOPLE, OR 10 PER University of Oxford and the the achievement of the Sustainable Development More than 700 million people, or 10 per cent of not only concern vulnerable CENT OF THE WORLD’S Human Development Report Goals even more challenging. Due to the pandem- the world’s population, still live in extreme poverty, groups in developing countries: POPULATION, STILL LIVE IN Office of the United Nations ic, existing inequalities and injustices have been struggling to fulfil the most basic needs like health, according to a recent report EXTREME POVERTY Development Programme, the MPI exacerbated, especially at the expenses of the education, and access to water and sanitation, to by the International Labour measures the complexities of poor most vulnerable – including those employed in the name a few. The majority of people living on less Organization, working poverty people’s lives, individually and informal economy, older people, children, persons than USD1.90 a day live in sub-Saharan Africa. also affects digital workers who often do not collectively, each year, examining each person’s with disabilities, indigenous people, migrants and Worldwide, the poverty rate in rural areas is 17.2 have access to social protection (which has deprivations in three equally weighted dimen- refugees. per cent—more than three times higher than in been particularly concerning during the pan- sions— health, education and standard of living, Despite writing from the privileged observatory urban areas. demic). and offering a high-resolution lens to identify both of Beijing, one of the safest cities in which to pass While the number of people living in extreme The pandemic has also turned back decades of who is poor and how they are poor. the pandemic due to China’s strong protective poverty dropped by more than half in the last 30 progress in gender equity: if it is true that the The 2020 MPI Report’s key findings show how measures, it is very clear and painful to see how years, new research published by the UN World gender gap in working poverty had almost been across 107 developing countries, 1.3 billion people most of the world is still fighting to keep COVID-19 Institute for Development Economics Research bridged, evidence is emerging that women are — 22 percent — live in multidimensional poverty. at bay (the latest devastating cases being India warns that the economic fallout from the pandemic being disproportionally affected by the pandemic. Half are children under the age of 18 (644 million): and Brazil). could increase global poverty by as This is why we have decided to deal with an issue one in three children is poor compared with one in Lots of vaccination plans have been COVID-19 HAS much as half a billion people: it would strictly connected to poverty and rolled out in many countries and the gender equity: period poverty. CAUSED THE FIRST be the first time that poverty has Structure of the global Multi- situation has indeed brought to the INCREASE IN increased globally since 1990. The The disparity of treatment for dimensional Poverty Index international stage an even more pandemic has in effect cancelled different age groups is also important discussion on global GLOBAL POVERTY years of efforts and undermined the increasing: since the pandemic, healthcare and health poverty. IN DECADES impact of strategies to be rolled out in young workers are exposed to Being too early to debate this the forthcoming 10 year “Decade of poverty more systematically than extremely crucial issue, still under the scrutiny of Action”. older adults. scientists and governments alike, we have decided Poverty has many dimensions, but its causes An important angle fostered not to deal with it in the present issue, saving the include unemployment, social exclusion, and high by COVID-19 that we have tried to topic for a stage when a more critical discussion vulnerability of certain populations to disasters, portray in this issue of the Journal will be possible. diseases and other phenomena which prevent is the importance of and need for Creativity 2030 Journal (C2030) is a journal them from being productive. data and data innovation, a key launched by the International Centre for Creativity Natural disasters – which we will keep experi- topic also raised in the SDG and Sustainable Development (ICCSD) under the encing due to the climate emergency – exacerbate Report 2020, stating that “data auspices of UNESCO, an editorial venture to poverty, and in 2018 alone they have caused direct are critical in understanding, promote the achievements of the 2030 Sustainable economic losses amounting to USD 23.6 billion in managing and mitigating the Development Goals (SDGs) through creativity. 63 countries. To be sure, the environmental mi- human, social and economic Due to the pandemic, the 2030 Agenda took a grants featured in the long-term photographic effects of the pandemic. They are strong hit in this past year, and many areas of project started by Alessandro Grassani in 2011 also essential for designing intervention need an even more urgent collective which we have portrayed in the section Visualize short-term responses and acceler- attention and response. Me, are destined to represent earth’s next humani- ated actions to put countries It is for this reason that we chose to focus this tarian emergency. back on track to achieve the issue of C2030 on Goal #1: “End poverty in all its According to the SDG Report 2020, using the SDGs.” For this reason, as forms everywhere”. words of Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for examples of data innovation, we Eradicating poverty in all its forms remains one Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations, have picked among selected case of the greatest challenges facing humanity. This “Forecasts indicate that the pandemic will push 71 studies Novissi, an experiment was in fact the first concern when the SDGs were million people back into extreme poverty in 2020, in implemented by Togo for its laid out in the UN Agenda in 2017, and poverty is what would be the first rise in global poverty since integration of geospatial and the target that, already off-track before COVID-19 1998. […] Older persons, persons with disabilities, statistical information, and the hit, has been most significantly exacerbated by migrants and refugees are more likely to experi- Building Blocks project by the the pandemic: “COVID-19 has caused the first World Food Programme, for its ence severe effects from COVID-19 due to their Source: OPHI 2018

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 5 Of the 1.3 billion multidimensionally poor people worldwide, Creativity 2030 2030 84.2 percent live in rural areas. 创意 特辑 Population in multidimensional poverty (millions, unless otherwise specified) PRODUCER Note: Aggregates include 106 countries. Seychelles is International 出品方Center for Creativity and Sustainable excluded because disaggregated data by urban-rural area Development under the auspices of UNESCO (Category 2) were not available. Source: Human Development Report Office calculations. 联合国教科文组织国际创意与可持续发展中心

EDITOR IN CHIEF Xiao Lan 总编 肖澜 CHIEF ADVISOR EXPERTS COMMITTEE 总顾问 Stefano Boeri (Italy), Adam专家委员会 Casals (Spain), Chen Hans d’Orville Anhua (China), Chen Dongliang(China), Chen Ping 汉斯·道维勒 (Germany), Chen Wei (China), Ding Shuo (China), EDITORIAL TEAM Yann Debelle de Montby (France), Kenya Hara 2030 is developed 编辑团队by BSide Design (Japan), Soon-In Lee (South Korea), Mugendi www.bside.design M’Rithaa (Kenya), Mehri Madarshash (Canada), Feng Changchun (China), He Renke (China), Li Chief Editor Changle (China), Qian Yuan (China), Xiang Yong 主编 (China), Xiao Yong (China), Xu Ping (China), Zhang Sarah Orlando Chen Jie 萨拉·奥兰多 Xiaoming (China), Zheng Changling (China) 陈洁 (in alphabetical order by last name) Creative Director Beatrice Leanza 创意总监 毕月 South Asian Sub-Saharan Africa Arab States Vittorio Sun Qun 斯坦法诺·博埃里（意大利）、亚当·卡萨尔斯（西班牙）、 Editors 孙群 陈安华（中国）、陈冬亮（中国）、陈平（德国）、陈伟（中国）、 Yang Biqiong编辑 East Asia and Europe and Central Latin America and 丁硕（中国）、雅恩·蒙特比（法国）、原研哉（日本）、李淳寅 杨碧琼 the Pacific Asia Carribean （韩国）、穆甘迪·姆托瑞达（肯尼亚）、梅里·马达沙希 Heather Mowbray Wu Wenbin 毛海哲 （加拿大）、冯长春（中国）、何人可（中国）、李长乐（中国）、 武文斌 钱源（中国）、向勇（中国）、肖勇（中国）、许平（中国）、 Lang Lang 郎朗 six adults. 107 million multidimensionally poor developmental projects, or highly innovative 张晓明（中国）、郑长铃（中国） Liu Lang people are aged 60 or above — a particularly digitally driven applications and attempts that （按姓氏拼音首字母排序） Zhao Min刘琅  important figure during the pandemic as older would drive the debate and possibly practical Liu Yanting赵敏 刘燕婷 people are more seriously affected by the infectious solutions in the decade ahead. Official Website Graphic Design 平面设计 disease. About 84.3 percent of multidimensionally Year 2020 was many things, but it was also an http://city.cri.cn/unesco-iccsd官方网站： LAVA Beijing Official Wechat account lavabeijing.comLAVA北京 poor people live in Sub-Saharan Africa (558 million) important milestone for China: the year the 官方微信： and South Asia (530 million). Ten countries, includ- population billionaire eliminated absolute poverty. 国际创意与可持续发展中心 Translations Official Weibo account Today Translation翻译 (Beijing) ing China, came close to halving their MPI value. Many contributions in China Logs are focused on UNESCO 官方微博： The “MPI shows that 65 of the 75 countries studied showing impactful actions and projects aimed at Email 国际创意与可持续发展中心 北京今日华美翻译有限公司 投稿邮箱： Editorial Supervisor reduced their poverty levels significantly within the targeting poverty alleviation. “Poverty reduction [email protected] 编审 last decade” underline Santos and Alkire in their has stimulated overall development of China’s rural TEL : Huang Jing 电话 黄静 article in The Big Picture section. areas” as stated in a White Paper released by the 0086 (0) 10 5973 5230 OPERATION TEAM Furthermore, of the 1.3 billion multidimensional- State Council Information Office in April. Some of Cesanamedia International运营团队 ly poor people worldwide, 84.2 percent live in rural the fundamental case studies we have selected Advertising (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. areas and are thus more vulnerable to environmen- deal precisely with the question of rural poverty. tal threats. Finally, a striking image has steered us in 祺山广告传媒（上海）有限公司8610-6952 1122 In this issue of C2030, we have tried to tackle guiding this issue of our journal towards publica- rural and urban poverty alike, being urban poverty tion: inequality. Borrowing the words of United PRESIDENT a topic that will become more and more relevant in Nations Secretary General António Guterres: Fausto Tatarella总裁 the future, as people swell city populations. “While we are all floating on the same sea, it’s Maggie Li 方思来 Most of the articles chosen for this issue deal clear that some are in superyachts while others are i Jingtao 李勍 with critical thinking on actual poverty alleviation clinging to the drifting debris.” L 李景涛 experiences, local communities’ empowerment C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 7 Eco-Civilization and the COVID-19 Pandemic The Big By Hans d’Orville and Mehri Madarshahi

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced a reflection of the world’s geopolitical future, including global collaboration, global governance, globalization, science, technology, research, and ultimately multilateralism in all its forms. Beyond, we are pressed to reflect about our relationship with nature and all planetary resources and Picture ecosystems. The COVID-19 crisis has brought to the fore how societies, economies and human Dr. Hans d’Orville Mehri Madarshahi wellbeing are affected by the destruction of nature Chairman of Advisory Member of the Advisory and how fragile these linkages are. Committee of International Committee of ICCSD; Has our broken relationship with nature led to a Center for Creativity and President of Global Sustainable Development Cultural Networks pandemic like COVID-19? We have encroached on under the auspices of Vice-Chair of Asia Paci- our planet by eliminating our forests to enlarge our UNESCO. fic Exchange and Coo- food productions, by ignoring the ecosystem of the Former Assistant Director peration Foundation; earth and drilling for more petroleum, coals and -General for Strategic Visiting Professor, IPP, Planning of UNESCO South China University other harmful substances, by polluting our waters for Technology and our air and by destroying habitats leading to the extinction of species. Over-population and the necessity to house people and fight hunger and poverty have led us to increasing physical closeness and contact between humans, livestock and wildlife. As a result, humans became exposed to animal pathogens which led to several emerging zoonotic diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic was superimposed on already unresolved societal tensions. The world was already facing a looming environmental and a climate crisis, it was battling with food and water shortages, energy volatility, natural disasters, economic downturns, massive unemployment and financial uncertainties and was surely unprepared to battle the emergence of such a major global health crisis. Unlike the two previous global recessions in 大 this century, COVID-19 implies a supply shock as well as a demand shock. Indeed, COVID-19 is the sixth pandemic that has arisen over the past century (measles, different types of influenza/flu, SARS, Ebola and MERS) and it demonstrates that such crises are becoming more complex in a globally interdependent and increasingly 背 fragmented world. Globalization has reached a crossroads. While it is true that globalization has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, it has also led to

C2030 ISSUE 5 – 2021 THE BIG PICTURE 9 大背景 景 ecology and the environment. Revolutions in digital reinforce the global resilience to health and technology, communications, and energy have climatic threats. been fueling the industrial revolution 4.0 with its The current pandemic has shown that we can We are on the comprehensive digitization, the internet of things, be more frugal in our consumption patterns, to be use of big data and recourse to robotics and better aligned with environmental goals. It has artificial intelligence. These could bring about helped to put a temporary break on CO2 emissions, technological and economic advances and along with a reduction of air pollutants from reshape fundamentally our thinking transportation and industrial activity. and actions. This new approach Governments have now a unique threshold of a new seeks to integrate economic, UNITY OF chance to opt for a green and ecological, environmental and social KNOWLEDGE AND inclusive recovery that they must needs in a holistic manner. We are on COORDINATED seize – a recovery that not only the threshold of a new revolution, the ACTIONS ARE provides income and new jobs, but eco-civilization (r)evolution. ESSENTIAL FOR also has broader goals for well-being The pandemic presents an ECO-CIVILIZATION at its core, integrates strong climate revolution, the opportunity for change, if we design and biodiversity action, and builds a recovery that heals our relationship DEVELOPMENT. resilience. Stimulus packages need to with nature. It is virtually unthinkable be enhanced with punitive measures to go back to people’s behaviour or aligned with ambitious policies to activities of the pre-pandemic “normal”. Mere tackle climate change and environmental eco-civilization adjustments will not suffice. The problem is degradation. Such an approach can deliver systemic. Ecological transition and social equality win-win-win policies for people, planet and are at the core of an economic restart in order to prosperity. Unity of knowledge and coordinated actions are essential for eco-civilization development. Green development is a crucial part of it, so as to (r)evolution attain the foundation for harmony between humanity and nature. To this end, we must continue to uphold and strengthen internationalcooperation, especially in the ecological and environmental significant inequality and now untold suffering in China but in all other countries and societies fields. We must work towards an evolving global and numbers of deaths due to the new infections. as a whole. green development alliance. We must align all our The pandemic has shown the importance of The new pandemic has underlined how activities with the UN’s 17 sustainable development being prepared when crises hit. It has also shown critically important the practice of eco-civilization goals, and demonstrate how no individual, no that postponing bold decisions can have huge is for the future of humanity, by striving for community, no city, no country and no continent costs. As it became obvious, there was scant harmony between human beings and nature. New can and should be left behind. Yet, the pandemic preparation for such a massive health crisis. A approaches are required as the precepts of global has shown how countries and communities are parallel could be drawn with the absence of proper collaboration, solidarity and trust are not being sliding backward – and suffer seriously in terms of preparations in dealing with challenges such as applied. At its core, eco-civilization attaches human and economic costs. warming up the climate above 2 degrees Celsius, intrinsic value to all living things and the The objective of green transformation and biodiversity collapse, excessive air pollution, and ecosystems that support them - irrespective of their transition predicates harmony between the ocean acidification. usefulness or importance to human beings. All economy and society driven by the quest for The Chinese concept of ecological civilization people and nations must strive to live in harmony sustainability across the entire development (or: eco-civilization) could provide one direction for with each other AND with nature and the life- spectrum. It must be inspired by a set of universally a way forward. This concept is quite similar to the supporting eco-systems. Today’s ecological crisis is shared values that is imparted from birth to notion of ecologically sustainable development rooted in our civilisations and exhibits a more pre-school age and preserved and refined through that is a key element in UN resolutions and profound human crisis. Humans must regard life-long learning through education and creation programmes since many decades. Both themselves as but one part of the living organism of societal awareness. People must learn to respect formulations refer to the fact that human use of that is planet Earth, suffering as it does from each other, seek common ground in the face of the Earth’s natural resources must be within the ecological stresses and strains across. planetary threats and live in harmony. physical carrying capacity of the environment and Eco-civilization presupposes that economic and Green growth is promoting economic its long-term sustainability. social development can be advanced in a manner development and human wellbeing without Eco-civilization refers to a society that that protects the natural environment rather than degrading nature. Green growth recognizes that enshrines as its core aspiration the pursuit of a destroying it. Eco-civilization means total transition nature and the quality of environment are critical form of sustainable development emphasizing with coherent choices – moving towards a circular to economic wellbeing and social progress. Green the harmonious co-existence of humans with economy and a sharing society. Eco-civilization economy requires decoupling growth from the their surrounding ecosystems. China has seeks to induce a change in consumption and depletion of nature. This may require investing in included this concept into its Constitution. Yet, production patterns and to take advantage of protecting, restoring, and sustainably managing its implementation must be enhanced not only science and technology innovation affecting ecosystems so as to ensure their full potential to

C2030 ISSUE 5 – 2021 THE BIG PICTURE 11 大背景 What is Stakeholder Capitalism? By Klaus Schwab and Peter Vanham Klaus Schwab: Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum Peter Vanham: Head of Communications, Chairman’s Office, World Economic Forum

contribute benefits to people. When successful, approaches. In this way, challenges and History employees paid their fair share of taxes to fund green growth produces economic opportunities opportunities can be linked together. We need to The stakeholder concept goes a long way back: public education, health care, and social security. and benefits to people while maintaining and build the foundations for a new, stable and more than 50 years. I first wrote about it in 1971, This system did adapt as decades went by, and improving natural capital on which current and resilient normalcy. This requires research, the when I was a young business academic. But its it lives on to various degrees in these countries. future human prosperity depends. sharing of knowledge, the joint building of roots go even further. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was But as a global organizing principle for busi- Rather than viewing environment and economic capacities, the conclusion of national and quite natural for a company and its CEO to ness, the stakeholder concept competed head-on development as competing goals, green stimulus international partnerships and alliances between consider not just shareholders, but everyone who with Chicago University economist Milton Fried- must consider them as complementary and governments, businesses, research institutions as a “stake” in the success of a firm. man’s notion of “shareholder primacy”. It held that supportive of one another. For and academia. A particular That is the core of stakeholder capitalism: it is a “the business of business is business” (or, as he example, in restoration of focus should also be on cities form of capitalism in which companies do not only literally wrote: “the social responsibility of compa- degraded ecosystems such as GREEN TRANSFORMATION and city alliances so as to bring optimize short-term profits for shareholders, but ny is to make profits”) —and the stakeholder forests or coastal and AND TRANSITION about the transformations seek long term value creation, by taking into approach ultimately lost out. agricultural ecosystems one PREDICATES HARMONY needed. account the needs of all their stakeholders, and Shareholder capitalism became the norm can generate near-term BETWEEN THE ECONOMY We will not succeed, unless society at large. across the West as companies globalized, loosen- employment and income while AND SOCIETY we tackle the root causes of This approach was common in the post-war ing their ties with local communities and national at the same time contributing to the sickness upon us – a mere decades in the West, when it became clear that governments, and focusing instead on maximizing longer-term economic tinkering with symptoms or one person or entity could only do well if the whole short-term profits for shareholders in competitive development and environmental sustainability. temporarily curing the sickness will not do. We community and economy functioned. There was a global markets. The COVID-19 pandemic is susceptible to green must respect togetherness of human and nature strong linkage between companies and their At the same time, labor unions, governments, stimulus, in both the scale of investment needed to as well as development and conservation. We community. In Germany, for example, where I was and other civil society stakeholders lost a lot of reignite the global economy and the need to need systemic reforms and policy adjustments in born, it led to the representation of employees on their power and influence, further weakening the transform to environmentally sustainable all fields. Above all, we must create an ecological the board, a tradition that continues today. And, fabric in which a stakeholder model could prosper. economies through an inclusive, low-carbon society based on eco-civilizational precepts! For as sourcing, production, and selling took place It meant that even in those countries that did emission and resilient recovery, buttressed by all this, the world and every single country needs mostly locally or at least regionally, there was a adhere to the stakeholder concept as a governance cultural considerations. effective, open-minded and accountable connection with suppliers and clients as well. principle, other actors got weaker, as companies, Global solidarity is of paramount importance, leadership so as to help save our – only - This fostered a strong sense that local companies and specifically those who prospered in the Third as we cannot defeat the pandemic with a divided planet. Protecting the planet is the most were embedded in their surroundings, and from and Fourth Industrial Revolutions, got stronger. world. We must seize the opportunity to forge a important responsibility humanity has today, that grew a mutual respect between companies common future that belongs to all – irrespective of requiring creative solutions and innovative and local institutions such as government, schools, The Stakeholder Model today: People and age, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity. measures in all areas. and health organizations. It led to a constellation Planet at the center Protecting the planet is the most important of stakeholders that I visualized in my 1971 book Today, the stakeholder concept is ready for a inter-generational responsibility we have today. Modern Company Management in Mechanical comeback, albeit in an updated, more comprehen- A global ecological or biodiversity collapse will Engineering. sive form. We are facing a whole set of social, have immeasurable and irreparable consequences. In subsequent years, the stakeholder concept economic, and health crises, and the best response To prevent this from happening, we need to reset was adopted most prominently in the social to these challenges, would be for all actors in our life in a way that benefits the planet as a democracies of Northern and Western Europe, society to consider more than their narrow and whole. We must promote a planetary conscience including Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Nether- short-term self interest. So what could stakeholder and mindset. lands, Belgium, and Germany. It led there, among capitalism look like today, and how does it differ As a basic step in global cooperation, all other effects, to a tripartite system of collective from the stakeholder management my father’s stakeholder ought to share best practices, labor negotiations including company manage- generation intuitively implemented in the 1960s inventions, innovations and incubation ment, employees, and government. And it contrib- and 1970s? uted to the welfare state in which companies and The most important characteristic of the

C2030 ISSUE 5 – 2021 THE BIG PICTURE 13 大背景 The Global Stakeholder Model The company at the center point Company Image: “Stakeholder Capitalism”, of its stakeholders. •Companies aim to generate an Klaus Schwab and Peter Vanham, Image: Schwab, Modern Company Wiley 2021 Management in Mechanical economic surplus, measurable in Engineering, 1971. profits in the short run, and long-term Profits value creation in the long run •And the overarching goal for the Shareholders international community is to preserve (owners) peace It leads to the stakeholder model as we Economy Lenders know it today, valid anywhere in the world. When the well-being of people and planet are at the center of busi- ness, the four remaining key groups of stakeholders contribute to their better- Civil International ment. As all of these groups and their Society HUMAN EARTH Community Business goals are interconnected. One cannot Purpose Peace State and succeed if the others fail. Customers Society The model is simple, but it immedi- ately reveals why shareholder primacy and state capitalism lead to suboptimal outcomes: They focus on the more granular and exclusive objectives of profits or prosperity in a particular Employees Suppliers company or country rather than the well-being of all people and the planet as a whole. Countries& By contrast, in the stakeholder States model, neither of the more granular Equitable objectives is set aside, but the intercon- Prosperity nectivity and the overarching well-be- natural stakeholders, with people being simply all ing of people and the planet are central, ensuring human individuals and planet being the natural a more harmonious outcome over time. stakeholder model today is that the stakes of our inter-connectedness, environment we all share. It leads to a new stake- If you would like to learn more about the system are now more clearly global. Economies, and the fact that no holder model where those two are at the center. stakeholder model, we invite you to read our book, societies, and the environment are more closely one is safe and well, “Stakeholder Capitalism” (Wiley, January 2021). linked to each other now than 50 years ago. The until everyone is. The Key Stakeholders and Their Objectives: model we present here is therefore fundamentally When the SARS- Profits, Purpose, Prosperity and Peace global in nature, and the two primary stakeholders CoV-2 virus spread To ensure that both people and the planet prosper, are as well. around the planet, it four key stakeholders play a crucial role. They are: This is true first and foremost for the planet. The devastated the governments (of countries, states, and local planet’s health, we now know, is dependent not just livelihoods of communities); civil society (from unions to NGOs, on individual or national decisions but on the sum hundreds of millions from schools and universities to action groups); of decisions made by actors from around the of people and led to companies (constituting the private sector, wheth- world. If we are to safeguard the planet for future death or severe er freelancers or large multinational companies); generations, every stakeholder will therefore need illness for many and the international community (consisting of to take responsibility for its part in it. millions. With the international organizations such as the UN as well What was once seen as externalities in national exception of a few as regional organizations such as the European economic policy making and individual corporate island nations, no border closure was stringent Union or ASEAN). decision making will now need to be incorporated enough to prevent the spread of the disease. All these stakeholders crucially consist of or internalized in the operations of every govern- The extensive spread of Internet technology people and make use of the planet. It is no surprise ment, company, community, and individual. The also makes people around the world more aware then, that they should want to optimize the planet is thus the center of the global economic than ever of the fortunes of people elsewhere. This well-being of all of us as well as that of the environ- This text is adapted from the book “Stakeholder Capitalism: A Global system, and its health should be optimized in the draws attention to global equity, making it an ment. But equally, it should be clear they have Economy that Works for Progress, People and Planet, by Klaus decisions made by all other stakeholders. important objective, perhaps for the first time in specific objectives that make them distinct organ- Schwab with Peter Vanham, and was originally published on January 22nd 2021 by the World Economic Forum on its website www.weforum. The same interconnectedness can be observed history. Indeed, people are social animals, and isms in the first place. org on the occasion of the Davos Agenda 2021, and is republished for the people who live on the planet. The well-be- their absolute well-being is less important than •Governments focus on creating the greatest in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommer- cial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance ing of people in one society affects that of those in their relative well-being. possibly prosperity for the greatest number of with the World Economic Forum’s Terms of Use. another, and it is incumbent on all of us as global Wherever you are in the world, there is thus an people The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and citizens to optimize the well-being of all. Failing to increased consensus that the well-being of peo- •Civil society exists to advance the interest of its not the World Economic Forum. do so will inevitably come back to haunt us. ple—wherever they live—and the planet as a constituents and to give a meaning or purpose to https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/01/ COVID-19 was just one reminder of this global whole matter to all of us. These two elements are its members. klaus-schwab-on-what-is-stakeholder-capitalism-history-relevance/

C2030 ISSUE 5 – 2021 THE BIG PICTURE 15 大背景 already make similar products. does to a Swiss firm. KIBS, their firms could be globally Can Cheap Without monopoly power, recouping Moreover, know-how is key to competitive while providing their the innovation costs will be difficult. implementing any technology, and employees with a higher standard Technology is knowledge that can a lack of it means that the costs of of living, as Indian companies such Countries be used to do things such as machines, materials, and labor can as Wipro and Tata Consultancy produce food, provide easily go to waste. Unfortunately, Services have done. Being cheap is entertainment, or administer justice. know-how moves with enormous no panacea for poorer countries. Catch Up? It takes three forms: embodied difficulty from brain to brain. It is Quite the contrary: it may block the knowledge in tools; codified much easier just to move the brains. door to prosperity by making By Ricardo Hausmann knowledge in formulas, algorithms, Moving brains is a powerful technology, whether tools or recipes, and how-to manuals; and mechanism of technological know-how, relatively more tacit knowledge, or know-how, in the diffusion, as evidence from expensive. But cheapness may leave brains of teams of humans with migration, diasporas, and even open a couple of windows on the Being cheap may narrow poorer constant prices) were over $60,000 complementary skills, like surgeons business travel illustrates. Just look third floor through which poorer countries’ path to prosperity by in Switzerland and the US; over and anesthesiologists. In principle, at the growing importance of countries could find a way to climb. making technology relatively more $50,000 in Australia, Denmark, the codified knowledge is costless to so-called knowledge-intensive expensive. But if these economies Netherlands, and Germany; over reproduce and, absent property business services (KIBS), provided Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2021. could develop the capabilities to $40,000 in France, South Korea, rights, can move around the world by firms like McKinsey & Company, www.project-syndicate.org export knowledge-intensive business and Sweden; over $30,000 in Spain, as quickly as an email. So, this Accenture, Halliburton, or services, their firms could be South Korea, Italy, and Poland; over should not be the reason why poor Schlumberger. But, here again, the globally competitive while providing $20,000 in Greece and Hungary; countries do not catch up. But tools cheaper the country, the more their employees with a higher and over $10,000 in Mexico. are typically produced in rich expensive these services will look. Ricardo Hausmann standard of living. Such differentials suggest there A former minister of plan- countries, which embed the So, the fact that poor countries is a possible alternative universe in ning of Venezuela and knowledge in them, and they are cheap makes it harder for them CAMBRIDGE – Poor countries are which highly productive countries former chief economist account for over 40% of world trade to acquire the technology they need at the Inter-American cheap. In 2019, a dollar could buy pay higher wages and unproductive Development Bank, is a in goods. Because poor countries to catch up. As a result, they remain more than twice as much in countries pay lower wages, so that professor at Harvard’s are cheap, machines look very poor. But maybe there is a way to Argentina, Morocco, South Africa, all goods and services cost the John F. Kennedy School expensive to them: the same turn being cheap into an and Thailand as it could in the same everywhere. It makes sense, of Government and machine appears four times more advantage. If poor countries could Director of the Harvard United States. It could buy more but that is not the world we live in: a Growth Lab costly to an Egyptian firm than it develop the capabilities to export than three times as much in dollar buys more in a poor country Vietnam, India, and Ukraine, and than in a rich one.The standard more than four times as much in economic explanation for this is mobile-phone services, and Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Egypt. that, although poor countries may haircuts, can have very different If a country is cheap, it should be be unproductive across the board, prices in different countries. Such more competitive and thus able to they are particularly unproductive goods and services tend to be catch up with richer economies. In at making things that trade cheaper in poorer countries, fact, many internationally, because these economies are cheap countries THE STANDARD relative to those relatively less unproductive at are falling that do not. But providing them compared to further behind. ECONOMIC how can this tradable goods.This raises the At first EXPLANATION FOR THIS IS explain why poor question of why poor countries are glance, the fact THAT, ALTHOUGH POOR countries are especially unproductive at that poor COUNTRIES MAY BE cheap?The prices producing things that trade countries are UNPRODUCTIVE ACROSS of internationally internationally. The most persuasive cheap is THE BOARD, THEY ARE tradable goods, like answer is that productivity hinges counterintuitive. PARTICULARLY UNPRO- coffee and on technology adoption and If poor countries cellphones, tend to adaptation, which requires figuring are much less DUCTIVE AT MAKING be similar across things out. And the cost of doing productive, THINGS THAT TRADE countries. If the this can be recouped only through a shouldn’t things INTERNATIONALLY, local price is too period of excess profits.In a non- there cost more, RELATIVE TO THOSE high, you might as tradable sector, a pioneer at because it takes THAT DO NOT. well import the adopting a new technology will more time and good. And if the have a monopoly until successful effort to make them?This would be local price is low, people can make imitators emerge, giving the pioneer the case if salaries were the same in more money exporting the product the pricing power to recover the all countries. But they are much than selling it domestically. cost of the innovation. By contrast, lower in poor countries than in rich By contrast, so-called non- a pioneer in a product that trades ones. According to the OECD, tradable goods that can be sold internationally will have to compete average annual wages in 2019 (in only to locals, like cappuccinos, from the start with foreign firms that Illustration by: LAVA Beijing

C2030 ISSUE 5 – 2021 THE BIG PICTURE 17 大背景 Juan Manuel Santos, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is a former president of multiple deprivations, with COVID-19 adding to Poorer countries with the highest initial Multidimen- Colombia (2010-18) and a visiting pro- sional Poverty Index values and countries with low Keeping Poverty fessor at the Department of Internatio- what was already a crushing burden. values tend to have slower absolute reduction rates nal Development, University of Oxford. Using data dating back to 2010, the MPI Sabina Alkire is director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development provides a comprehensive picture of how people Reduction Front Initiative, University of Oxford. experience disadvantages in their daily lives, because it simultaneously measures deprivations in health care, education, and living standards and Center across ten indicators. These data can help us mitigate the pandemic’s burden on the 1.3 billion By Juan Manuel Santos, Sabina Alkire people living in multidimensional poverty, while preventing many others from becoming impoverished. At the national level, governments should consider creating their own country- OXFORD – Today’s pandemic-induced poverty levels significantly within the last decade. specific MPIs to guide effective strategies for humanitarian and economic crisis represents an Moreover, the country that reduced poverty the tackling poverty. unprecedented opportunity to go beyond fastest, Sierra Leone, did so despite the Ebola Dozens of countries around the world already emergency responses and address our economies’ epidemic that began in 2014. have. Of the 47 countries to submit Voluntary structural flaws. Many governments’ stimulus and The risk now is that these gains could be National Reviews at the UN’s High-Level Political recovery packages are already shaping the future. reversed. The COVID-19 crisis requires the Forum this month, 21 mention multidimensional But leaders across all sectors of society should commitment of global and national leaders not poverty. We hope they can wield this powerful tool recognize this moment as a rare chance to build a only to preserve hard-won progress, but also to during the pandemic itself. By emphasizing more inclusive and sustainable world, which will be turn a corner in the global effort to end poverty. support for the most vulnerable today, all countries possible only if we end poverty in all its forms. This will not be easy, given that the pandemic is will be in a stronger position to “build back better” Ending poverty might seem like an impossible exacerbating pre-existing inequalities. after the pandemic. Tackling multidimensional dream, but so did abolishing slavery and ending It is a “myth that we are all in the same boat,” poverty is good for society, and good for peace. apartheid. The launch of the global observed United Nations Secretary General António But to turn a corner on poverty, commitments Multidimensional Poverty Index 2020 can serve as a Guterres this month. “While we are all floating on at the highest levels are essential. During my catalyst. Recently released by the United Nations the same sea, it’s clear that some are in (Santos’s) tenure as president of Colombia, we MPI, is the Multidimensional Poverty Index estimate Development Programme and the Oxford Poverty superyachts while others are clinging to the complemented the peace process with the that is based on harmonized indicator definitions for strict comparability over time. and Human Development Initiative, the MPI shows drifting debris.” It is thus all the more essential that Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) Note: The figure shows te level of multidimensional that 65 of the 75 countries studied reduced their we extend a hand to the poor, who are suffering with a national MPI that focused not just on income poverty in the starting and ending periods of the but also on the additional social deprivations that study. The size of each bubble represents the number of multidimensionally poor people in each year, the were affecting Colombians’ lives. Our MPI, colour indicates the region of the country and the supported by robust data, served as the basis for trend line connecting te bubbles depicts te speed of Under a conservative scenario of the impact of COVID-19 on school attendance and a moderate scenario of the impact on nutrition, reduction. The horizontal placement refers to the simulations indicate that the increase in deprivations because of COVID-19 may set poverty levels back by 9.1 years, with an additional 490 developing concrete programs and policies that years of the surveys. million peole falling into multidemensional poverty succeeded in reducing multidimensional poverty Source: Alkire, Kovesdi, Mitchell and others 2020. from 30.4% to 19.6% within eight years. Countries that do not yet have an official times, humanity has an opportunity to come permanent multidimensional poverty indicator together in solidarity on behalf of those left could explore the global MPI to see if it could behind, and to act with vision and determination to strengthen their own efforts. Either way, all end poverty in all its dimensions everywhere. governments must place human dignity and At the start of this pandemic, our friend capabilities at the center of their recovery Amartya Sen, a Nobel laureate economist, strategies. reminded us of good and bad examples of National governments can’t do this alone, of leadership during times of crisis. He pointed out course. The magnitude of the challenge demands that during WWII, a rationing system in Britain led collective action on the part of businesses, to more equal food distribution, which in turn nongovernmental and civil-society organizations, underpinned a sharp increase in life expectancy – and philanthropists. Now is the time to back words of 6.5 years for men and seven years for women with action. Leaders must demonstrate grit, (up from an increase of only 1.2 and 1.5 years, determination, and endurance, and combine respectively, in the previous decade). boldness with pragmatism. Mobilizing all sectors of The lesson from that experience, and from society around the common cause of ending Sierra Leone’s over the past decade, is that poverty will benefit not just the poor but also the forward-looking, practical, equitable policies broader economy. enacted during times of duress do work. Let us In the wake of World War II, Eleanor Roosevelt hope that today’s leaders recognize the noted that, “We cannot tell from day to day what opportunity in front of them, and adopt the may come. This is no ordinary time. No time for multidimensional metrics needed to seize it. Source: Alkire, No- weighing anything, except what we can best do for gales and others the country as a whole.” In these challenging Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2020. 2020. www.project-syndicate.org

C2030 ISSUE 5 – 2021 THE BIG PICTURE 19 大背景 Redesigning the Welfare State The Small An Interview with Hilary Cottam By Alice Rawsthorn Picture

The pioneering social designer Hilary Cottam started out as a 微 social scientist and worked for the World Bank before conducting Hilary Cottam more than 20 years of practical experiments in applying design to address some of the most complex social and political problems of our time, from long-term unemployment to provision of care for the elderly. Having written about those experiments in her book, Radical Help, Cottam has embarked on an ambitious new project to redesign the welfare state. Her aim, as she explained to Alice 格 Rawsthorn, is to make it fit for purpose in the 21st century, in what she calls the ‘fifth social revolution.’

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AR: How did you discover design and identify way to have lived experience as part of those social revolution, because it’s tied to the idea that it as a useful tool in your work? conversations, and not to flatten out other voices, we’re in a fifth technology revolution. I draw very or to allow certain power to dominate. Design strongly on the work of the brilliant economist, HC: Over 20 years ago, I was working in Africa and provided the vehicle, the Esperanto within which Carlota Perez, who’s been studying technology Latin America. I became obsessed with the failure everyone could come together, and we could revolutions, and the way they manifest themselves, of social programmes and with the way that design something new. So that was one thing. politically and economically. Drawing on her well-meaning people and well-meaning organisa- The second thing is that I’m dedicated to visual framing, we’re in the fifth technology revolution, tions (often trying to solve social problems) always methods of working. I think that if we use visual and I think about what would be a sibling social failed. Or a project might work, and then after a tools and techniques, whether it’s simple drawings system. while it would stop working. or video, we can talk about things that are other- Then there’s a practical piece, which is that it is In Radical Help, I give an example of when I wise difficult to talk about. And most issues to do really important to redesign certain areas: work, worked in the Dominican Republic, and I was asked with welfare and needing help are at some level care and learning are critical. My first project is by its ministry of education to look at why primary shameful or difficult. So, we can merge different about reimagining the future of work. I’ve been school attendance was so low. We were told that stories, which can lead to different solutions. exploring these ideas with communities of people the challenge was that people were hungry and The third thing is that, of course, design is very from different backgrounds: carers, grave diggers, couldn’t afford the mandatory school uniforms. So, closely aligned to technology. And everything I do nuclear weapon makers, digital entrepreneurs. we ran focus groups and is possible because of we heard that yes, of technology, really. At AR: Having done so much research, do you course, uniforms are too Participle, we used really now have a clear vision of the future direction? expensive, and we simple technology Or will you continue the research while haven’t got school meals. – cheap mobile phones formulating it? And duly, new policies and platforms – to upend were designed. Much “THE MASTER’S business models. One of HC: I’m always learning and it’s always iterative. Radical Help: How We Can Remake the later, I went to live in a the tenets of Participle So, definitely, there’s a set of ideas which have Relationships Between Us & Revolutionise the Welfare State, by Hilary Cottam barrio in the Dominican was, let’s design things gone into the practice and will come out different- (2018, Virago); hilarycottam.com Republic, where there TOOLS WILL NEVER that become stronger, ly. But in the paper on the fifth social revolution, was a brilliant school on the more people who use which was recently published by the Institute for the edge, but none of the DISMANTLE them, rather than things Innovation and Public Purpose at University to rethink capitalism. We’ve seen very strong calls people who lived in the that exclude them. College London, I’ve got an idea of a social code. to rethink capitalism, but much less attention on barrio went there. I asked THE MASTER’S Technology made that It’s a design pattern, if you like: what are the five the need to rethink a social settlement. why and they said that possible. principles that could be taken, used and reimag- Part of the idea behind the social revolution is to tie they didn’t have any ined everywhere to underpin this revolution? It them back together, but also to think about what identity cards. It’s very HOUSE” AR: Tell us about your can’t be a blueprint as the last one was, when mass technology makes possible in terms of new ways of complex, why they — AUDRE LORDE new project, about the industrial welfare systems were introduced in the working, and new systems. wouldn’t have had fifth social revolution. mid-20th century and passed down to us. I’m not thinking about how we might have a identity cards. But the good app for healthcare, for example, I’m thinking point is, I needed to find HC: It’s a manifesto for AR: How will the role of technology in this about how health is created in the 21st century, ways that could connect social change, and a call project be different from your Participle and how we support that. When you think like that, real lives as they are to think about connec- experiments, which tended to be communi- you realise that putting more money into a 1950s lived to structures of power, to get out new informa- tions between our social troubles, our economic ty-based? mass industrial health system is not the way to go. tion and to tell different stories, and that’s what and political systems and the climate emergency. first led me into design. It’s a way to think about those three things togeth- HC: Radical Help and the experiments at Participle AR: A parallel phenomenon that I know you er, and how they’re linked. I started work on it were very UK-focused. I was looking very much at care about passionately is the climate emer- AR: How did you integrate design into the before the pandemic but, obviously, it has become the British welfare state. gency. How will it interact with this project? practical experiments you conducted at the even more critical now, when we can see very clear I’m still very embedded in communities here in social enterprise Participle, which you ran for structural inequalities, that the spread of COVID-19 Britain, but one of the things I realised through the HC: The climate emergency is a very good example a decade as a prototyping lab? is linked to the climate emergency and that some reactions to Radical Help was how certain mindsets of the different sorts of problems we face that can’t political systems can react well to support their dominate across Western democracies. I mean, be changed by mass industrial social systems. HC: As the Black feminist Audre Lorde said: ‘The populations in a crisis like this, and others can’t. also, of course, that through colonial patterns, Solving or addressing the climate emergency master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s we’ve exported them to the Global South. How can definitely means macro policy and very different house.’ We needed a different way to work, and AR: What will the methodology of this project we rethink that? participation of citizens in different ways of living, so design brought three things. Firstly, if we think be? It’s incredibly ambitious, though that What’s important about technology it’s not something that can be commanded from on about the complexity of the social challenges we hasn’t frightened you before. is that it changes everything. It changes what we high. It’s very much about our relationships with each face today, we need interdisciplinary teams to see as common sense, the patterns of how we live, other, to nature, and to the economy. That’s why we work together and that, in and of itself, is a chal- HC: There are two main parts, which are intercon- how we parent, how we sleep, how we work. There’s have to change not only what’s on offer, but the way lenge. We need policymakers to work with practi- nected. One is the thinking part, so I’ve been really nothing that isn’t in that transformation that we create it. For me, this pandemic, as difficult tioners, we need economists, we need social thinking and collaborating with lots of people. process. One of the things that has been very clear and tragic as it has been, is just a warm-up for what’s scientists, and so on. But we also need to find a The most important thing is that it’s called the fifth in this pandemic is that people have seen the need coming down the tracks in ten years or less.

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Unless we reintegrate and rethink how we gains: first of all, agrarian workers, then so-called Something else we could talk about which and minds, so we begin to tell a different story about address that in terms of social policy, we’ll be blue-collar workers. Previously many of those gains relates to the social code in the manifesto is that what might be. stuck. This means thinking about how we transition have been made by passing problems elsewhere we’ve also had an explosion of making, repairs and The second group is organised civil society, which is out of dirty work into good green employment and and exploiting other bodies we can’t see. For remaking: whether it is making scrubs as personal very important whether it is in the form of the labour thinking about health systems. I think the National instance, British welfare systems have always protective equipment for frontline health workers, movement, trade unions, or the social movements you’ve Health Service is second only to the aviation imported a workforce: well-trained nurses from or whether it’s bread baking, or, in my case, already referred to: Black Lives Matter and Extinc- industry in terms of its carbon footprint. It’s Zambia, Jamaica and so on. We haven’t asked growing a lot of lettuces. This is really important tion Rebellion being really critical examples. thinking about how all those things are connected ever, or rarely, what we were doing by importing because the fifth social revolution will be made and The third group, I think, is sometimes somewhat and also, of course, harnessing the energy in people trained elsewhere, very highly skilled people remade in every place, things will be shared, overlooked by social campaigners. It’s a group of something like from countries that learning will be shared. But this isn’t something what I call the new industrialists. When you look Extinction Rebellion, need them. In this that’s going to be made in a mass way and then historically, you see that what’s always absolutely or Black Lives Matter, revolution, we have moved down some vertical production line. We’ve critical is that a group of business leaders, usually the kind of move- to think about how seen so much of that in this pandemic. with big businesses at the forefront of new technol- ments that are really we are all connect- ogies, understand (not for philanthropic reasons, absolutely critical to ed, and about AR: There are grounds for optimism. The com- but for reasons of economics) that if they don’t thinking about how raising everybody’s munity support networks you alluded to have shift the model, they won’t be able to grow them- we can have what I “THIS PANDEMIC potential to flourish, strong historic precedents all over the world. In selves. think of as a soft and rather than doing India, where the escalation of COVID-19 infec- Henry Ford is a classic example of the last peaceful revolution. IS JUST A WARM-UP good things in one tions is a huge concern, the situation would be revolution. He realized that if he didn’t pay his space by exporting far worse without the local community work of workers more, there would be no market for his AR: Combating the problem some- women’s self-help groups. They began in the cars. So, he argued (in fact he took his board to inequality and FOR WHAT’S where else. 1918 Bombay Influenzapandemic, that we call court over it) to pay his workers more. Now, Ford injustice has Spanish Flu, when community support groups fed wasn’t a very nice man, I’m sure you know, he also always been COMING” AR: For all the and cared for people throughout the crisis. They shot his workers. But the point is that he under- absolutely funda- anguish, challeng- have done so again with COVID-19. stood why the model had to change. Part of my mental to your es and contradic- work at the moment is a series of conversations work, and this is a tions of lockdown, HC: I love that. One of the things that’s really important with leaders in technology businesses, thinking time when George this has been a in technology revolutions is reinventing old ideas in new about what their role is, not just (although this is Floyd’s tragic time for reflection ways. One thing we’re seeing very strongly is a renewed very important) in terms of good working condi- murder has ignited such powerful responses all for many people. How optimistic are you that interest in cooperatives and commons. The work of the tions and relationships throughout the supply over the world. What will be the role of the fifth those reflections will lead to a positive out- late economist Elinor Ostrom on the commons, for chain, but thinking also much more broadly about social revolution in combating inequality in come, by catalysing change on the massive example, is being linked to the new economic thinking, what the new social contract is. general, and systemic racism in particular? scale you’re advocating? which is exciting. I think And then the fourth something optimistic is going group is the state, HC: That’s such an important question. One thing HC: We’re still in the pandemic, so we don’t know to happen by taking those because it’s clear that the is that our current systems can’t see some of those what is going to happen. One thing I think that’s ideas and reinterpreting state is the head garden- structural inequalities. In this pandemic, the extent been really, really important is that we’ve had a them. But, of course, we need er that sets out the of structural inequality has been made very sort of explosion of new relationships. We have other structural change, and “UPPER MIDDLE framework, which is evident: who can work at home; who can’t; who are really come together to help one another, whether it’s going to happen by needed to adopt the dying more than others, and so on. I think that’s that’s by making masks or leaning over the fence to design and by effort. That’s CLASS PEOPLE HAD social code. Lots of the really brought home to many of us who couldn’t have a chat. This has happened in small, local the challenge. work I’ve written about is see it before that not everyone is taken care of, and ways, which work much better. We got to know one TO REALISE THAT obviously collaborative, that we need to think, again, because a lot of those another again and forge new relationships. We’re AR: So how will it happen it’s not just something I inequalities weren’t addressed in the kind of not going to forget our experience of participation by design, Hilary? POVERTY WASN’T dreamt up myself. But if post-war welfare systems we’ve got in western or that we have got to know our neighbours. It’s not the state doesn’t say that Europe. One of the things about those systems is that I expect all the small mutual aid groups that HC: The first thing is that DUE TO LAZINESS” this is the direction of that they’re very proud of treating everybody have flourished in Britain and other places to last, when you look historically, travel, this is where equally or of aspiring to. I think we understand now but I think the experience will last just as it did in you can see that to enable investment will go, as that treating everybody equally is entrenching the case of the Second World War. It was funda- deep social transition (I call it happened after the inequality because we’re not all equal, and that it’s mental to the experience of war, whether on the a revolution because it’s a Second World War, then it very complex, the way that ethnicity, gender, front or at home, for people from different classes paradigm change, an becomes very, very poverty, all these issues are interconnected. If we to get together. absolute moment of break difficult to actually shift don’t understand that, we can’t see that ‘one size Upper middle class people, in particular, had to and rebirth), four sets of systems. The challenge, of fits all’ is not going to address those problems. realise that poverty wasn’t due to laziness, but actors were needed every course, is that we’ve got a That’s very important. because structurally it was impossible to get on. time. The first group is of what I call organic intellectuals. mass production state: very, very hierarchical, very The other thing we have to address is that, as That led to a deep rethinking about our society, I call them that in a Gramscian sense, because I don’t vertically stratified, which in itself needs to under- Carlota Perez shows very clearly, when you have a and what was needed. We’ve had that experience just mean people in universities, I mean people with big go a form of revolution in order to help this process technology revolution, a certain class always now. ideas that can connect to practice and connect to hearts along. Some countries, such as New Zealand, are

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thinking very radically about this. Whereas, it. It works (and this is what the fifth social revolu- AR: You have described your vision eloquently generative economy; where there’s no good work, unfortunately, in Britain, we’re seeing a lot of state tion is about) by reconnecting the economy with and precisely. What are the main obstacles to for example. We can’t have that, and that’s why the money move without any idea of what the transi- society and rethinking the purpose of that econo- achieving it? first project I’ve been working on is around work, a tion needs to be to achieve a more just society but my. fundamental hinge between economy and society. also critically to address the climate emergency. If we think that the purpose of the economy is HC: There are so many obstacles. It’s a game of to use people to create GDP and ever-growing two halves. There’s so much extraordinary practice AR: What is success going to look like? AR: Indeed. If we go back to your third group of wealth, then we’re going to always need some sort already happening. I take inspiration from that, new industrialists. Do you have any evidence of desperate sticking plaster solution and most whether it’s in Barrow-in-Furness, or Wigan, or East HC: There are various levels of success. Success that the attitudes and motivation of this group people are not going to be able to thrive. If we think Ayrshire in this country. But then we have the will be that we can flourish, that we see flourishing has changed? You describe Henry Ford as a that the purpose of the economy is to create the enormous challenge of an over-centralised state all around us, which we don’t see now. We man- super dynamic rapscallion, who decided to pay conditions for human and natural flourishing, then that is unable and unwilling to either use its aged, for instance, to take many homeless people his workers more out of naked financial self-in- we begin to think very differently. centralised power to really think about macro-level off the streets during the COVID-19 lockdown, but terest, rather than, say, the Keynesian belief The question is, where are the new industrialists investment and the green transition, or to cede all around us, we see evidence of human waste that by creating a more prosperous society, who are thinking radically differently about their power socially so that people can find their own rather than human flourishing and our inability to you can also create a fairer, juster, better roles as capitalists, not about ‘get rich and give ways to flourish. That’s the big challenge, really. support people to grow. That’s one thing. educated and more productive one. Do you back’? But really, how do we rethink the economy? I think of it visually. We have got extremely Connecting to nature, in the widest possible believe that today’s new industrialists are still I’m having a series of conversations about this. I strong, vertical, top-to bottom systems. And the sense, so there is natural flourishing and our planet motivated by financial self-interest, or does the had a conversation at the World Economic Forum’s fifth social revolution is all about turning that on its is flourishing. Then we’ll have re-geared our work of, say, Bill Gates point to a more pro- meeting in Davos this year with Satya Nadella, side and building really, really strong mycelium-like economies to support people and the planet to found commitment to philanthropy and to the chief executive officer of Microsoft and with Ajay networks like horizontal systems. The challenge is flourish. I think, ultimately, we will tell this new greater good? Singh Banga, president and chief executive officer how we go about doing that. We can see it hap- story, we will have transition and we’ll be address- of MasterCard. It’s interesting to see how far they pening in local government here in ing structural inequalities, but unlike the last HC: I don’t want to speak out against the great Bill can go and where the gaps still are. Rebecca Solnit Britain, and in different places around the world revolution, these things won’t be done to us, but by Gates, but what I’m interested in is not his model. has written about the privatized heart, and it’s (you’ve referred to India), often through necessity. us. We’ll be making and designing this revolution I’m not interested in people who make a lot of quite difficult for many of us now to think about But it is still a very big challenge to consider how ourselves and will be part of it. That’s the shift in money, and then become philanthropists. Not that this as a collective endeavour rather than just the we begin to shift that mindset to think about those power, and the shift in making in the story of their money isn’t needed, but a just society doesn’t endeavour of the firm or the endeavour of the great horizontal systems, rather than patching in this design, that is at the heart of this fifth social work that way. leader. It’s much bigger than that. vertical way. revolution. It doesn’t work to have some form of economy that creates all sorts of problems, and later, you AR: Could you describe one of the programmes This is part of the full interview appeared in the October 2020 have the great Band-Aid approach that tries to fix that gives you cause for hope? issue of Wallpaper*, guest edited by Design Emergency, a project by Alice Rawsthorn and Paola Antonelli. HC: What gives me cause for hope is that, if I think about what’s happened in this pandemic, there are lots of places, not everywhere, but lots of places where not only has civil society mobilised all the support groups we’ve talked about, but that government and statutory services – social work, education, police, and so on – have thought about how they can join in. They’ve literally taken off their lanyards and their labels, and they’ve ditched all “WE’LL BE MAKING AND the regulations about ‘Do you have the right needs?’, and they’ve thought: ‘Well, here we are, together in our community, what’s in front of us? DESIGNING THIS What are we going to do?’ We’ve seen this really strongly in Barrow-in- Furness, for example. We’ve seen it in East Ayrshire as well. What’s really exciting is that it should be possible to continue REVOLUTION OURSELVES that work, and we’re thinking about how to do that. Very often, top-down regulations are the biggest limitation. And how do we link that thinking to the thinking AND WILL BE PART OF IT” of a new economy? How do we think about a generative economy in all of those local places to support the changes? What we can’t have is what we’ve had for too long: really good social innova- tions in places where there’s no good, thriving

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 THE SMALL PICTURE 27 微格局 Michael Maltzan VinziRast, Vienna

What It Takes to Make a Home, Film still © CCA What It Takes to

Alexander Hagner Star Apartments, Los Angeles Make a Home What It Takes to Make a Home, Film stills © CCA By Julia Albani, CCA

Architecture is a way of reading and redefining the the perspectives of those who have experienced— exceptional because it provides a prototype for a integrates, in some way, these communities with present, the society in which we are living and and who are experiencing—homelessness new form of community, where students and the rest of the city as a whole? working. At the CCA, all our exhibitions, books, firsthand, giving them space to convey their individuals formerly without homes live together. —Yes. There is this stigmatization, and I don’t research and public programs extend from this everyday challenges and larger experiences. Maltzan, on the other hand, believes that want to have it visible in the design. I hate to do a premise. So, if we want to read the world through distinctive architecture has the capacity to bring special kind of architecture for special parts of architecture, we have to decide what we are "Home is really complicated. I really feel that I value to spaces designed for vulnerable society. I hate that. But I try to use our design to looking for. have been able to find solace in community, the individuals. Star Apartments, a mixed-use complex make it not special, so that the stigmatization will With the short documentary film What It Takes people that make me feel safe. I’ve never felt safe in featured in the film that provides 102 apartments not grow any longer if we start to do our work. to Make a Home (2019, 29 min), we looked at the a place that’s enclosed by four walls. If anything, I for inhabitants who previously did not have We were criticized that we were doing a human opening questions carefully, and tried to cast new feel like a rectangle that defines a space as home dependable shelter, is one of several projects he experiment here. Students and homeless living light on the ways architecture enters the wider has more defined a space where violence occurs, has realized with Los Angeles’s Skid Row Housing together? But this is not about creating something social, economic, and political contexts reshaping where displacement occurs. So I’ve had to learn Trust. For Maltzan, developing multiple models of special. The project is about designing a urban life today. This film is the first in a three-part how to cope with this idea that the navigation of signature housing over time can draw needed togetherness. series we started to explore intersecting social going from one space to the next has been home." attention, pushing cities to face housing insecurity —Well, one of the criticisms I heard—often— conditions—loneliness, migration, segregation, Kevin Recinos, life skills coordinator at Safe Parking more productively. was, why are you building something that’s so nice and aging. In each episode we look through the Los Angeles Both Maltzan and Hagner search for long-term for the homeless community? And what I think is lens of selected architectural projects at the global strategies for housing rather than propose ad hoc really at stake there is that architecture having a scope as well as the local specificities of particular In pairing Vienna and Los Angeles, the solutions. In this sense, the film contrasts the strong aesthetic is a tool to say that homelessness changes to lifestyles and demographics and the documentary begins to unpack the complexities of specific, material work that architects can do cannot be an anonymous problem. The aesthetics challenges they pose to urban societies and their the problem: homelessness takes both familiar and against conditions that architecture alone cannot of architecture set up the dialogue. It’s the way spatial configurations. unexpected forms, demanding responses that take possibly fix. that architecture communicates. The people who into account not only human spatial requirements are living in this building, they are part of the The first episode: but also emotional needs. While pointing to the —When people think of architecture and larger citizenry of the city. And there’s a real What It Takes to Make a Home lack of affordable housing globally, the film asks homelessness, they think of shelters. quality and value to that community. what role architecture can have in destigmatizing —Yep. Michael Maltzan and Alexander Hagner Rather than survey attempts at architectural the experience of housing insecurity and —And the idea of shelter is good, trying to get solutions to homelessness and housing insecurity, establishing what a home might be. someone off the streets for a day, or maybe a Following screenings at film festivals and the documentary introduces the attitudes of two For Hagner, creating architecture for only a week. But the downside is that people almost institutions worldwide, including at the United architects whose work directly engages these particular segment of society emphasizes always return to the street. Nations headquarters in New York City as part of issues: Michael Maltzan, based in Los Angeles, and difference and reinforces stigmatization. His I think that’s an important thing to put on the the 58th Session of the Commission for Social Alexander Hagner, based in Vienna. The film VinziRast-mittendrin housing project in Vienna table—are these for a special community, or are Development, we now have published the film on interweaves a conversation between the two with intentionally blends into the urban fabric; it is you really trying to make something that cca.qc.ca/tomakeahome.

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 THE SMALL PICTURE 29 微格局 Next episodes in the series When We Live Alone (2020, 27 min)—to premier WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO this summer—, explores the ways in which we live alone, together in contemporary cities. The unprecedented rise of urban dwellers living on their own challenges normative ideas about home, LIVE IN THE CITY WITHOUT and raises questions about how this might affect cities as a whole. While the causes of living alone seem apparent—shifting social values, the flexibilization of labour, new demographics, A PLACE YOU CAN CALL increased wealth, and changes to normative gender roles, to name a few—their effects on society and its spatial configurations remain YOUR OWN? WHAT ROLE uncertain. The film interrogates this new urban condition, offering glimpses into the lives of individuals inhabiting singleton homes and the extended CAN ARCHITECTS HAVE domestic sphere. Urban dwellers living on their own, architect Takahashi Ippei, and sociologist Yoshikazu Nango navigate the audience through a series of sole spaces in Tokyo. If living alone is our IN ADDRESSING HOME- new reality, the film asks what does it look like? The third and last film in the series —to be released in 2022— will address another challenge: our growing aging society. LESSNESS? AND HOW CAN The three films follow the same lines of investigation as our one-year research project titled Catching Up With Life (2021-2022), through CITIES BECOME A BETTER which we explore new behaviors, rituals, and values and their spatial implications, to catalyze urban and architectural interventions that accommodate, influence, and, in some cases, HOME FOR ALL? pre-empt our new lived realities. The series is conceived by Giovanna Borasi, an architect, editor, and curator, who has been the Director of the CCA since 2020, and directed by Daniel Schwartz, a filmmaker and artist whose work focuses on urban transformation from spatial, social, and political perspectives. Documentary film has begun to play a key role as a curatorial tool for us at the CCA, that allow us to reach our globally dispersed audiences and to catalyze conversations around fundamental social issues today.

The Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) is an international research institution and museum premised on the belief that architecture is a public concern. The CCA produces exhibitions and publications, develops and shares its collection as a resource, advance research, offer public programs, and host a range of other activities driven by a curiosity about how architecture shapes—and might reshape—contemporary life. Founded as a new type of cultural institution by Phyllis Lambert in 1979, the CCA is currently directed by Giovanna Borasi.

cca.qc.ca

When We Live Alone, 2020. Film still © CCA

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 THE SMALL PICTURE 31 微格局 Digital Transformation How Two Doctors INTERVIEW — SEHAT KAHANI of Technical and Designed a Vital Vocational Education Telemedicine Service in Indonesia for Pakistan By Alice Rawsthorn An Interview with Sara Saeed Khurram and Iffat Zafar Aga

The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly she started to provide online teaching completed her Master’s degree in the Pakistan is a country of 200 million people, less accelerated digital transformation in materials in the form of a tutorial United States, to ILO Jakarta. than half of whom have access to a doctor. Two the world of education and training, video that she produced after “Online training is not only Pakistani doctors, Sara Saeed Khurram and Iffat including for instructors of Technical participating in the ILO training, and relevant as an emergency response Zafar Aga, decided to tackle this problem by and Vocational Education and started to use Google Form during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it designing a telemedicine service, Sehat Kahani, Training (TVET) Centers, or Balai application for her tests. is the future of training in BLK,” said whereby female doctors who, like them, had Latihan Kerja (BLK), in Indonesia. The obstacles to digitization are Irma. “Online training will increase stopped practicing to focus on their families, can Thanks to a training organized in still very high though, due to access to and the capacity of work from home to treat patients in local clinics on 2020 by the International Labour inadequate internet infrastructure in training [in BLK],” Wiwiek added in live video links or apps. Founded three years ago, Organization (ILO) in collaboration their regions: no internet networks the same interview with ILO. Sehat Kahani, which means ‘Story of Health’ in with the Ministry of Manpower and available often require for instructors Another incumbent obstacle to Urdu, now operates throughout Pakistan. The two Skilvul, a technology education to use their phones’ wifi hotspots. digitization is the lack of technical founders told Alice Rawsthorn how, having made platform, Irma Adyatni and Wiwiek Nonetheless, both Irma and instructions from the Ministry of an important contribution to the COVID-19 relief Hayyin, both 38 years old, are Wiwiek -despite being 1,450 Manpower regarding online and effort, their project now has the public awareness among the 180 BLK instructors kilometres apart- are determined to hybrid learning. On this point and political support required to accelerate its pioneering the transformation of start a digital transformation at their Fauziah, Director of Instructors and future growth, serving as an inspiring example of digital training in their regions. respective BLKs, planning to create a Training Personnel at the Directorate telemedicine’s potential to improve access to Irma Adyatni works as an Learning Management System (LMS) General of Training and Productivity healthcare in countries where it is urgently needed instructor at BLK Tanjung, Tabalong, which will further strengthen the Development at the Ministry of South Kalimantan, and teaches 32 digital transformation. Manpower, reported to ILO that AR: Why did you found Sehat Kahani? students in two classes on local food For the short term, for example, technical guidelines are currently SSK: It evolved around two major health issues. processing: making bread using Irma intends to upload training being developed, and will become a The first is very connected to my and Iffat’s lives yellow squash and processing materials on agricultural product benchmark for future instructors and – the issue of doctors’ rights. Pakistan has a total “tempeh” from rubber seeds. For her processing to cloud computing provide guidance on the medical workforce of 170,000 doctors. Female training, she provided the training services. The goal is to make them implementation of effective digital doctors make up around 60 to 70 per cent of the materials through easily accessible to training. total medical workforce, which is a great thing, but, Google Classroom students or other This would hopefully further unfortunately, only 23 percent of them are current- application, and ONLINE TRAINING IS instructors. accelerate the transformation of ly registered with the Pakistan Medical & Dental for quizzes she NOT ONLY RELEVANT Meanwhile, for the digital training in Indonesia, Council and work, which means that 70,000 to chose gamification AS AN EMERGENCY longer term, she especially in BLKs, to reach even 80,000 doctors are missing from Pakistan’s health methods using RESPONSE DURING wants to use AR wider participation from all over the ecosystem. Quizzizz THE COVID-19 (Augmented Reality) country. This happens because of what we call ‘doctor application to PANDEMIC, BUT IT IS technology to This programme was carried out brides’, in that parents in our country want their make the tests explain food safety by the ILO through the Women’s daughters to become doctors, not for them to serve more challenging THE FUTURE OF in her class. Workforce Readiness and communities as physicians, but for them to have and interesting, TRAINING “The use of AR Development Programme in STEM better hands in marriage. If you’re a woman in stating that the technology can ease funded by J.P. The Morgan Chase Pakistan, if you’re a doctor, if you’re tall, if you’re participants to her classes preferred and optimize student’s understanding Foundation, seeking to provide thin, if you’re pretty, you make the perfect pack- to take tests online rather than on of training materials. By using AR to women in Thailand, Indonesia and age for an arranged marriage. paper. deliver room sanitation topic, for the Philippines with training in The second problem is very close to our hearts Meanwhile, Wiwiek Hayyin is an instance, will enable students to non-technical and technical skills – the inaccessibility of healthcare in this country. Information and Communication physically see bad microbes, which related to STEM, employability and Over half the population don’t have access to the Technology (ICT) instructor from BLK then help them to understand and leadership. help of qualified doctors and go to quacks, faith Pekalongan. Even though the training conduct proper sanitation healers or midwives and nurses instead. While in her BLK is still carried out offline, techniques” said Irma, who there are a lot of problems in the healthcare

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 THE SMALL PICTURE 33 微格局 INTERVIEW — SEHAT KAHANI INTERVIEW — SEHAT KAHANI infrastructure, we believe that the inability of our When we started opening clinics with nurses medical workforce to work to its full potential working as intermediaries and helping the patients contributes a lot to preventing the majority of the to connect to female doctors, one of the things people in Pakistan from having access to health- that worked in our favour is that when women and care. children came in, they saw families getting Iffat and I both went through the doctor bride consultations from a female nurse and a female issue. When I had a small daughter, I couldn’t work doctor. So, there was limited male involvement in and fell into postpartum depression, and Iffat lost those clinics. her baby in a premature birth so left her job. The But as Sehat Kahani evolved, we added a next time she conceived, she thought that she mobile app to our service, to make it better suited might lose the baby again. We felt that so many to the mass market. Interestingly, 70 per cent of female doctors in Pakistan go through these the market for our app are male patients, who are traumas, that we could help by making provision consulting female doctors and seem pretty happy for them to practise from their homes and to use about it. Yes, there are some issues, such as sex telemedicine technology to connect to patients in issues, urological issues, and psychological issues communities where doctors are not accessible. for which we also need male doctors. And we That’s how Sehat Kahani came into being. employ male doctors specifically for them. But, generally, we’ve seen that men are AR: What difficulties have you more comfortable for themselves had to overcome since founding DESIGN HAS BEEN and their families to consult female Sehat Kahani three years ago? AN ESSENTIAL PART OF doctors, than to see male doctors. IZA: There were a lot of challenges. HOW WE HAVE When we presented the concept, DEVELOPED EACH AND AR: What was the role of design some people said it wouldn’t work. EVERY SERVICE, AND in Sehat Kahani’s development? Telemedicine had come into EACH AND EVERY SSK: Design has been an essential Pakistan in the late 1990s, but most part of how we have developed of those programmes were funded PRODUCT each and every service, and each by donors. There were questions as and every product. We were very to whether people would pay for telemedicine, how lucky in being associated with a lot of programmes the system would work and whether patients would that taught us about design. For example, we were trust a doctor they could only meet online. part of the Spring Accelerator programme, which were brimming with COVID-19 patients, what would We created as much outreach as possible for When we started reaching out to the right kind supports businesses whose products and services happen to patients who wouldn’t be able to get out our services, so that anyone who picked up a of communities for us to work with, it required a lot promise to improve the lives of adolescent girls. of their homes? What about the women and phone could contact a doctor using the Sehat of education from our end to convince people that Spring Accelerator conducted external research in children, and the chronic cases who would need Kahani app. And because of this, we went from they would benefit from the initiative. our communities to find out what healthcare help and wouldn’t be able to go to hospital? seeing 12 to 15 patients a day on our app, to 700 or In the early days we’d sit on the floor with services our patients would look for from a one- Within our company, there was a very interest- 800 patients a day: one in ten of them were women from those communities and explain what stop shop. Through this, we learned that women ing scenario where our original base, the telemedi- suffering from COVID-19. There was also a first-time the service would be like for them, that the doctors were not only looking to access general physi- cine clinics, had to close down because of the mother who went into labour at 4am, whose lived in the city and had all graduated from cians, but as many healthcare services as is lockdown. We had a young app that had only husband was in Dubai working. She was all alone prestigious hospitals. These were the challenges, possible under one roof. So, for example, our been on the market for six months and was used at home and didn’t know what to do. A Sehat but over time, we’ve overcome them and learned a community clinics now also offer access to by around 15 to 20 patients a day, and we had a Kahani doctor helped her get to a tertiary care lot along the way. ultrasound specialists on designated days. corporate-care solution that was being used by six facility for delivery. We had a 70-year-old man who We also learned that mental health is a very to seven corporates. We thought that either we can suffered from cardiac failure in Balochistan, a very AR: Was it also challenging for you to operate important problem faced by people in Pakistan, be agile and use this opportunity to provide remote area of Pakistan with poor healthcare as an all-female team of doctors? whether we’re talking about low-income communi- healthcare to a lot of people, or we can sit around access. We were able to diagnose from his symp- SSK: Yes, because Pakistan is still a patriarchal ties or high-income communities. While the and wait for the telemedicine clinics to open again. toms that he was going through cardiac failure. country, and many people still think that women problems are the same in those communities, the We chose the first option. We put all our energy We had several mental health issues coming up on are not able to do a lot of things. But one thing way they are manifested can be very different and into our telemedicine app and went full force in our app because of the lockdown and the econom- that has gone in our favour is that medicine is through these various design techniques we have making sure that it would be there whenever a ic crisis, and we were able to help those patients. I considered to be a noble profession in Pakistan, been able to constantly evolve our services to patient needed a consultation with an online think this changed the course for Pakistan in terms and while many female patients feel uncomfort- better suit the users. doctor. And we started working towards that by of digital healthcare and for Sehat Kahani as a able going to male doctors, we don’t see male creating highly subsidised packages for our company. patients being as uncomfortable about female AR: How has Sehat Kahani responded to the corporates and making our retail Sehat Kahani doctors, because they respect the profession. We COVID-19 crisis in Pakistan? app free for all patients. We partnered with the AR: How did you restructure Sehat Kahani, and started Sehat Kahani with the idea of creating SSK: When COVID-19 happened, we were scared federal government of Pakistan and provincial hire more doctors, to manage such a signifi- telemedicine clinics in low-income communities, that as we don’t have a very robust healthcare governments, and we partnered with corporates cant expansion in so short a period of time? which are majorly patriarchal in nature, with the system, it is very difficult for a country like ours to and NGOs to provide healthcare services to IZA: We already had a network of 1,500 physi- men taking all the decisions. cope with this additional stress. When hospitals everyone who needed them. cians. The idea is that they become part of our

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 THE SMALL PICTURE 35 微格局 INTERVIEW — SEHAT KAHANI COVID-19 Widens bigger network where they engage in training and AR: How do you plan to develop the services health education, so it has been a matter of you offer? mobilising the doctors from that pool whenever we IZA: We’re always looking for new avenues. The Existing Gender needed them. idea is that for this year, we want to focus on As Sara explained, when we started doing so expanding the mobile app services. Right now, many more consultations, we had to mobilise up we’re focusing on Pakistan, but we’re looking at Inequalities to 200 additional doctors to work on the app. At scaling them in other countries too. We also see a one point, we had somewhere around 300 to 350 huge opportunity in creating versions of the same doctors working on it. They were ready to serve app to be used by various healthcare facilities, by A new research brief published in Barcucci, ILO Vietnam Labour unstable employment and trained for the core protocols. That’s how we tertiary care hospitals, for example. And there are March 2021 by the International Economist, lead author of the arrangements, are particularly were able to adapt so quickly. other areas of healthcare we can delve into. Labour Organization (ILO) in Viet research. likely to have left the labour force. Whenever a doctor becomes a part of the Sehat Nam shows that the COVID-19 Female workers were Women’s working hours Kahani network, they go through extensive AR: And how do you plan to take advantage of pandemic has not only exacerbated overrepresented in vulnerable recovered faster then man, however training, which not only involves telemedicine, but the new political support for your work and the existing inequalities, but also employment, particularly in this was possibly due to the need to how they can meet patients’ needs using software. growing awareness of it? created new gender gaps. contributing family work. They work longer hours in order to They were all trained for COVID protocols, which SSK: We’ll be talking to governments about a Despite a remarkably high earned less than men (by 13.7 per make-up for the income losses in the evolve as government protocols change. We were proper digital health policy, or for regulation or labour market participation rate cent on monthly wages in 2019), second quarter. These elements constantly upgrading those protocols, and all the guidelines for digital health in the country. In order (more than 70 per cent of Vietnam’s despite comparable working hours suggest that the pandemic might primary healthcare issues we could foresee for any service to be legitimate, there has to be a working-age women are in the and the progressive elimination of have made women’s double burden through the mobile app. For example, we have had policy or guidelines, which unfortunately are labour force, compared to the gender gaps in educational heavier than before the crisis hit. instances where suicidal patients have ended up missing in Pakistan at the moment. We’re raising global level of 47.2 per cent and the attainment. The impact of COVID-19 on Viet calling general physicians and not mental health our voices on as many government, federal and average of 43.9 per cent in Asia and Women were also Nam’s labour market has not only experts, so the general physicians also need to be provincial platforms as possible about this. the Pacific), women in Vietnam face underrepresented in decision- widened existing inequalities, but trained to recognise that those cases need to be The second thing is that working with the multiple and persistent labour making jobs. They accounted for also created new ones. Before the referred to specialists. government has given us credibility, so a lot of market inequalities, and carry a nearly half of the labour force, but pandemic, there was no difference physicians want to come and work with us to set disproportionate double burden of less than one fourth of overall between male and female AR: What impact will your experience of up virtual clinics using our mobile app. We are also work and family responsibilities. management roles. unemployment rate, but a gap COVID-19 have on Sehat Kahani going forward? having conversations with the government about The research indicated that the “Again the gap women face in appeared from the third quarter of SSK: COVID has taught us a lot of things. Technol- upgrading basic health units into telemedicine high labour force participation of job quality and career development 2020. ogy adoption in the country was extremely poor, or units. There are currently 6,000 to 7,000 units in women in Viet Nam should not be stems from the double burden they “While at the policy level, the not at the standard we would have expected. We Pakistan that are dormant and without doctors but interpreted as an indicator of equal carry,” said Barcucci. “They spend 2019 Labour Code [that came into thought it would take another three to four could be upgraded. Of course, these will have to opportunity. In fact, high labour twice as many hours on household effect on the 1st January of 2021] years for people to really believe in the power of start as small pilot projects that can be upscaled if force participation and low work than men.” has opened opportunities to close technology, and in the power of telemedicine. But they show promise. Right now, one out of three unemployment mask relatively COVID-19 has not only such gender gaps, for example in COVID has made people in Pakistan understand its people in Pakistan has access to a doctor. We can poorer employment quality for exacerbated existing labour market retirement age or removing the ban value. Our conversations with corporate partners, change that to two out of three. women. inequalities, but it has created new on female employment in certain governments and stakeholders about telemedicine We also see ourselves as a telemedicine “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, ones. Women faced an especially occupations, a much more difficult being the future of healthcare have become really platform that can use Pakistani doctors to help both women and men had a severe reduction in working hours task still awaits Viet Nam. That is easy. Corporates are subscribing every day. The other countries with limited access to healthcare. relatively easy access to jobs, but during the second quarter of 2020. changing the mind sets of the fact that the federal and provincial governments Bangladesh, for example, but also countries in the quality of such jobs was on They left the labour market in larger Vietnamese men and women partnered with a start-up to provide telemedicine Africa and Latin America. Our network of doctors average lower among women than shares than men. Younger and older themselves which will in turn services shows that even the government realises and our telemedicine platform can be solutions for among men,” said Valentina women, typically holding the most influence their behaviours in the the value of digital healthcare. them, rather than just for Pakistan. labour market.” said ILO Viet Nam When we talk about the future of healthcare in Director, Chang-Hee Lee. a country where the resources are so limited and Viet Nam’s Socio Economic the healthcare infrastructure is broken, telemedi- Development Strategy for 2021-30 is cine can play a very important role. Public health- expected to call for gender gaps to care is structured in Pakistan, much like in the UK. be reduced across several areas of The patient goes to a basic healthcare unit, from the political, economic, and social there to a secondary health unit and then to a sehatkahani.com lives of citizens. If this goal is to be tertiary unit. What if we change all the basic This interview appeared in the October achieved, a genuine process of health units into telemedicine units, so that each 2020 issue of Wallpaper*, guest edited challenging and eradicating patient is seen by a virtual telemedicine physician by Design Emergency, a project by Alice traditional gender inequalities rather than a nurse or a midwife? How many Rawsthorn and Paola Antonelli needs to begin. patients could you help in their communities with primary healthcare problems by doing that? This is a conversation that’s very easy to have with the government now, compared to before.

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 THE SMALL PICTURE 37 微格局 in her entire life, approximately the Lua Pad Project: amount of 150 kg of plastic. A core aspect of the project is furthermore its social sustainability: Facing Period Poverty reducing period poverty and the accessibility to menstruation products and enhancing the through Waste Reduction and menstruation health management by raising awareness and promot- ing education during gatherings Gender Equity and conversations with women and girls of the villages. By Anna Orlando The project has been approved by the National Commission of Indigenous People (NCIP), the Around the globe, more than 800 women that have accessibility to chores for the whole week, letting agency of the national government million women menstruate every products and facilities and dimin- the men take care of the family. of the Philippines that is responsible day and at least five hundred ishing waste production by single Due to lack of money and for protecting the rights of the in- million of those lack adequate use pads in all segments of society. physical remoteness, women mostly digenous peoples of the Philippines, resources, including supplies, The first country addressed is use makeshift materials like leaves, that didn’t see any harm in the education and facilities for manag- Philippines, in particular the rice bags and fabric scraps to objective and the implications of ing their periods. indigenous women of the Mangyan absorb the menstrual blood, and the project’s donation. Practical consequences of the minority of the island of Mindoro when they can afford the plastic Lua is now present in Philippines societal and cultural stigma can be and one tribe in Palawan. Mangyan pads they use each pad for 24 and Colombia and the long-term astonishing: worldwide, girls often communities live in remote areas, hours, both methods causing target is for its rawashable sanitary skip and abandon school since they especially on the mountains, and infections and discomfort. In the pads to be sold worldwide to all cannot attend school during are mostly sustaining themselves as latter case the used pads, instead women who can afford their cost, menstruation days; in the poorest hunter gatherers. Interviews and of being burnt – as it is habit for and with such proceeds produce countries, less than half of all research have been conducted in these communities for the majority and donate the same quantity of schools and public places of plastic waste - are buried the pads sold to women in need. have working toilets and half under the ground of the forest of them have running water, due to menstrual taboos, that means no proper places polluting ground and ground- and disposal bins to change water. the menstrual pads. The lack Besides, family men manage of toilets intensifies a related the money for the menstrual hygiene problem, the world- products and oblige women wide misconception that and girls to avoid touching bathing while menstruating water or grow and sell vegeta- can lead to various diseases bles for the duration of their and infertility. Most women period. Many women and girls are lacking in education about confess hiding their menstrua- menstruation, believing it’s a tions in order to be able to disease when the first men- conduct a normal life. arche arrives. Other issues not The Lua rewashable sanitary to be forgotten may be the transac- the villages, pointing out that pads are a pragmatic solution for tional sex to buy goods such as menstruations were always followed all the women in need and have sanitary products and rituals that by stigma and lack of hygiene. been prototyped with various exile girls from society during Superstitions about the period are materials, from anti leak material menstruation (i.e. chaupadi, Nepal). such that a menstruating woman is coming from used umbrellas to used Such rooted stigma marginalizes believed to make vegetable rot by cotton t-shirts. Prototypes have LuaPad Project was initiated by Anna Orlando, Italian architect and building engineer, and menstruation and, through the her simple touch, that the man that been enhanced during time through Cindy Suaza, Colombian Doctor in political fragility of women’s health and will put his lap on her legs would a trial-error process made possible science specialized in gender equity, and with the precious support of Melody Ledesma, a safety, enhances the conditions of become bold, and that she is not by the feedback and inputs of the brilliant local of Puerto Galera. The project has poverty while diminishing their life allowed to wash herself for the women and girls of the villages. been developed during the COVID-19 pandem- opportunities. ic in Mindoro island where they were living since whole week. Women spend all their The reduction of menstruation before the lockdown and working on WASH The aim of Lua Pad Project is to time at home, mostly in their beds, waste brings to environmental projects for remote elementary schools of the tackle period poverty and menstrual in the discomfort of not being able sustainability, moving up in the native communities, as well as coordinating COVID-19 masks donation and food donations. health management while raising to protect themselves, with two or waste management hierarchy: on awareness of those issues with more trousers. They avoid doing the average a woman uses 16.000 pads @luapadproject

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 THE SMALL PICTURE 39 微格局 China’s Experience of Poverty Alleviation

China On April 6, 2021, the State Council Information weapon in the battle against poverty, and a major Office of the People’s Republic of China released a innovation in poverty reduction theory and white paper entitled, “Poverty Alleviation: China’s practice. China proposed and implemented six Experience and Contribution.” targeted goals of efforts to identify the poor The white paper reviews China’s fight against accurately, arrange targeted programs, utilize poverty under the leadership and united direction capital efficiently, take household-based mea- of the Chinese Communist Party, especially the sures, dispatch first Party secretaries based on eradication phase that began with the 18th village conditions, and achieve the set goals. National Party Congress. It introduces China’s Economic booster goals were set, namely more job experience and practice of poverty reduction, and opportunities, relocating poor people from inhospi- shares the country’s experiences in poverty table areas, compensating for economic losses Logs reduction and eradication. The white paper is an associated with reducing ecological damage, important historical document that provides a improving education in impoverished areas, and panoramic reflection on the development of providing subsistence allowances for those unable China’s poverty reduction program. to shake off poverty through their own efforts The white paper shows how the Communist alone will solve the “five issues” of who should Party led the people to victory from revolution, help, who should be helped, how to help, how to established a new China, and took a new course evaluate whether someone has emerged from which led to prosperity for the people. The opening poverty, and how to ensure those people stay free up and reform period has enhanced China’s from poverty, to increase the overall effectiveness developmental path, and accelerated the poverty of the poverty alleviation strategy. reduction process. China’s development has The white paper emphasizes that the targeted entered a new era, and China’s poverty reduction poverty alleviation strategy not only ensures the has entered a new historical stage - elimination. By overall victory of the fight against poverty, but also the end of 2020, following an eight year period effectively improved the modernization of China’s since the 18th National Party Congress, China governance system and capabilities, and an brought its poverty alleviation endeavors to an end enriched and developed conceptual basis for a on time and as planned. Current standards have national strategy fit for the new era. been met for a rural poor The path to poverty reduc- population of 98.99 million to be tion with Chinese characteris- lifted out of poverty, which THE WHITE PAPER SHOWS tics and anti-poverty theory includes 832 poor counties, and HOW THE COMMUNIST with Chinese characteristics 128,000 poor villages. Winning PARTY LED THE PEOPLE TO has been explored and expand- 中 the battle against poverty in VICTORY FROM REVOLUTION, ed into a fully worked out China speaks to the world as a ESTABLISHED A NEW CHINA, anti-poverty mentality which miraculous success. AND TOOK A NEW COURSE has enabled further paths to be The fight against poverty found for poverty reduction. has changed China’s rural areas WHICH LED TO PROSPERITY The white paper focuses on a in a historic and comprehensive FOR THE PEOPLE people-centered, poverty-first way, according to the white approach to governance, 国 paper, and can be called another revolution in the eradicating poverty by means of development, countryside. Poverty reduction has stimulated advancing the process of poverty reduction based overall development of China’s rural areas. China on conditions on the ground, giving play to the laid a solid foundation for building a modern capacity of the poor, and gathering all forces to socialist China and realizing the Second Centena- form a strong synergy, in order to establish ry Goal. China has secured a complete victory in genuinely Chinese poverty reduction proposals the battle against extreme poverty, eliminating and plans. 日 overall and extreme poverty for the first time in its China cannot develop without the world, and history of thousands of years, and realizing a the world cannot develop without China. China century-long aspiration of the Chinese people. actively participates in international poverty Having a targeted strategy was China’s magic reduction cooperation and is an advocate, promot-

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 CHINA LOGS 41 中国日志 志 er and contributor to international poverty reduc- tion. The white paper points out that China, which How Design Can Help accounts for nearly one-fifth of the world’s popula- tion, has completely eradicated absolute poverty and achieved the poverty reduction goals of the in Poverty Alleviation United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule, making significant contributions to global poverty reduc- By Tang Jian tion and human development. China is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in poverty Dean of the Design Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Director of the Urban-Rural Cooperative Development Center of the China reduction with other countries, join hands in Industrial Design Association advancing the international poverty reduction process, and make greater contributions to building a human community with a shared poverty-free future. Eliminating absolute poverty is not the end Poverty alleviation is one of China’s most important and contributing to the realization of the goals of point, but the starting point of a new era and national policies, and presents as a multifaceted the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable struggle. China is still the largest developing dilemma that goes beyond current levels of Development. country in the world. There is still a long way to go poverty, to address issues of industrial and sustain- The Design Institute for Poverty Alleviation to solve the problem of unbalanced and inade- able development. Aside from helping people earn summed up the achievements of the Association’s quate development, narrow the gap in develop- more, poverty alleviation is all about addressing members over many years, and came up with “ten ment between urban and rural areas, and realize regional economic imbalance and lifting the models and ten measures” for design poverty all-round human development and prosperity of quality of life in the poorest parts of the country. alleviation that would inform national guidance on all. China will continue to consolidate and expand A long term approach is the only way to implement the topic. The Industrial Design Association helps its poverty alleviation efforts, engage in rural industrial development in this form, improving the connect, coordinate, support, empower and revitalization, and promote this with strong mea- variety, quality, branding, character, and type of promote relations between local authorities with sures and forces. The white paper describes the products, and increasing awareness of ecological their development needs and members who bright prospects of China’s rural revitalization and value, creating an environment of fair opportunity, directly implement design poverty alleviation work. development between 2035 and 2050, and points and paying attention to natural ecological capaci- Its main work comprises: out that in the future, China will continue to move ty. We need to find value as we set out on the path 1. Refining production knowledge, methods and towards achieving all-round development and a of realization between temporal and long-term tools from practice, disseminating knowledge by higher level of prosperity for all. development in which we bridge gaps between organizing trainings and field research, and ownership and use, advantages recommending professional service and shortcomings, parts and the THE INITIATIVE URGES providers or teams to match the whole, plans and updates, and COUNTRIES TO design needs of product and then under the principle of efficien- industrial development locally; cy and low-consumption, achieve STRENGTHEN THEIR 2. Defining and establishing our most ambitious goals. For this POVERTY ALLEVIATION procedures and working standards we need design thinking, system WORK IN DESIGN AND for product design and industrial thinking and digital thinking. HARNESS THE POWER design services for poverty allevia- In this context, the China OF ORIGINALITY, tion design work, formulating fee Industrial Design Association MORALITY, EMOTION, collection rules and standard established a Design Institute for AND AESTHETICS TO contract formats for public welfare Poverty Alleviation in November TAKE ON THE COMMON projects. Providing a normalized 2018, charged with pivoting design operation work platform which from the industrial to the social. GOAL OF POVERTY includes but is not limited to The Institute is a response to the ELIMINATION, AND FORM knowledge management, expert Design Poverty Alleviation Initiative ECONOMIC, SOCIAL databases and policy inquiry, set up with the UN Industrial establishing a winning evaluation The full text of the white paper is AND ENVIRONMENTAL 30,000 words long. It includes a Development Organization and the CIRCULATION FOR THE mechanism for service work, and foreword and concluding remarks, and Chinese Ministry of Industry and enabling public welfare activities five parts I. The Solemn Commitment GOOD OF ALL of the CPC; II. Final Victory in the Information Technology in April and social enterprises to embark on Fight Against Extreme Poverty; III. 2018. The Initiative urges countries to strengthen a regular and systematic path; The Strategy of Targeted Poverty Alleviation; IV. Exploring a New Path their poverty alleviation work in design and 3. In accordance with the specific needs of of Poverty Alleviation; V. A Global harness the power of originality, morality, emotion, government bodies at all levels in poverty-stricken Community of Shared Future Free and aesthetics to take on the common goal of areas, establishing a local public welfare industrial from Poverty. For the full text, please see: http://language.chinadaily. poverty elimination, and form economic, social innovation and development thinktank to investi- com.cn/a/202104/06/WS606bf- and environmental circulation for the good of all, gate and study the core issues of regional industri- fe7a31024ad0bab3c43_1.html (bilin- gual version) effectively enhancing industrial vitality and human al innovation and development; bringing in experts value, promoting prosperity, protecting the earth, and entrepreneurs to study underlying local

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 CHINA LOGS 43 中国日志 platforms, state enterprises and social forces this stage, it is necessary to design an industrial should be brought together as much as possible to system for all-round improvements, realize interac- We believe that work hard for the development of industries in tive capacity to connect reality and the virtual poverty-stricken areas. In addition, with a paucity world, and work to blur the borders between the of talent for industrial development at prefec- natural and the artificial. This blend of reality and ture-level, notably in counties, districts and the virtual, through the establishment of a social- sub-districts, it is necessary to establish lifelong ized design service system, will help us achieve all the way from the education and careers with local human resources economic, intellectual and spiritual poverty and social security departments, vocational alleviation. We believe that all the way from the education and professional education, science product to industrial application to social needs, and technology, and industry departments. The poverty alleviation needs design. product to industrial key is to develop models and strive for professional and general talent capable of meeting the chal- lenges of regional economic development. Design focus should change according to the This article is based on an interview with the author application to social stage of poverty alleviation at stake. In the initial in the September 2020 issue of Design magazine stage, the focus of poverty alleviation should be to entitled, “Design Evolution -- From Product Design, help poor people meet their basic living needs. to Industrial Design to Social Design”. Design must find sub-optimal solutions with minimal resource consumption, meet basic needs, poverty functional needs and aesthetic appeals, and seek comparative product advantages through design and marketing. In the second stage, poverty alleviation needs to solve the problems of innova- alleviation needs tion and development and industrial system competitiveness. It is here that industrial design is needed, and advantageous systems of industrial development are needed for maximum efficiency, design low cost, and best practice. In the third stage, poverty alleviation turns to regional sustainable development, ecologicaliza- tion, scientification, and digital development. In causes of poverty, and develop solutions to gathering and matching of service resources. In common issues in regional economic development; practice, we have gradually realized that relying doing demonstration projects for regional econom- on the creative power of China Industrial Design ic innovation and development, and establishing Association designers, supply chain integration, working models and learning benchmarks. and the integration of new retail channels has The success of designing poverty alleviation indeed the capacity to help farmers and artisans projects depends firstly on business success and increase their income levels. There is still a gap in the capacity to create wealth in poor areas and the ultimate goal of designing poverty alleviation. among poor populations. Design innovation can This ultimate goal is to create new pillar industries lead to business success. I personally think that for the local government at the level of industrial when we are not strong enough, we should first design and regional economic development, truly follow, survive and improve through micro-innova- realize the integrated development of agriculture, tion. When we become leaders in our market industry and service industries, and create as segment, we can then innovate and lead by half much value as possible. To do this, remaining local steps. These half-steps refer to putting in the hard and realizing value is key to establishing an work in the existing market, and bravely leaping industrial highland in regional and even national into unknown territories to create new technolo- market segments, and setting a threshold for gies, new business models and products to meet industrial development as well as new momentum novel scenarios and needs. To maintain the for sustainable development. momentum of sustainable development, we must Design poverty alleviation work has a dual dare to leave our comfort zone, confront imbalanc- focus: rural industrial development and rural talent es head-on, and spiral upwards between imbalanc- cultivation. We will not only be a thinktank for es and rebalances, enhancing innovation and government industrial development and rural regional economic development as we go. revitalization in poor areas, but also work with Since its establishment, the Design Institute for industrial service platforms and demonstration Poverty Alleviation has organized and carried out a zones. With industry and information technology series of surveys on the needs of industrial devel- departments and China’s industrial design forces opment in poverty alleviation areas and the as the core, local governments, government

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 CHINA LOGS 45 中国日志 buildings of the Luo Family Courtyard and Qingcheng Academy. We used 3D printing technology to develop Design Education cultural and creative educational toys using the tradition- al architectural tenon structure. To the north, we have the “Roses Town”, and to the south, lilies grown in Xiguoyuan Empowers Poverty town, the “Hometown of Chinese Lilies” in Qilihe district, require packaging design. The school established the Silk Road Lacquer Art Alleviation Center and the Western China Ethnic Culture Research Center, focusing on connecting parts of intangible heritage with poverty alleviation projects, focused on By Ma Muqun ethnic minorities. The eastern and southern parts of Dean and Professor, School of Art and Design, Gansu are rich in lacquer trees, with an annual output of Lanzhou Institute of Technology more than 50,000 kilos of lacquer. Through the study and training of lacquer painting and lacquer art, we can help develop the industrial chain for lacquer, add cultural value, and increase farmers’ income. Design can give new Lanzhou Institute of Technology is an applied life to “intangible heritage”, so that these excellent engineering college, upgraded in 2012 to be able traditional techniques can be passed on, to benefit to issue graduate degrees. As an institution in the modern society. Such design interventions also give the west of China, participating in poverty alleviation inheritors of “intangible heritage” and folk arts and crafts has been an inevitable responsibility. The Institute the opportunity to get in touch with new information and has been intervening in poverty alleviation proj- try out better materials. ects by way of design since 2015. This was when We took part in the “Intangible Heritage + Poverty one of our professors visited Dingxi in Weiyuan Alleviation” project initiated by the Ministry of Culture and county as deputy head of science and technology. Tourism. Together with the project team of Lanzhou Dingxi is China’s largest producer of Chinese Jiaotong University, we carried out research and design medicinal material, situated in a county consid- services for two forms of intangible cultural heritage -- ered impoverished at state level. The local govern- Linxia Brick Carving and Baoan Yaodao. ment is urging farmers to plant more herbs for In 2019, Maiji district of Tianshui city held an empower- medicinal purposes as a way of escaping poverty. ment training class for poor disabled people. We selected The professor asked me help the local herb teachers to train them in creative handicrafts and lacquer growers develop e-commerce sites. It happened painting. We hope to help the disabled gain skills that will that we had a web design course, so we assigned help them overcome their closed environment, enhance this task to the teachers and classmates. We their self-confidence and integrate better. guided students in applying design to poverty The 2019 graduation design topic we gave students alleviation, in brand planning, local product and was to design for rural tourism in their hometown. More farm product packaging, rural tourism photobook than 30 villages were selected from 14 prefectures and design, rural e-commerce web design, and other visual communication projects. From the school’s perspective, applied bache- by, we are well aware of the needs of people in lor’s studies emphasize serving the local economy, these areas, which increases our ability to commu- contribution, and indispensability. For a highly nicate and work together with the locals. In fact, applied art design major, practical links are 70% of our students come from rural areas, and essential course material, so design for poverty their families may not yet be rich, so they have a alleviation is a gold mine for us. The society has a strong endogenous motivation to change their design demand, and we get a large number of real own hometowns. projects to work on. Design for poverty alleviation needs a system- In addition to professional purposes, our atic approach. To improve efficiency, we should participation in designing poverty alleviation reduce links in the chain and head directly for the schemes has historical, geographic and talent-re- grassroots organizations and businesses that lated reasons. Gansu has a rich history and need our services. Our approach is “proactively culture, diverse ethnic cultures, and fascinating approach, serve door-to-door.” With Lanzhou as natural landscapes. However, there are many the center, the area has Hekou town to the west, impoverished counties in the province, many of which is in need of souvenirs and creative prod- National Intangible Cultural Heri- which are poverty-stricken. The Southern Tibetan ucts to represent the ancient cultural streets of the tage-Linxia Brick Sculpture / Gansu Autonomous Prefecture and Linxia Hui Autonomous Xigu district town. To the east, Qingcheng in Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism “Intangible Heritage + Poverty Prefecture, over a 100 kilometers away from Yuzhong county needs design to support public Alleviation” Waist Knife Project Lanzhou, are hard to reach areas in terms of welfare services, using the form of architectural Empowerment training for the disabled poverty alleviation work. As we are relatively close animation to explore the charm of the ancient in Maiji district, Tianshui city

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 CHINA LOGS 47 中国日志 Village Mothers Take the E-Commerce Route

By Yang Biqiong

E-commerce has proven to be a powerful weapon in China’s poverty alleviation and rural revitalization plan. In 2016, it was officially included in China’s catalogue of tools to defeat extreme poverty and in the last few years it has been promoted in rural economic development. This has been done by improving internet infra- structure and building online platforms, integrating resources, and strengthen- ing personnel training. According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, online retail sales in poverty-stricken counties nationwide reached 239.2 billion National Intangible Cultural Heritage-Linxia Brick yuan in 2019, a year-on-year increase of Sculpture / Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism “Intangible Heritage + Poverty 33%, driving up employment and income Alleviation” Waist Knife Project for 5 million farmers in poverty-stricken areas. Rural e-commerce is now a driving force in the transformation of rural economic cities in the province, and 47 sets of graduation Design for poverty alleviation requires design- development, optimization of industrial designs were produced. Premium-level tourism, ers to use insight, design systems, and multidisci- structure, promotion of commerce and trade, scenic area planning, rural beautification and plinary knowledge to reorganize existing resourc- innovative employment, and higher incomes. reconstruction, packaging design for local es and reactivate traditional materials. New To look at the impact on incomes and poverty products, and cultural and creative product production and consumption systems can be alleviation of employment and entrepreneurship development were all explored and developed. developed through the application of new con- via e-commerce, we should turn first to a powerful Participating in poverty alleviation has been of cepts and technologies to generate lifestyle group of actors: female middle-aged rural resi- great significance to teachers and students changes and cultural shaping, and to activate the dents. In central and western areas of the country majoring in design. Students had real cases to endogenous power of local culture. We believe we in particular, male laborers leave their home areas work on, and could apply their study of real needs can cultivate a new generation of designers with to work, leaving middle-aged women with the despite the rapid implementation of China’s and markets in a down-to-earth manner, putting insight, stay close to the public welfare mission of brunt of the responsibility of caring for old and “internet plus” model, rural e-commerce in poorer user thinking and product thinking into their poverty alleviation design, and ensure the young at home. With limited local economic areas is still in its infancy. This is because, in design, and communicating face-to-face with their aesthetics, practicality and integrity of design development, these left-behind women can only addition to lagging infrastructure construction and clients. Their work was more grounded and less work. We look forward to more collaborations work in agriculture, thereby falling into an eco- low levels of marketization, human resources and blindly ambitious as a result. The design for with politics, industry, academia, research, and nomic trap. limited trading skills are a major constraint. poverty alleviation project made us think again business, so that design can continue to assist The “Orange Mothers University” project Youcheng’s e-commerce training program adopts about teaching methods for the design major. For poverty alleviation efforts turn into sustainable initiated by Youcheng Social Entrepreneur Founda- a combination of online and offline methods, first example, our graduation project was completed development projects. tion works with older rural women who left their with face-to-face lectures ranging from three to by asking real questions, one question per person, hometowns to work and returned due to family five days to ten days, followed by a year-long with hypothetical or virtual questions not permit- responsibilities. The project evolved from a poverty period of tutoring. The purpose is to train mid- ted. The implantation of a large number of real alleviation project called, “Let Moms Go Home and dle-aged rural women to become the local “e-com- cases stopped us working behind closed doors This article is based on an interview in the Septem- Start a Business” launched by Youcheng in 2017. merce intermediaries” that can bring produce and and gave us the opportunity to work hard to ber 2020 issue of Design magazine, originally The name “Orange Mothers” reflects a warm market together. improve each professional course. In the process entitled, “Design is the “Coordinator” of Poverty image of rural mothers. Enabling rural mothers to start their own of intervention, we look to the requirements of the Alleviation System Engineering”. From the start, the project used training in businesses or find jobs through e-commerce has Ministry of Education’s first-class undergraduate e-commerce as its main mode. The development of been hard to put into practice. In addition to physi- majors and first-class courses, to further develop e-commerce in rural areas can cut through the cal fatigue and poor financial skills, rural women our teaching content, and make it more innovative middleman, linking rural and urban markets face deep-rooted prejudices on the basis of their and challenging. directly, and achieve a two-way cycle. However, gender. This means that e-commerce skills training

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 CHINA LOGS 49 中国日志 Photographs provided by Youcheng The platform has Social Entrepreneur Foundation generated interest in the “Orange Mothers University” project, bringing a group of rural mothers into the spotlight

is just one part. The “Orange Mothers University” Research and Experience Design (CDC). It has also focuses on empowering rural mothers in terms been held four times so far. The contest strives to of psychology and leadership, helping rural become a socialized profit-making platform. It mothers find employment and entrepreneurship, integrates Tencent’s global resources and leverag- increase income, enhance self-confidence, and es its advertising traffic and technical advantages, achieve self-empowerment. while also connecting traditional public welfare Youcheng Foundation is also trying to use the organizations with creative institutions in advertis- power of the internet and creativity to make public ing, design, and branding. The aim is for multiple welfare power go further. In 2019, Youcheng philanthropic forces to cooperate to form a public participated in Tencent’s “I’m an entrepreneur” welfare ecology. The platform has generated public awareness campaign, and worked with interest in the “Orange Mothers University” project, professional creative and technical teams to bringing a group of rural mothers into the spot- launch a public welfare “Time Machine”. On the light. QQ reading platform, users are encouraged to use As of May 2020, Youcheng’s “Orange Mothers their own reading time to exchange education University” project has been deployed in 76 funds with rural mothers. In 2020, Youcheng counties (including 37 impoverished ones) in eight promoted “Women’s Volleyball National Wave provinces across the country. A total of 15,661 Show - Rural Mother’s Embroidery” on the “I’m an people have been trained, and of them, 65% have entrepreneur” platform, combining women’s grown their incomes through employment and volleyball symbolizing the spirit of the times with entrepreneurship in e-commerce, with a per capita the Miao craftsmanship of rural mothers. Users can income increase of between 500 and 3,000 yuan. select patterns related to the women’s volleyball The increase in income has increased the self-con- team and custom an exclusive embroidered fidence of rural mothers and transformed their costume. families. They used their creativity to bring their “I am an entrepreneur” is a public service hometown to more people, and at the same time advertising contest founded by Tencent Charity they also allowed themselves to live out a new face Foundation, Tencent Advertising and Tencent User that they could not have imagined in the past.

C2030 ISSUE 5 – 2020 CHINA LOGS 51 中国日志 INTERVIEW — LI XIAOYUN INTERVIEW — LI XIAOYUN

Have you been in Hebian village recently? cation of household incomes was for coping with Poverty Alleviation in What was the village like before? risk. It had begun to deploy different types of Yes, I came on January 26. When I first arrived, I agricultural demonstrations including winter noticed that everyone was talking about the price vegetables, Chinese medicinal materials, fish Trial and Practice in of gluten-free beans - 11 yuan per kilo. This time last farming, beekeeping, and winemaking. But as year, the same beans were rotting in the villagers’ income from the new business grew so rapidly in fields. They were saying that this year, a kilo of 2018 and 2019, most farmers failed to realize the the Rainforest Village peppers are being sold for 40 yuan. I once dis- significance and role of re-agriculturalization. After cussed the reagriculturalization of Hebian village major setbacks in 2020, those farmers who actively in an article, and recognize the strengthening of participated in the agricultural demonstration of Hebian this trend. “Smallholder resilience” has a lot to do showed a significantly stronger ability to with- with it. Of course, this resilience has a direct stand risk, earning between 10,000 and 60,000 relationship with the global market. Villagers say yuan as a household, which greatly compensated Interview with Li Xiaoyun, Chair and Professor of Liberal Arts, that the high price of gluten-free beans and for the loss of income from the new business. At the China Agricultural University peppers is because vegetables from Laos cannot beginning of 2021, market demand for winter By Yang Biqiong cross the border. As Spring Festival approached, vegetables was strong, and more farmers began farmers killed pigs as they would in any other good planting them. There are about ten households in year, and it seemed as though the impact of the the village planting winter vegetables. In January coronavirus had not been felt too much. Looking at 2021 alone, each household received between Li Xiaoyun, a professor at China Agricultural Mothers’ Guesthouses”. While this was underway, the clean and beautiful houses, the riverside 3,000 and 10,000 yuan from their crops. University and national expert in poverty village beautification, toilet and kitchen village in the rainforest looked more and more alleviation, visited an area in the far south of China revolutions, and the construction of conferences beautiful each time, under its blue skies and white Will 2021 see a bounce back to pre-pandemic in early 2015 and discovered Hebian village in and catering facilities were incorporated into the clouds. The fight against poverty has provided a times for new business? Mengban township, a place populated by the Yao comprehensive poverty management work of basic livelihood guarantee for the farmers in the Money from the new business in Hebian village people in the Mengla county tropical rainforest Hebian village. village. I do wonder, if we went back to 2015, would actually created an income chain, in which visitors area. He went to conduct a survey on poverty, and In an effort to stop profits from these poverty we see such beaming faces on the villagers as we not only increased the income of Yao Mothers on arrival felt that Hebian suited the kind of alleviation actions seeping out of the new sector, do now? guesthouses directly, but drove sales of food and long-term project he had in mind. “Although I have Hebian authorities invited all villagers to invest in commodities, as well as farm produce. Aquacul- been working in poverty alleviation for a long time, guest rooms and form a Hebian Village Farmer’s The business driven by the Yao Mothers’ ture, especially fish farming, as well as poultry and I have never done a long-term trial like this, having Cooperative - The Yao People’s Rainforest Guesthouses has raised incomes in the past vegetable farming, also grew. More importantly, always worked on smaller tasks,” he said. He Cooperative. The Cooperative was made few years. However, this type of industry relies new house building took off. So when it comes to established himself in the village and developed an responsible for operating all the guesthouses in the heavily on tourists. Surely the village has gone new business formats, what we are actually talking open-ended yet comprehensive strategy that Village. The experimental team provided technical through enormous challenges this year? about is a new industrial chain driven by the aimed to impact the whole village. In March, Li support, while a young management team was From the beginning of 2020, the tourist industry in guesthouses. In this sense, the development of new Xiaoyun registered a Mengla county non-profit being trained up to take charge of daily Hebian village has suffered greatly. Apart from one business formats in Hebian village was of great organization called Action Against Poverty, and operations. From 2017 onwards, guesthouses had conference held in December, we have had only a significance. But the more interwoven the incomes, took his team to Hebian to begin the poverty developed to the point at which Hebian could work handful of visitors all year. We couldn’t put on any the more everyone is connected to external risk. So alleviation trial. on nature education, family travel, health care, winter camps, summer camps or conferences due whether the new village business format can be Mengla county where Hebian village is located, small conferences and catering services, which led to restrictions. Winter and summer vacations are fully restored in 2021 or not depends on the was registered nationally as among the poorest to a transformation in livelihood strategies for the our main income generating seasons. The winter COVID-19 situation. Once the pandemic has until 2019. Hebian village was registered as a poor villagers. camps are normally held during Spring Festival passed worldwide, [I anticipate that] tourism will village in 2011. Of the 206 residents living in 57 After five years of poverty alleviation, the 2021, but they were also cancelled. New business be the first industry to rebound. households most belong to the Blue Yao ethnic village of Hebian has undergone many changes. fell off a cliff because of COVID-19, and average In any case, in 2021, Hebian village will see an group, named for the indigo dye of the women’s It was clear that living conditions were improved losses per famer reached 5,000 to 10,000 yuan. income rebound from the new business format. headcloths. The trial team conducted analysis of and the village looked beautiful. Villagers were The village as a whole lost an estimated 200,000 to Whether it is agricultural or non-agricultural the village’s situation and determined that Hebian now earning much more than before. The 400,000 yuan. industries, it is necessary to examine its sustain- was a deeply impoverished place in which COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 changed all of that, ability from a long-term perspective. Both forms residents were trapped in a cycle of poverty. Their as heavy losses resulted from restrictions to You mentioned re-agriculturalization and the depend on the macro environment: the economic proposed plan included making full use of Hebian’s business development, and farmers fell back into resilience of small-scale farmers. With the development of the country and the economic climatic, rainforest and cultural resources to the poverty trap. At the end of the year, on the epidemic, new business has stagnated. Where development of the world. Hebian is no economic commercialize small scale conferences, leisure, eve of the Spring Festival in 2021, Professor Li did resilience show up in Hebian village? What or social island. Remarkably, a small mountain healthcare and nature education. With the support Xiaoyun accepted an exclusive interview with this part did it play? village that few people know is closely connected of the government, Li Xiaoyun’s team would work journal to talk about the situation and the future Due to the impact of the coronavirus, the actual with the global economy. with villagers to develop a new business: “Yao of Hebian village. income levels of many farmers fell back to 2015 and 2016 levels. Family incomes in 2020 were little In the face of such a massive crisis, were more than 10,000 yuan, mainly from work outside villagers put off the modernization project? Are the village. In fact, in 2019, the riverside experiment there any villagers who now want to withdraw team has already noticed how important diversifi- from the new industry?

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2020 CHINA LOGS 53 中国日志 INTERVIEW — LI XIAOYUN INTERVIEW — LI XIAOYUN

were kept in motion. In January 2021, several hasn’t been to Hebian village for a long time. At the improved. It can be said that it is the best village in guests stayed for five days, and the farmers who end of 2020, he came to Hebian village to partici- the area, but this person is about to run away. received them earned 1,500 yuan. Farmers say pate in a meeting. He was very excited and told me Moreover, the divorced women do not go to any big that this income is still easy to come by. The that he often came here when he was a child. He is cities. Their current living and living conditions are villagers know that the rainforest they live in is a from the Yao ethnic group and has many relatives not necessarily better than those in Hebian village, priceless treasure and may bring them benefits, so here. He said he did not expect the place to have so even my colleagues are puzzled. Although they have mobilized the whole village to repair become so big. The villagers laughed when they divorce is still a case here, the sociological mean- retaining walls in the village during the slack time, saw him. He went to his relatives and saw the ing it presents is complicated. Early marriage and because they think the current environment in the house, which was very clean. The appearance of early childbirth are common in Hebian village. village is not good enough to satisfy paying the villagers has changed a lot, and they had a Almost all the divorced women had teenaged customers. The risk has exercised these poor small strong sense of ownership in this process. This children. Their divorce is not to seek a good farmers’ awareness of risk resistance, and elevated change is not entirely brought about by the trial material life outside, but to pursue their own value Hebian Village (Before) their confidence in their own prospects. It is team. Every brick and every tile was organized by as a woman, and a new choice for love and impossible for us to construct a self-sufficient rural themselves. Many people came to visit, and the Dai marriage. The stability of the family is not an utopia in a completely open society with a market villages who looked down on them in the past also indicator of women’s rights and status. I am not economy at its core. Urban groups are also came to learn. Village chief Deng Linguo attested encouraging family divorce, but I want to say that suffering from market fluctuations, and farmers to the fact that Hebian village was now a proud this issue does not follow a linear logic directly are unlikely to stay out of the matter. place. Of course, there are also people who have related to economic conditions. lost interest in the process. Some farmers feel that Before the epidemic hit hard, how was the these things have little to do with them. Has the intervention of the new form of indus- village viewed in the eyes of outsiders with try in the shape of the “Yao Mothers Guest- rising incomes? How much recognition and The income of the villagers in Hebian village houses” affected the traditional division of pride do villagers have for the results brought has increased in recent years, but of the 57 labor between men and women in the village? about by the intervention from outside? families in the village, 4 families divorced The new format of Yao Mothers Guesthouses was The Hebian trial is not simply an experiment in within a year. Why do you think this happened? originally assumed to be taken care of by women, income generation. Liu Yongfu, director of the State Cui Yunqing, Party Secretary of Mengla county, but in fact, male labor has invested more in this Hebian Village (After) Council’s Poverty Alleviation Office, visited Hebian came to the village a few days ago and asked me: aspect than we expected. Many guesthouse village and talked with the villagers who greeted Professor Xiaoyun, have you studied the divorce in management tasks have also become the responsi- him as soon as he got off the bus. His first question the village? This is really confusing. In the past few bilities of men in the family. The Yao Mothers’ The purpose of the experiment was to bring was, “Where did you learn Mandarin?” Zhou years in Hebian village, four or five families Guesthouses combine working and living space in Hebian village into modern life. Huang Zhicheng of Zhixue, the CEO of the Yao Rainforest Cooperative, experienced divorced, and in all the cases it was one, which not only creates conditions for women the Yao Rainforest Cooperative was involved in told him a story: They drove the cooperative’s the women who left. The villagers blamed this on to achieve family employment, but also absorbs building a kindergarten in Maocaoshan village. He pickup truck to Maocao mountain. When they WeChat, saying that they were chatting on men’s surplus labor. In this sense, the new format told me: “Mr. Li, I stayed there for a month before came back, the epidemic had begun. The com- WeChat and ran away when they couldn’t resist of guesthouses for Yao mothers has changed the returning to Hebian village. Hebian village is rades at the checkpoint stopped the car to ask temptation. The living standard of Hebian village gender division of labor to a great extent, and has great.” Hebian is the biggest trial in the area. For questions. They all answered in Mandarin, and has improved, and the environment has also played a positive role in empowering women. every villager, whether in material or in spiritual then the checkpoint staff asked them to get off the terms, we have closed the gap between village life car for inspection. Then they all started talking in and modernity. The villagers are pretty satisfied Yao. The people at the checkpoint were surprised with their living conditions and environment, but and said: “Hey, it turns out you are local? Everyone they are also realistic. This is not a society that in Hebian village can speak Mandarin.” Hebian depends on cash. In a sense, even if there were no Experiment opened a kindergarten in the village, new type of industry, they would still have their hoping to gradually solve the problem of poverty land, their labor, and their skills to support them. over the longer term. The villagers themselves said Village leader Deng Linguo said the villagers were that their children would be different in the future. not afraid of the epidemic. If they had no cash, we The elementary school teachers in the town also would still grow rice and fruit, and raise pigs. Many reported that the pupils from Hebian village in experts say that “the pandemic stops in the recent years were very different from before. countryside.” I understand that what they are The teachers and students of the experimental talking about is not that the epidemic will not team in Hebian are more cautious about various happen in the countryside, but that the village will activities in the village. In this process, farmers have the ability to resist external risks. I am a gradually built up confidence and pride. Yin developmentalist, and I will not ignore the necessi- Wengang of the Yao Rainforest Cooperative told ty of modernization in the countryside just because me: “Teacher Li, before you came, I was an intro- of such abilities. vert, didn’t like to talk, and didn’t know what lay in No one wants to withdraw from the new the future, but now everyone sees me, I’m very business. Even during the pandemic, a sporadic of cheerful and confident”. A Deputy Magistrate of individual tourists still came, and catering services Mengla County is from the Yao ethnic group. He

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 CHINA LOGS 55 中国日志 INTERVIEW — LI XIAOYUN INTERVIEW — LI XIAOYUN

In one article, you reflected on the sustainability of ture and natural conditions of the Japanese public welfare, because once such poor villages the rapid “de-agriculturalization” approach to countryside are very good, but the biggest tempta- are not in their own hands, the asymmetry of poverty alleviation. tion of modernization is not only this, but the kind information, capacity and capital will quickly of culture that can capture the diverse needs of drain the villages. Therefore, we need the interven- Where will Hebian village go to next? people, for industrialization, urbanization, and tion of social forces to balance the differences in The phenomenon of “de-agriculturalization” and culture. This is both the charm and magic of capabilities, capital, and information. “re-agriculturalization” did appear in the course of modernization. I cannot say that all the young the Hebian experiment. This phenomenon is a people in Hebian will stay after they have received process of industrial development for Hebian. In a good education. Indeed, we often cannot keep If poverty alleviation in Hebian is just a trial, fact, the ultimate direction should be the integra- them there. However, some will stay, and the goal how long do you plan to carry out the trial? tion of tertiary industry. The integration of the of rural revitalization is to enable those who stay to Although poverty alleviation in Hebian village is a three industries in one village is a particularly have a better living and working environment. trial, it is also a practice of my team and me. Liu complicated process of social, economic, and Therefore, one of the main aspects of the Hebian Yongfu, director of the State Council’s Poverty cultural transformation. Therefore, I said that the trial is developing modern business in the village as Alleviation Office, told me, Comrade Xiaoyun, you development of Hebian village needs to enter a much as possible. This is what the trial can do on can’t leave Hebian village now. You have to carry cautious and slow modernization process because the micro level, so as to alleviate the decline of the out this experiment to the end. I think I will continue All photos courtesy of Li Xiaoyun team of the existence of primary, secondary, and countryside as far as possible. this experiment. tertiary industries within it. The tertiary industry not only requires different skills, but most impor- The Yao Rainforest Cooperative’s own market After summarizing the experience of Hebian tantly, a different concept. Now the ideology and connectivity and resources are relatively village, do you plan to conduct another trial skills of the villagers in Hebian cannot adapt to the scarce, making the development of new elsewhere? integration of the tertiary industry, so it is neces- business formats heavily dependent on the To some extent, the Hebian trial relies too much on Lincang and Nujiang. In these, I adopt a method sary to continuously cultivate a group of teams poverty alleviation trial team. Under such myself and my team. This situation is very clear in based on the locals. Our team does not stay in the that can face the changes in the market economy circumstances, have you reconsidered inviting Hebian village. Villagers have a degree of depen- village for long periods of time, but instead and manage the village in a measured way. In this, modern enterprises to step in and adopt a dence on Teacher Li, the other teachers, and even engages in exchange and discussion with them. Hebian is not yet prepared. So the next task is to “company + farmer” approach? on other students. They often say “Teacher Li, what start with the cultivation of the team. The biggest challenge Hebian faces is the lack of you tell us to do, we will do it.” The villagers are management resources that can respond to the real people. In the past few years, they have seen Does Hebian village have a sufficiently educat- market. My team cannot lead villagers to market. If benefits, but this has also increased their underly- ed labor force to support follow-up develop- we manage this village, it may not make money. ing dependence on us. This is my biggest regret. This journal thanks Youcheng Foundation for their ment? The Hebian experiment has been gradually I am currently starting new trials in Kunming, help during the interview. Hebian is a relatively closed-off and marginal transferred to the management of the young minority village. The outflow of people was not very people in the Yao Rainforest Cooperative since dramatic for a long time, but since 2015 when I first 2018, and it has been more than two years now. visited, four young people were admitted to The CFO of the Yao Rainforest Cooperative, Li Jin, university. I am very concerned that none are mastered the taxation and accounting skills willing to return to the village, and in fact none do needed to connect enterprises and companies, return. I can also assume that as the education and is currently taking an accountant qualification level of the village continues to improve, the certificate. These young people have shown the educated youth are probably not willing to come basic ability to manage such a cooperative, but back. This is indeed a paradox. On the one hand, their ability is far from enough to connect to a we hope that young people will stay. On the other large market and push the industry to market. hand, young people continue to speed their way Therefore, we are again facing the question of into modern life and out of the countryside. whether we need to introduce external companies, The paradox between tradition and modernity that is, whether we can use the “company + is not a problem that can be solved by the Hebian farmer” approach to the startup. trial alone. We established the Yao Rainforest The current strategy adopted by the Hebian Cooperative in Hebian and cultivated an employ- Trial Team is to introduce tourism and cultural ment model with modern employment characteris- enterprises and treat Hebian village as a public tics. The cooperative has beautiful offices, welfare project. These enterprises will help the Yao equipped with computers and vehicles for outings, Rainforest Cooperative build a market and culti- but this is still not comparable to life in modern vate their capabilities. For example Ctrip reached cities. Reports show that in Japan, hundreds of an agreement with the Hebian Trial Team to build small towns and villages will disappear as young management capabilities and market connections. people continue to flow into the big cities. I have In fact, I have always been cautious about been to Japan, and I have personally experienced introducing companies and external capital in the prosperity of Tokyo and the desolation of the particularly poor areas. I prefer to build the Japanese countryside. To be honest, the infrastruc- capacity of villages through social enterprises or

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2020 CHINA LOGS 57 中国日志 county became a Tencent “For the Village” breeding. Zhutang village now has its first hotel. Tencent WeCounty: participant, and Liu Youwei, a poverty alleviation In the past ten years, smart phones and official, began an online poverty alleviation trial. mobile communications have rocketed in China, His idea was to put free-range chickens on the and the digital gap between rural and urban Connected for the “Village Products” section of the village homep- areas has been narrowing. Modern Chinese age. Customers needed only fill in their address villages are ushering in an unprecedented period and pay, and a 128-yuan free-range chicken of strategic opportunities for rural revitalization, Countryside Villager’s would be delivered to their front door. At first these and the role of digitalization is taking hold. During Exchange were bought by local villagers, and soon villagers the COVID-19 pandemic, the “WeCounty” plat- in nearby towns and villages gathered around. form gave out timely information and provided During the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday in 2018, proper medical and scientific advice. The pro- Xunwu in southern Jiangxi province, is a mountain- many village returnees bought chicken. The gram’s administrators actively cooperated with ous county that most Chinese people have never largest poultry farm sold more than 2,000 chick- grassroots pandemic prevention teams to stop heard of. Like many poor places, the young leave ens in three days. The scheme has brought many outbreaks hitting the area. the county to work, while their parents and Shenzhen residents into the radius for Longch- The development of various social undertak- children remain in their hometown. Until 2019, local Participation Communication uan’s chickens. ings in rural China still has a long way to go. infrastructure was lacking, with over 150 of the in Village’s with the Zhutang village produces grapefruit, chest- “Tencent WeCounty” operates at grassroots level county’s 173 administrative villages had no affairs outside world nuts, camellia, grass carp, bullfrogs, and duck- and provides services to villagers, uniting people streetlights, so getting around at night was hard. lings in its rice fields. Its farmers used to be and harnessing their energy in line with China’s This became an urgent task for Xunwu in tackling self-sufficient, but now they are connected to the rural revitalization strategy. Tencent’s explorations poverty. market. The economic development of their will surely inspire other internet companies to The company that came to Xunwu’s assistance hometown has made migrant workers see oppor- contribute their invaluable experience to poverty was China’s internet giant Tencent. It might have tunities. Some people went back to their home- reduction schemes around the world. been a simple task -- Tencent donates and the towns to build eco-farms, and incorporated a lamps get built -- for Tencent is a pro, having given sightseeing component into orchards cultivation, 80% of its 4.5 billion yuan in charity donations to Interaction ornamental flower planting, and ecological poverty alleviation projects, and its philanthropy with the Understanding key policy platform, China’s largest online fundraising site, superiors has raised more than 11.5 billion yuan for over Local Villagers 123 （ ） 90,000 projects, 90% of which are poverty alleviation projects. However, in this case Tencent took a different path. The county planned for 7,800 streetlights at countryside is “disconnection”: the population is in 120 a cost of 15.6 million yuan, and Tencent Founda- exodus, and workers are drifting away; left-behind tion promised to donate the full amount. But how families have poor access to information and 100 many streetlights this would pay for was left up to cannot understand what is going on outside; the residents. closed information loops mean villages have 80 The project was called “Illuminated Xunwu”, stagnated or decayed. Tencent’s “WeCounty” 60 and from project development to financial disclo- program comprises a digital open platform Agricultural sure, everything was online. Villagers logged in to catering to village users. It connects feelings, Experts / Villagers who apply to “Tencent WeCounty” and determine the information, and money to the village via the Lawyers / 15 40 Scholars ( ） moved120 outside number of streetlights their village would receive internet. In “Illuminating Xunwu”, not only are the （ ） based on program activity. When active villagers streets of the village lit, but so are the concerns of 20 accounted for 10%, 20%, and 30% of the regis- the villagers who have left for work and are far tered population, the village would receive 60%, from hometowns. As soon as they heard that 0 80%, and 100% of the predetermined number of streetlights were to be built at home, they actively streetlights. When the number of online villagers logged on to the platform and offered advice and reached 40% and 50% of the village’s population, suggestions. the number of streetlights installed would exceed In addition to connecting feelings and infor- the planned number, up to 110% or 120% of the mation, Tencent’s “WeCounty” program is helping target -- and this would be seen as a reward. villagers prosper financially. Longchuan county in After the announcement of the plan, villagers Guangdong province is a relatively poor county in The process of widening the social responded actively, signing up to the online a wealthy province. Before absolute poverty was radius of ordinary villagers / The num- scheme. Soon, all villages in the county had their lifted in 2016, there were more than 70 poor ber of social contacts after connecting streetlights. Before Spring Festival in 2020, Xunwu villages and 10,000 poor households in the area. to the “WeCounty” platform for five months. county has achieved the poverty alleviation goal Local industries including aquaculture, poultry of “Village access lights, night roads illuminated”. raising, and grapefruit tea processing operated Left Page: The administrator of Tencent’s “We- The story illustrates how Tencent aims to far from the large markets of the Pearl River Delta, County” project teaches a villager how “connect everything” in the countryside with its curtailing sales and any hopes of scaling up to add their real name to the site in “WeCounty” platform. A big problem in the operations. In 2017, Zhutang village of Longchuan order to participate in the public affairs Township of the village. County 8 12 Leaders（ ） Cadres（ ） C2030 ISSUE 5 – 2020 CHINA LOGS 59 中国日志 Blockchain Closer to Heaven: Chicken Farm: A Global Nomad’s The Technological Journey Through Revolution Sweeping China’s Poverty through Rural China Alleviation

Raising free-range chickens isn’t easy, a Chinese “Nothing beats coming back to your hometown On May 12, 2008, our planet ripped farmer tells Xiaowei Wang in her new book, to run a Taobao business!” banners hung in the itself apart, and a portal to hell “Blockchain Chicken Farm.” Why? “Chickens city declare, and families transform their houses opened on earth in Sichuan aren’t very smart,” he notes; if you leave lights on, into factories. Wang watches as a woman “in her province. I don’t just mean hell as a they’ll cluster around “and they overcrowd each kitten-heel shoes and red skirt” clambers onto a metaphor. The quake zone literally other, killing each other. A kind table to jigsaw expertly assumed a vast geography inhabit- of chicken stampede.” Even if through layers of fabric for a ed by tens of millions of people, you get the chickens safely set of costumes, while a wailing and gnashing their teeth, grown in their sunny, free- chicken squawks nearby. and nearly 90,000 dead or missing. range yards, you have a new Wang travels to Zhejiang problem: You have to convince Province, where pearl farmers Erik Nilsson starts his new book, your finicky customers, in patiently feed mussels pig and Closer to Heaven: A Global Nomad’s far-off cities, that you’re chicken feces, selling their Journey Through China’s Poverty telling the truth about how the prize pearls for top dollar and Alleviation, in Sichuan because he, chickens were raised. shipping the lousy ones as a China Daily journalist, was So the farmer turned to halfway around the globe to supposed to be there. But because high-tech chicken surveillance. American live-streamers, who of a scheduling change, he wasn’t. communities of Yushu on the remote by farmers and spending birthdays He outfitted his chickens with sell them for $20 apiece via Later he made 15 trips through Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. There he at a mass grave. He talks about wearable leg bands that influencer-style “Pearl Parties” the quake zone, and over the years started a volunteer initiative to sexual rehab with people left record their movements — “a online. he saw the rescue and recovery bring light to schools by providing paralyzed by quakes, meets Hero chicken Fitbit of sorts” — and Consider the boom in the lifted the survivors in Sichuan solar panels, and provided metric Pig and eats horse intestines with worked with a tech start-up to production of pork, a hot further and further from hell, and tons of clothes, computer labs, an elderly nomad who hunts with record the data on a block- commodity among China’s closer and closer to heaven. libraries, food, medicine, coal and eagles on horseback. chain. A blockchain is a type increasingly prosperous This led him to another quake even yaks, when a blizzard killed These journeys have been of software, most famously diners. To increase the yield of zone, in the nomadic Tibetan most of a school’s herd. After seeing adventures for Nilsson. And they’ve used to create Bitcoin, that pork farms, Alibaba trained a China’s poverty-alleviation miracle been a firsthand exploration of how can make nearly tamper-proof new artificial intelligence, “ET on this so-called “planet’s third China has lifted so many people digital records. When custom- Agricultural Brain,” on vast pole”, he shifted toward providing from the hell that is poverty and ers buy the chicken, they don’t amounts of data from pork surgeries prosthetics and wheel- closer to heaven, as it exists on this need to take the seller’s word operations, the better to chairs for children with disabilities Earth. that his birds strolled around predict how to increase yield. and university scholarships for Erik Nilsson has traveled through in the sunshine. They can trust Blockchain Chicken Farm: And Other Stories of Tech in From pork farmers using AI nomads. mainland China covering poverty the implacable math. China’s Countryside, by Xiaowei Wang. FSG Originals x to produce the perfect pig, to Nilsson’s book, published in alleviation, disaster relief and Logic, October 2020. In “Blockchain Chicken www.fsgoriginals.com disruptive luxury counterfeits English and Chinese by China government policy since 2006. He Farm,” Wang introduces and the political intersections Intercontinental Press, is the won the China Friendship Award in dozens of such stories of how technology is of e-commerce villages, Wang unravels the ties capstone of his life’s mission to 2016, the top honor Chinese transforming the lives of China’s rural population. between globalization, technology, agriculture, contribute to and tell the story of government offers to experts from The technologist and writer leads us to Dinglou, a and commerce in unprecedented fashion. She China’s poverty alleviation miracle overseas for their “contributions to “Taobao village” — a digital-age company town explores the political and social entanglements of from the front lines. China’s social and economic where residents make stuff to sell on Taobao, the technology in rural China. Her discoveries chal- It’s not a typical China book. development”. He has co-authored e-commerce platform of Alibaba. In Dinglou, the lenge the standard idea that rural culture and The American discovers unex- and edited 16 books on China in specialty is making costumes that they ship people are backward, conservative, and intolerant. pected dimensions while riding English and Chinese. worldwide, relying on Alipay (another Alibaba Instead, she finds that rural China has not only ostriches, visiting leprosy villages, creation) for their banking needs. adapted to rapid globalization but has actually exploring virtual reality parks run innovated the technology we all use today. C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 CHINA LOGS 61 中国日志 What Did China Do #Sisters Fight the Epidemic to Fight Period Poverty in 2020? Relief Action” The topic By Yang Biqiong has been viewed 120 In August 2020, the Tencent Charity Foundation platform launched a fundraising project they called the “Period Plan”, with the goal of raising 90,000 yuan to buy sanitary pads for the girls in million times on Weibo Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in one of China’s poorest regions. The project was initiated by the Stand TogetHer club, a group of female high school students from Chengdu No. 7 Middle and discussed more than School’s international department. The club members were nervous when the project was first posted on the platform, worried that no one would take a group of sixteen and seventeen-year-old people. Before the fundraising plan began, the 150,000 times. While more girls seriously. members of the Stand TogetHer club went to They needn’t have worried. The project exceed- school in Sikai township, Zhaojue county for ed their hopes, raising nearly 125,000 yuan in little fieldwork, and were shocked by what they found. over a day. With this money they could provide Sanitary pads in the local stores cost 1 yuan each, and more people affirm sanitary pads for all 700 girls in Liangshan’s about the same as in Chengdu. Few girls could Zhaojue county, and the popularity of the cam- afford this, so they would resort to buying rolls of paign had focused more people’s attention to the toilet paper for a sixth of the price instead. issue of period poverty in China’s poorest areas. A teacher from the local Sikai Middle School Period poverty refers to a lack of regular said: “There are many left-behind children in the the value of female work- access to sanitary products during a woman’s countryside. Their parents have no choice but to menstrual period, and is a global issue. Surveys leave them in the village with their grandparents show that in 2019, a total of 40 million women were when they go to make money in the cities. This has affected by period poverty. In low to middle-in- led to the lack of family health education. Some ers in the front line of the come countries, more than 50% of women have girls don’t know what to do when they get their used homemade sanitary pads. This problem also period for the first time, and are panicked and exists in some developed countries. According to a confused. Fear and anxiety are the norm for many survey conducted by the NGO Plan International, girls here. Because of poverty, children have no epidemic, they are also one in ten girls in the U.K. reported not being able money to buy better hygiene products during to afford regular sanitary products when they menstruation, and have to use cloth strips, toilet have their period, and 42% of the girls said they paper and other materials. Girls are ashamed to have turned to makeshift solutions such as socks talk about their discomfort during their period, so beginning to pay atten- and toilet paper. they regularly skip classes and ask for leave.” In China, according to the statistics in the Period poverty has never been just about the “Chinese Philanthropist” magazine, 40 million steep cost of sanitary products. In addition to the children live in poverty, of which about 10% are excessively high prices, many lack an understand- tion to their labor security girls between 12 and 16 years old, facing their first ing of women’s physical health, and hold societal periods. In other words, about 4 million girls in the taboos regarding menstruation, which is known as country are experiencing period poverty. Zhaojue period shame. Already, a fifth of the 21st century is county in Liangshan prefecture, the focus of behind us, yet menstruation, a phenomenon affect- Tencent’s Period Plan, is 500 km from the capital of issues and menstrual ing half the world’s population, is still seen as a Sichuan province, Chengdu, but a world away in taboo in many places. Women having their periods terms of income differential. Officially registered are often regarded as unclean. In some places, as an extremely impoverished county in the depths they have to leave their homes and stay in huts of Daliang Mountain (until as late as 2020), during menstruation. Absenteeism is one of the supplies needs. statistics from 2019 show that it comprises of 55 physical, physiological and mental health issues impoverished villages and 33,000 poverty-stricken that stems from this, in turn exacerbating gender

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 CHINA LOGS 63 中国日志 inequality. pants, disposable underwear and other materials. and “I have trouble”, securing the sympathies of other methods have being used to reduce period The Period Plan is not the first time that the #Sisters Fight the Epidemic Relief Action” The countless social media users. The topic quickly poverty and eliminate period shame. For example, topic of period poverty has entered public dis- topic has been viewed 120 million times on Weibo heated up, with more than 1 billion views and the “Spring Willow Program” initiated by Shang- course in China. A film on the topic based on and discussed more than 150,000 times. While 200,000 plus comments, once again putting the hai Rende Foundation in 2017, provides left-behind Indian grassroots entrepreneur Arunachalam more and more people affirm the value of female issue of menstrual poverty under the spotlight. girls in Sichuan, Shaanxi and other places with Muruganantham came out in 2018, and Chinese workers in the front line of the epidemic, they are The bulk sanitary napkins that caused great health kits, physical education and period sup- netizens translated it as “Pad Man” in Chinese. also beginning to pay attention to their labor controversy were reversed port. China Social Welfare When it was officially released in China, the title security issues and menstrual supplies needs. several times during the Foundation Ai Xiaoya Fund was changed to “Indian Partner”. The “Sister’s Fight the Epidemic Relief Action” verification process and were 40 MILLION CHILDREN LIVE IN “The Girls Cheer Program” In February 2020, just as the novel coronavirus team called for the inclusion of pads in essential eventually removed from the POVERTY, OF WHICH ABOUT 10% focuses on girls in poor raged in Wuhan and virus-related news occupied aid packages. The volunteers in this team found shelves. However, if you ARE GIRLS BETWEEN 12 AND 16 mountainous areas. More every online and offline media platform, the topic that many units thought menstrual supplies were search for “bulk sanitary YEARS OLD, FACING THEIR FIRST young women face up to the of periods again hit the internet. A Weibo blogger not “essential.” When Hebei became the center of napkins” on e-commerce PERIODS. IN OTHER WORDS, issue of menstruation with noticed that sanitary pads and safety underwear China’s epidemic in January 2021, the city was platforms, there are many to ABOUT 4 MILLION GIRLS IN THE courage and resist menstrual had been missed off the list of personal protective sealed off, and frontline medical staff and local choose from, and some stores COUNTRY ARE EXPERIENCING shame with help of other equipment for those tasked with epidemic preven- female residents once again faced a lack of period have monthly sales of several women, in projects such as tion and control. The demand for menstrual supplies. thousand pieces. In the PERIOD POVERTY. the “Sanitary Pad Mutual Aid supplies by female medical staff has been ignored. Discussion on the topic of menstruation picked evaluation of buyers, words Box”. So the blogger and his team launched the “Sisters up again on Aug. 28, when the hashtag #Bulk such as “large quantity and cost-effective” are Internationally, more and more countries are Fight the Epidemic Relief Action” online to raise Sanitary Napkins# entered the hot search bar on common. paying attention to the issue of period poverty and donations and coordinate donation activities. Weibo. The reason was that a blogger stumbled Among various period hygiene products, making changes such as implementing low-tax, Together with Lingshan Charity Foundation, they upon bulk sanitary napkin sellers on Taobao, sanitary pads are the most popular on the main- zero-tax or free provision policies for period launched public fundraising on two platforms, Sina advertising 100 pads for 21.99 yuan, with no brand land market. Are they actually expensive? supplies. China still levies a 13% value-added tax Weibo Public Welfare and “Joint Fundraising for and no packaging. The blogger asked: how can Based on the most popular brands on the on period products, which is the same as for most Love”. From February 7 to March 13, they raised a you use such a cheap product? To which someone market, in terms of price per pad, they can be regular goods. total of more than 2.51 million yuan, all of which left a message: a pack of sanitary napkins is the divided into low-end (less than 1 yuan), mid-range were used to fight the epidemic. Frontline female price of a cup of milk tea. Other social media users (1 yuan to 1.5 yuan) and high-end (more than 1.5 medical staff purchase sanitary napkins, relief responded with comments such as “Life is tough” yuan). Assuming that a woman has a menstrual period of 5 days, sleeps for 8 hours, and changes a sanitary napkin every 4 hours during the day, then this woman needs to use 4 day sanitary pad and 1 night sanitary pad per 24 hour period. If a single daytime pad costs 1 yuan and a single nighttime pad costs 2 yuan, the average daily spend per woman is 6 yuan, or 30 yuan each period, and 360 yuan per year. If more pads are used the cost increases, and if the period lasts longer, the cost increases. 360 yuan per year does not seem all that much, but China has 600 million people who earn less than 1,000 yuan a year. For low-income families, any amount of money spent on period supplies will be subtracted from food spending. What is gratifying is that the period poverty faced by women and girls is receiving more attention from society. More and more social organizations, public welfare organizations, government forces and individuals are donating, putting on regular health education sessions, and mental health training outreach. Counseling and

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 CHINA LOGS 65 中国日志 Visualize Me

文 化 视

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 VISUALIZE ME 67 文化视觉 觉 MONGOLIA

Environmental In 2010, during one of the harshest winters, more than 8 million livestock died in Mongolia and around 20,000 herdsmen had no other choice but to migrate towards the Capital, Ulaanbaatar, which has doubled its population in the last 10 years. The ger district, in Ulaanbaatar, collects Migrants: about 60% of the population of the capital city developed with poor urban planning, this slum, is devoid of running water or electricity and is the place where the shepherds, forced to abandon rural areas due to climate change, set up their tent in the few spaces still available. This is how, the Last Illusion after a life spent in the pastures, many shepherds find themselves facing any kind of difficulty in an urban context to which they have never been used. By Alessandro Grassani

Environmental migration is destined to become the migrate because of climate change. I focused on new humanitarian emergency of the planet: in a Mongolia, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Haiti also to not too distant future, the entire planet will have to represent different types of climate change that, face the economic and social burden of its globally, influence the phenomenon of environ- consequences. World Bank projections indicate an mental migration: from the extreme cold of Mongo- estimated 143 million internal climate migrants by lia to the desertification in Kenya, passing through 2050 while IOM forecasts estimate that there floods, cyclones, and sea-level rise in Bangladesh could be between 25 million and 1 billion environ- and Haiti. In my story, I use one narrative pattern: mental migrants by 2050 with the most widely in every country, I compare the stories of people sustained prediction being 200 million. who struggle against environmental adversity in Climate migration is mainly internal from rural the countryside with the poor living conditions of to urban areas and this migration does not affect the environmental migrants packed into the the rich countries, responsible for the alteration of booming slums of capital cities. ecosystems, but urban areas of developing There is no going back, the situation will become countries, already overcrowded and degraded, of more and more critical in the years to come. the nations of origin of these migrants. For this The title “the last illusion” refers to the hopes of reason, we are witnessing the uncontrolled the environmental migrants who escape from expansion of slums that grow without any urban environmental stresses and look for chances of a planning, running water, and electricity, ending up better life in the city. However, once they get becoming traps for environmental migrants who there, because of their lack of resources and cannot find work living in poverty and inhumane opportunities, their dream of a favourable future conditions. turns into the last of their illusions. This long-term project I started in 2011, crossed several countries to witness the lives of shepherds, farmers, fishermen, women, and men forced to

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 VISUALIZE ME 69 文化视觉 KENYA BANGLADESH

Kenya’s pastoral population has been among the hardest hit by climate change in Africa. Bangladesh is one of the countries more seriously affected by climate change. Dhaka, its Droughts and clashes between different pastoral groups seeking pasture and water for their capital, has over 300,000 newcomers entering the city each year (source World Bank) driven animals are pushing many Kenyans dreaming of a better future towards Nairobi. According to by a mix of economic and environmental pressures. a 2008 UN-Habitat report 74% of the environmental migrants living in the slums of Nairobi The city is considered to be one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Today the city arrived in the last 20 years (in conjunction with the increase in drought and the impact of has about 20 million inhabitants but based on population growth models, the University of climate change in recent years). Kibera is the most populous slum in Nairobi and the largest Toronto projects that Dhaka will be the third most populous city in the world by 2050 with slum in Africa, about 1 million people live in there in very difficult conditions. Nowadays, Africa about 35.2 million residents, while the International Organization for Migration estimates that has more than 570 million slum dwellers, according to UN-Habitat, with over half of the urban 70% of Dhaka’s slum-dwellers moved there fleeing the consequences of climate changes. population, 61,7% living in slums like Kibera. Climate change play a key role in this relentless urban growth.

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 VISUALIZE ME 71 文化视觉 C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 VISUALIZE ME 73 文化视觉 HAITI

Haiti is one of the world’s most endangered places vis-a-vis climate change. According to the UN as drought, hurricanes, floods become more frequent, their impact will be amplified specifically in Haiti by the country’s existing environmental degradation. Indeed, Haiti is almost completely denuded of trees, making Haiti’s environment one of the most fragile in the world. This arboreal destruction has significantly reduced the land’s ability to absorb the effects of extreme weather events and manifestations of climate change. The vulnerability of the country to natural disasters has triggered waves of internal migration from rural to urban areas. In Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital and largest city, half of the residents were not born there and the overcrowded city continues to serve as the main destination for thousands of environmental migrants every year. According to the Haitian Institute of Statistics and Informatics and Quixote Center, today more than 25% of the Haitian population lives in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince.

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 VISUALIZE ME 75 文化视觉 C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 VISUALIZE ME 77 文化视觉 World Food Programme: Serial Innovation and Digital Transformation to Address Humanitarian Crises Innovators by Sarah Orlando The World Food Programme (WFP) was established statement upon the awarding of the Prize. “We in 1961 by the United Nations General Assembly work closely with government, organizations and and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the private sector partners whose passion for helping United Nations (FAO). WFP is the world’s largest the hungry and vulnerable equals ours. We could humanitarian organisation and is funded by not possibly help anyone without them. We are an voluntary contributions from governments, organi- operational agency and the daily work of our staff sations and private individuals. each day is driven by our core values of integrity, WFP works in particular to achieve the United humanity and inclusion. Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of eradi- Where there is conflict, there is hunger. And cating poverty and hunger. In 2019, it provided where there is hunger, there is often conflict. assistance to close to 100 million people in 88 Today is a reminder that food security, peace countries through food or cash distributions in and stability go together. Without peace, we emergencies, nutrition support programmes and cannot achieve our global goal of zero hunger; participation in activities to build resilience to and while there is hunger, we will never have a climate change and other global peaceful world.” shocks. UNTIL THE DAY WE According to a WFP executive The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic board document issued in November HAVE A MEDICAL 对 has dramatically swelled the number 2019, named “Private-sector partner- of poor and hungry. In countries such VACCINE, FOOD IS ships and fundraising strategy as Yemen, the Democratic Republic of THE BEST VACCINE (2020-2025)” the vision is to transform Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan and AGAINST CHAOS how WFP works with businesses and Burkina Faso, the combination of other actors – particularly at the local violent conflict and the pandemic has led to a level – to save and change more lives. The newly dramatic rise in the number of people living on the stated five-year strategy sets forth a new ap- 话 brink of starvation. In the face of the pandemic, the proach, looking to businesses primarily for techni- World Food Programme has demonstrated an cal partnerships that utilize their expertise, capa- impressive ability to intensify its efforts. As the bility and advocacy support and to individuals for organisation itself has stated, “Until the day we funds to help close WFP’s funding gap. The have a medical vaccine, food is the best vaccine strategy is built upon three interrelated pillars that against chaos.” will contribute to the achievement of zero hunger The United Nations World Food Programme and to the broader goals of the 2030 Agenda: 创 was also the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. Impact, Income and Innovation. Impact: by The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the co-creating technical partnerships with the private Nobel Peace Prize for 2020 to WFP “for its efforts sector to form best-in-class technical partnerships to combat hunger, for its contribution to better- aimed at increasing local level impact. Income: by ing conditions for peace in conflict-affected developing a sustainable stream of flexible income areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts through a new individual giving approach, invest- to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war ing in a digital-led fundraising strategy to engage 新 and conflict.” people worldwide. And finally Innovation: allowing “The Nobel Peace Prize is not WFP’s alone.” WFP to explore new modes of engagement to find said WFP Executive Director David Beasley in a innovative and collaborative solutions for the

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 SERIAL INNOVATORS 79 对话创新者 者 people it serves, through new technology and new an and development work. ways of working. Based in Munich, the Accelerator runs week- Within this new strategic framework, on April 2, long bootcamps (which have moved virtual in the WITHOUT PEACE, WE 2021 UNESCO and the WFP signed a Memorandum wake of COVID-19), a six-month Sprint Program to of Understanding to jointly advocate for the help projects develop prototypes and reach proof education, health, nutrition and wellbeing needs of of concept in developing countries, and then, for school-aged children and young people, towards projects that merit continued support, a Scale-up CANNOT ACHIEVE OUR the achievement of the Sustainable Development Enablement phase including tailored support. Goals (SDGs). To date, the Accelerator portfolio includes more “The COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting than 80 projects in 45 countries. In 2019 alone, the school closures, has emphasized the interrelation- innovations that were developed within the pro- GLOBAL GOAL OF ZERO ship between education and health. We have seen gramme positively impacted the lives of 1.4 million that schools are not only essential to deliver people globally. According to Bernhard Kowatsch, education but provide a vital social space and Head of the Innovation Accelerator, its success was deliver key services like school feeding, vaccina- facilitated thanks to the diverse and unique HUNGER; AND WHILE tions, and health education, which are central to background of the team, that amounts to over 50 learners’ health, sense of belonging and wellbe- people from more than 30 countries, and whose ing,” said Stefania Giannini, Assistant Direc- skills include humanitarian, startup industry, tech, tor-General for Education at UNESCO, underlining and design expertise. the importance of good nutrition and health to The combination of multidisciplinary skills and THERE IS HUNGER, WE ensure all children and young people have access experience of each team member enables the team to and can take full advantage of learning oppor- to identify and support disruptive proposals. From tunities. providing on-the-ground expertise for an African startup that is working on an app for refugee WILL NEVER HAVE A WFP Innovation Incubator camps, to helping a WFP innovator build a sustain- “We believe that innovation can help us to create able business model, or deploying sophisticated impact at scale for some of the most vulnerable technology solutions. people on this planet,” said Bernhard Kowatsch, The Accelerator has been testing diverse PEACEFUL WORLD head of the WFP Innovation Accelerator to Fast- solutions and leveraging new technologies, even Company in an interview in late 2020. WFP has more so since the COVID-19 outbreak: from been ranked amongst Fast Company’s most blockchain technology that delivers cash, to virtual innovative not-for-profit organizations of 2021 wallets that enable refugees can buy food in (ranking #2). remote locations, to an e-shop that allows vulnera- ShareTheMeal 6% will be used to help run ShareTheMeal’s organ- “It all started with six people, listening to ble people in Tanzania to order food online. Sebastian Stricker and Bernhard Kowatsch found- isation and 4% will continue to help cover pay- analog pitches, squeezing into a couple of black Throughout 2020, WFP scaled up 11 projects that ed ShareTheMeal in April 2014 in Berlin during a ment fees. leather couches in a rented office in Munich. If it directly reached more than 1.4 million people the sabbatical, and since its launch in 2015 it became As of December 2020 ShareTheMeal has wasn’t for the WFP banner taped to the wall it may year prior. an innovation project within WFP aiming at feeding provided 89 million meals to 3.9 million users in 31 as well have been a college dorm room, or a child refugees from Syria. countries. ShareTheMeal is an APP that was born as an innovative funding approach aimed mainly at www.sharethemeal.org involving a new generation of young donors and is now an award-winning app that enables users to feed a hungry child with just a tap on their smart- phone and USD 0.80. The vast majority of the world’s hungry live in developing countries. Since launching the app, ShareTheMeal has helped provide aid to mitigate some of the largest food crises in the world including Yemen, Syria and Nigeria. The app allows users to choose where they

The humble beginnings of WFP’s Innovation Accelerator @WFP want to help by selecting from different goals in INCLUSION the app. Furthermore, the app allows people to see INTEGRITY, HUMANITY AND bootstrapped startup in Silicon Valley, Lagos or where their funds are being utilized, providing full anywhere else in the world…and in a way, it was.” Women in Chad show off their hydroponic fodder harvest @WFP transparency. Meals can also be shared as part of writes Jonathan Simms earlier this year on WFP a team, and the user can engage his own entou- official medium channel. rage by creating a unique challenge and sharing It was the end of 2015, and no other UN agency its actions on the user’s social media profiles. had attempted what WFP was trying to do: bring a To date, ShareTheMeal declares that 62% of private sector accelerator methodology to support the funding directly feeds families in need, 28% startups and non-profit innovations in humanitari- will be invested into fundraising and marketing,

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 SERIAL INNOVATORS 81 对话创新者 Building Blocks: Using Blockchain to Disrupt customer, whose balance is checked to see if it is Patterns of Global Hunger sufficient, and if so the payment goes through with Building Blocks is probably the best-known appli- blockchain technology. Stores then receive their cation of blockchain in a humanitarian context. It payments from WFP. As a result, more donor is a project supported by the WFP Innovation money goes directly to food assistance. Accelerator, started in 2016 by Houman Haddad Another most recent application is the one (then Finance Officer at WFP) and refined with implemented in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the Alexandra Alden (then Innovation Consultant at world’s largest refugee camp. The system has been WFP) during a Singularity University bootcamp. It serving over 500,000 Rohingya people, empower- was developed by Datarella. ing women and helping families maintaining social Following its inception within the WFP Innova- distancing, and even if it was originally designed tion Accelerator, a proof of concept was developed to be touch-operated, because of the COVID-19 in Pakistan and Jordan in 2017, and a scale-up pandemic a digital QR code is issued allowing phase was launched in refugee camps in Jordan people to collect assistance without having to since 2018 reaching approximately 100,000 people handle potentially contagious devices. in the first year. Within an amazingly short time If it is true that research shows how direct cash Building Blocks has demonstrated blockchain’s transfers to those in need can be the most effective value in providing cash assistance to hungry and efficient way to distribute humanitarian people (more than 300,000 people served by assistance, while also supporting local economies, mid-2020). it is also arguable that distributing cash depends For the end-user, the process is incredibly on local financial institutions that in some contexts simple: in refugee camps in Jordan, Syrian may prove insufficient or unreliable, or not accessi- refugees can shop normally at one of the designat- ble for refugees, who are not allowed to open bank ed stores, depending on their assigned entitle- accounts. ments. As they check out, they “pay” without The blockchain technology behind Building physical cash, but rather from a secure digital Blocks allows direct, secure, and fast transactions wallet. At check out each scan identifies the between participants and WFP—without requiring

Jordan, Zaatari Refugee Camp, 2013 @WFP/Salah Malkawi

a financial intermediary like a bank to connect the WITH BLOCKCHAIN, two parties. Building Blocks has not only allowed refugees to expand their choices in how they access and spend their cash assistance. It has also helped WFP explore if blockchain can make cash transfers YOU CAN SEE WHO more efficient, secure and transparent. Further- more, and most importantly, it facilitates cash transfers while protecting beneficiary data, controlling financial risks, and allowing for greater IS ASSISTING collaboration. Anonymity is in fact key for refugees who are fleeing from conflict zones, where ensur- ing their privacy in the event that their personal information is used against them is paramount. “With blockchain, you can see who is assisting INNOVATION WHOM IN A whom in a non-personally-identifiable manner,” IMPACT, INCOME AND says Houman Haddad, Head of Emerging Technol- ogies at WFP. In other words, individuals are issued an encrypted ID or code number to distinguish NON-PERSONALLY- them from others, without revealing their true identities, for security and privacy reasons. Building Blocks has so far proven among the best current expressions of blockchain-based systems in a humanitarian context, having proven IDENTIFIABLE effective in diminishing the cost of cash donations, safeguarding anonymity of refugees, and strengthening social distancing and health safety

in highly populated contexts (crucial during https://innovation.wfp.org/ MANNER COVID-19 pandemic). project/building-blocks

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 SERIAL INNOVATORS 83 对话创新者 ing mobile owners was the quickest current expansion was designed to subsidies is also being explored. Harnessing Technology way in which the Togolese govern- allow anyone with a SIM card to Togo’s project is an example of ment could distribute cash en register for Novissi. In other words, the pandemic forcing urgent masse during the pandemic. Based someone without a phone could experimentation that may lead to and Data for Targeted on the research team’s analysis of acquire a SIM card (which is much lasting change. The turn to satellite recent nationally-representative cheaper than a phone) and use and cellphone data was driven, in household survey data, “we that SIM card in someone else’s part, by a shortage of reliable data Emergency Aid estimate that roughly 90% of phone to register for the program on citizens and their needs, and it households in Togo have at least and receive benefits.” For future turned out to be so successful that by Sarah Orlando one mobile phone, which might limit expansions of the project, the the data-centric approach will likely the scope of such exclusions.” Says possibility of making low-cost be used more widely. Blumenstock. “In addition, the mobile phones available through

COVID-19 reached Togo, a country how to put his research into in West Africa, in March 2020. In action. Since March 2020, the response to the crisis, the country’s research team has been helping GiveDirectly government launched “Novissi” the government of Togo get cash GiveDirectly, the leading global people in poverty cash instead of of cash transfers and providing meaning “solidarity” in the local to the poorest people in the NGO specialized in delivering the food and other aid that develop- rigorous experimental research Ewe language, an innovative social country, using a mix of machine digital cash transfers, thanks to its ment organizations typically (randomized controlled trials - RCT) assistance program designed to learning, satellite imagery, and on-site experimentations, especially employ? And their answer is: cash is to answer public policy questions. provide emergency cash assistance mobile phone data. in Kenya, found that cash dona- often the most helpful intervention. On their website, a very rich to Togo’s neediest families through The key question at the heart tions had not kept people from In 2020, because of the repository of papers and reports, mobile cash payments—a technolo- of Novissi was: how to target and working, had not contributed to COVID-19 pandemic, GiveDirectly both issued by GiveDirectly and by gy well established in Africa. prioritize the people with the inflation, and had actually boosted delivered more than $132 million of other organizations, can be found, Half of Togo’s 8 million people greatest need of help? the economy on a scale far beyond aid in cash, reaching more than supporting with extensive data the live on less than $1.90 a day, and The last census in Togo was the initial investment. 256,000 people. In the absence of company’s point of cash-giving. since most Togolese work in the conducted in 2011, and the GiveDirectly was selected as #3 physical contact, some of that informal sector, when COVID-19 cut Togolese government did not most innovative non-profit-organi- giving was made possible with new https://www.givedirectly.org/ off their income opportunities, their have a comprehensive social zation by FastCompany in 2021, technologies. biggest risk was dying of starvation, registry that would allow the “for testing the impact of cash on In the last 10 years, GiveDirectly if not of the virus itself. researchers to directly identify poor communities, and for trans- has managed to donate over $300 When COVID-19 struck, Togolese and prioritize its poorest people. forming disaster aid”. million, reaching over 750 thousand government officials reached out to Moreover, in the middle of a The organization’s larger point people. It also collaborates with a Joshua Blumenstock, co-director of pandemic it was nearly impossi- was to answer the following ques- wide range of leading independent University of UC Berkeley’s Center ble to collect the data required to timates of the wealth of each 2.4km tion: what happens if you give researchers to measure the impacts for Effective Global Action, who’d create a new registry. of the country by applying deep been researching how big data can When Novissi first launched in learning algorithms to high-resolu- fill information gaps facing coun- April 2020, the government chose to tion satellite imagery, and by tries like Togo. His lab had shown prioritize informal workers living in combining them with estimates on that phone records could predict the regions most impacted by the population density in each area individual wealth in lockdown restric- they were able to identify the 100 Rwanda about as tions: Lomé (Togo’s poorest cantons in Togo. The team CASH IS OFTEN well as in-person capital) and then developed methods using 11:31 AM surveys, and that THE MOST HELPFUL Sokodé (the mobile phone metadata to help satellite images INTERVENTION country’s second identify the individuals with the Withdraw could track areas largest city). To greatest need, moving on to Ksh1,175.00 of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. determine eligibility, they relied on prioritize the poorest individuals in Blumenstock (UC Berkeley / a voter database that had been these 100 poorest cantons. CEGA / IPA) offered to adapt his recently updated, and in which Through a collaboration be- technology to help, and put togeth- people had self-declared their home tween the government of Togo and er a team of researchers including location and their occupation. GiveDirectly, roughly 57,000 new Emily Aiken (UC Berkeley), Suzanne Novissi is currently expanding in beneficiaries in rural areas have Bellue (U. Mannheim), Dean Karlan partnership with GiveDirectly to been enrolled in Novissi using the (Northwestern / IPA), and Chris rural areas of the country, where satellite+phone method. Udry (Northwestern / IPA). He also extreme poverty is most severe. The As described by Joshua Blumen- connected the country’s govern- researchers’ approach focuses on stock on his own channel last ment officials with GiveDirectly, prioritizing the poorest villages and January, one important concern is which distributes cash payments in neighborhoods first. In order to do the fact that people who do not poor countries and had already so, given the lack of a poverty map, have a mobile phone are excluded been in touch with Blumenstock on the researchers produced micro-es- from the target. Nonetheless, target-

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 SERIAL INNOVATORS 85 对话创新者 The 3rd UNESCO Creative Cities Creative Beijing Summit Held in Beijing

Xu Qiang, director of the Beijing Science and Technology Commission and director of ICCSD said, Beijing is taking the “three Cities and one Area” (Zhongguancun Science City, Huairou Senses Science City and Future Science City, the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area) as the main platform to accelerate the construction of a science and technology innovation center with global influence and phased progress has been made. Meanwhile, the concept of “Design Makes Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay, delivers the City Better” is deeply rooted in the people’s a speech via video minds. The “City of Design” is gradually becoming an important engine for the sustainable develop- ment of Beijing. During the prevention and control From September 17 to 18,2020, the third UNESCO of the COVID-19, Beijing takes advantage of Creative Cities Beijing Summit was held in Shou- cutting-edge technologies such as big data, cloud gang Industrial Park. More than 30 representatives computing and AI, making great progress in terms of international organizations, city leaders, innova- of medical care, community prevention and tion subjects and research institutions were invited control, work resumption and improving the to give speeches at the conference. Xu Qiang, cultural life of the public. director of the Beijing Science and Technology Commission and director of ICCSD, presided over the opening ceremony and made a keynote report. This Summit represents the first international activity co-hosted by UNESCO and local govern- ment under the theme of “Creative Cities” since 创 the outbreak of COVID-19 and it takes the devel- opment of cities under the post-epidemic era as a starting point to discuss how to use new technolo- gies to empower culture and creativity, and design more resilient and optimized urban man- agement measures, models and ideas against a big picture of balancing the pandemic-resistance 意 and work resumption. Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, said in the opening speech, “As a UNESCO Cre- ative City of Design, Beijing provides an exemplary combination of profound history and state-of-the- art technology. Cities are unique spaces for solidarity, cooperation, and innovation. They are where the future of our societies will be defined. 资 No.3 BF in Shougang Industrial Park is a «BF of Merit» which has an The support for Wuhan, a City of Design, from important contribution to the development of steel industry of Beijing member cities of Creative Cities Network inspired and even China. After renovated, it looks more fashionable with a sense the momentum of solidarity against the COVID-19.” of technology

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 CREATIVE SENSES 87 创意资讯 讯 Mr. Yann Debelle de Montby presents the Fashion Creative Design Award The 7th Chengdu Italian World Heritage Creativity & Design at the Third China Week Held in International Import Chengdu Expo (CIIE)

At the invitation of the organizer of Chengdu On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Creativity & Design Week, Wu Wenbin and Lang- establishment of diplomatic relations between lang attended the 7th Chengdu Creativity & China and Italy, the year of 2020 witnessed the Design Week held in Chengdu Nov. 5-7, 2020 on birth of the Chinese-English bilingual version of behalf of ICCSD. They were invited to present the Italian World Heritage, which was jointly launched Golden Panda Tianfu Creative Design Awards 2020 by the ICCSD, Cesanamedia and Touring Club and were interviewed by local media. Yann Debelle Italiano for the first time at the Third China Interna- de Montby, a member of the Advisory Committee tional Import Expo and published by Liaoning of ICCSD, was commissioned to serve as the head Science and Technology Press in China. of the judging panel for the Fashion Creative The Italian world heritage exhibition is the first Design Award. He was impressed by Chengdu and The Communicator-in-Charge overseas cultural exchange exhibition by the Italian UNESCO World Heritage List in an illustrated form. for ICCSD in an interview with said he would consider establishing a branch local media. Trade Agency. Under the landmark dome of Roman The Italian Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the office there. In this way, ICCSD has made a Architecture, 55 world heritage sites recognized by Italian Embassy to China specially wrote an article contribution to the introduction of international better life. On top of that, profound culture is UNESCO are displayed in the form of a multimedia for this book, hoping that it could share Italy’s rich resources to cities in China’s interior. another seedbed for the development of the photography exhibition. All the pictures in the world heritage resources with Chinese readers, creative design industry in Chengdu. Historically, a exhibition are from the book Italian World Heritage. and promote exchange and cooperation between Langlang, researcher-in-charge at ICCSD, said in city with a well-developed creative design industry, The exhibition attracted a large number of visitors the two countries in cultural tourism, heritage an interview, “It is the open and free society that like Rome and Paris, usually has a long-standing who enjoyed a good viewing experience through protection and future renewal. Italian embassies attracts creativity. Such a favorable social climate culture. Because a steady stream of creativity impressive visual presentation and multimedia and consulates, the Italian Trade Agency and other begins with two things. The first is the gathering of arises from a cultural sediment accumulated over interaction. The book Italian World Heritage Italian organizations in China plan to present the creative talent. The other one is the quest for a the years.” presents 55 Italian scenic spots listed in the book to Chinese partners as an official gift.

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 CREATIVE SENSES 89 创意资讯 ICCSD Convenes the Second Session of its First Advisory Committee

Committee members from 10 countries attended the session online

The Second Session of the First Advisory Commit- es of the era. ICCSD, as an international platform and blend the concept of sustainable development ic, countries should cooperate with each other, tee of ICCSD was convened in Beijing on Sept. 25, which advocates advancing sustainable develop- into works of young designers in the world. “We promote multilateralism and globalization, express 2020. Ideas were exchanged online and offline ment in a creative way, will play a bigger role in hope experts would continue to pay close attention themselves, and respond to issues confronting using cloud communication because of pandem- the nearer future, since the previous system is to ICCSD and learn about the highlights of our them in more dignified, creative and fairer ways, ic-related restrictions. under shock and a new turning point is emerging. work in the future.” he said. as well as contribute to the world’s recovery and The session included a brief summary on The Center would be committed to collecting and In the meeting, participants recognized and development. In addition, experts mentioned that ICCSD’s work over the year, as well as the inaugu- studying creative plans across the world, reforming supported ICCSD’s achievements. They indicated countries are supposed to try their best to over- ration and certification of new members of the systems, innovating science and technology, and that they would coordinate more resources and come difficulties and achieve their sustainable Advisory Committee. In addition, members focused developing culture in a sustainable way. projects from various fields and discuss further goals before 2030 although the pandemic’s on figuring out innovative and creative ways to During the session, Hans d’Orville, president cooperation with ICCSD. Concentrating on three influence is tremendous. continuously promote global sustainable develop- of the ICCSD Advisory Committee, and former topics, experts conducted further discussion on the The first Advisory Committee of the Center was ment in times of changes under the context of the UNESCO Assistant Director-General, announced pandemic’s impact on globalization, the creative established in April 2019. The committee includes COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 15 experts from 10 that Professor Xiang Yong, Vice Director of economy and urban development, as well as the 30 members from 14 countries who come from countries attended and spoke at the meeting, Institute for Cultural Industries, Peking University, corresponding innovative measures during consult- international organizations, research institutes, including Xiao Lan, executive director of ICCSD, was appointed as committee member of ICCSD. ing and discussion. The three topics were “New social organizations and private companies and Hans d’Orville, president of the ICCSD Advisory Xiao Lan, Executive Director of ICCSD, awarded Thinking under the New Normal: COVID-19’s Impact their majors spam from creativity economy, urban Committee, and former UNESCO Assistant Direc- Professor Xiang Yong a certificate of committee on Globalization and the Creative Economy”, development, industrial planning, to artificial tor-General, Charles Landry, the proposer and membership. “Innovative and Creative Measures Are Adopted in intelligence, network technology, sustainable supporter of the Creative City concept, Carolina Hans d’Orville introduced the history of ICCSD, Cities to Curb the Pandemic” and “Research, development or communication. The session Quintana, a coordinator of UNCTAD Creative main programs of 2019 and work plans for 2020. Advertisement and Digital Tools Advancing Sustain- gathered opinions of experts from various coun- Economy Network, Riccardo Balbo, academic He presented the practical and plentiful work in able Development”. Professionals believed that the tries, offering intellectual support in order to director of Istituto Europeo di Design, Mehri investigation and research, advertising and outbreak put forward new requirements for achieve the sustainable goals on time. Madarshahi, president of Global Culture Network communication, and international cooperation creativity, design and sustainable development. and former Senior Economist for United Nations, conducted by ICCSD in the previous year. The They realized the significance of creating, building, Mugendi K.M’Rithaa, President Emeritus of WDO, Center has expanded creative projects and cases sharing and discussing jointly. Facing the pandem- Wu Zhiqiang, Vice President of Tongji University after a successful pilot program, encouraged and academician of the Chinese Academy of professionals across the world to discuss the Engineering, and Zhu Xufeng, Executive Director of construction of creative cities, and provided a TUSDG. platform for countries to exchange cultures, share Xiao Lan said that COVID-19 has not only experience and achieve win-win cooperation. It has endangered the world, but also provided various cooperated with more than 20 news agencies and industries with more opportunities for development. gathered plenty of experience in the field. It has Services driven by digital technology have had a participated in over 10 international events and positive effect on work and life during the pandem- reached cooperation intentions with more than 30 ic, including telemedicine, online education, institutions. shared platform, office automation and cross-bor- Hans d’Orville said that the center hopes to der e-commerce. In his opinion, it is certain that the deepen cooperation with UNESCO, establish more digital economy will be a crucial growth area in platforms for communication and collaboration, Xiao Lan, Executive Director of the next stage. In the future, for the effect of widen the channels for committee members to ICCSD, awards Professor Xiang Yong, economic development, we will face a new and exchange ideas and share experience, focus on Vice President of the Institute for Cultural Industries of Peking Univer- rapidly changing era. Thus, innovative thinking social media operations and reports, and provide sity, with the certificate of committee modes and creative solutions are urgently needed more examples of creative cases and achievements membership of ICCSD’s Advisory to seize the opportunities and handle the challeng- for committee members. It will also nurture talents Committee (left: Chen Ping, middle: Xiao Lan, right: Xiang Yong)

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 CREATIVE SENSES 91 创意资讯 Charitable Art Exhibition Held by ICCSD

At the UN Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, calling for action by all countries to protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, were adopted as part of the 2030 Exhibition Site Agenda for Sustainable Development. To inspire children’s love and curiosity for life and encourage them to discover, appreciate and create beauty, ICCSD and Green & Shine Founda- tion (G&S Foundation) jointly held the 2020 Charitable Art Exhibition, in the hopes that it could give a boost to Goals 1 (End Poverty) & 4 (Quality Education). We expect that by exhibiting the children’s paintings -which show their perception of beauty- we can draw societal attention to art education for rural children. The collected paintings were from children in Grades 3 to 5 of Zhangcheng Primary School in Longde County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Da’an Primary School in Longshan County, Hunan Province. The exhibition was divided into two sections. The first part showed these children’s imitations of the world-class works by Van Gogh, David Hockney, Giorgio Morandi and other masters. By imitation, they could learn how to appreciate art, the composition of paintings and the combination of exciting colors. The second part exhibited the children’s original paintings to show their creative imagination regarding their home- towns and nature. Its aim was to spark their imaginations and creativity by showing their ideas with their colorful painting brushes.

My Hometown by Xian Xuelian

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 CREATIVE SENSES 93 创意资讯 What is beauty? In children’s eyes, it can be the bright red blossoms and green willows in the spring, the fields filled with fully ripened grains in the fall, the tranquility after snow in winter. It can also be very simple - a leaf or a grass, a person or a scene.

Imitation by Li Yalong

(Follow ICCSD’s official account to see more paintings)

Green & Shine Foundation started a charitable program for aesthetic education in rural primary schools in central and western China in 2017. Aimed at aesthetic enlightenment, the program has designed a series of activities to impart basic knowledge and skills to children in order to inspire their de- sire for beauty. In 2019, in addition to painting, drama and music were added to the list and activities were expanded to summer camps, training courses and public shows besides one-week voluntary education. Up to now, more than 2000 rural teachers have participated in and benefited from the program.

C2030 ISSUE 6 – 2021 CREATIVE SENSES 95 创意资讯 “Dear darkening ground”

Dear darkening ground, you’ve endured so patiently the walls we’ve built,

please give the cities one more hour and grant the churches and cloisters two,

And those that labor —maybe you’ll let their work grip them for another five hours, or seven

before you become forest again, and water, and widening wilderness, in that hour of inconceivable terror when you take back your name from all things.

Just give me a little more time.

I just need a little more time, because I am going to Love the things as no one has thought to love them,

until they’re real and worthy of you.

— Rainer Maria Rilke

A poem by Rainer Maria Rilke, read by Vandana Shi- va, collectively animated by @the.impossible.future and presented by Daniel Wahl https://theimpossiblefuture. org/dear-darkening-ground/

C2030 ISSUE 5 – 2021 大背景