Stories that Foster Connection to Inspire Action
For the inaugural Design for Humanity Summit in June of 2018, Leslie Thomas, Founder of LARC Inc. and ART WORKS Projects for Human Rights, reflected on insights she acquired from the summit.
Below is Leslie Thomas’s contribution to the newly released Design for Humanity Summit Yearbook available for download here.
“Design is ultimately simply a choice about how to communicate information between sentient beings. When it is between and about humans we have, through our specific capabilities, a chance to impact how we connect to and understand each other. In a world in which there is so much news — it is essential that those urgent issues of crisis and abuse that must cut through the noise of our cluttered landscape and
be afforded the best design. Whether it be 2-d, 3-d, or virtual — the message must convey the urgency warranted by these facts and events.
Coming together on a regular basis to learn from peers in the field is an excellent way to ensure that we can most effectively share best practices and strategies.
At ART WORKS Projects for Human Rights, everything is designed with one thing in mind, and that is that the recipient, the viewer, the person engaging in this story, in whatever form it comes to them, feels some emotional connection and then, if we’ve done our job, engages in action.
At the end of the day, we’d like it to be very useful. We’d like it to never be partisan. Human rights is not owned by the right, left, middle or the far out there. We want everyone to be able to use these kind of tools as we create them.”
Caption: Sanctuary and Sustenance is an ART WORKS Projects for Human Rights production that has been projected on buildings around the world to promote welcome for the displaced, including at the Design for Humanity Summit (Molly Mullen).
Learn more about the Design for Humanity Summit II, taking place June 21, 2019 at Fordham University’s McNally Amphitheatre here.
About the IOM — UN Migration
Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the fi eld of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. With 173 member states, a further 8 states holding observer status and offices in over 100 countries, IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. IOM works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people
About the IIHA
The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) prepares current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively in times of humanitarian crisis and disaster. Our courses are borne of an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines academic theory with the practical experience of seasoned humanitarian professionals. The IIHA also publishes on a wide range of humanitarian topics and regularly hosts a number of events in the New York area, including the annual Humanitarian Blockchain Summit and Design for Humanity Summit.
For media inquiries please contact:
Camille Giacovas
Communications & Research Officer, IIHA
cgiacovas@fordham.edu
Angela Wells
Public Information Officer for the International Organization for Migration’s Department of Operations and Emergencies
awells@iom.int
