Month: May 2012

America the Possible: An Orion Live Web Event on May 15th

America the Possible: An Orion Live Web Event on May 15th

How can the U.S. be behind others in the areas of healthcare, poverty rates and equal rights? In the upcoming issue of the magazine Orion, Gus Speth writes about how the United States, which is one of the wealthiest countries in the world recently received the lowest score on the United Nations’s index of material well-being of children.

He also writes about a more hopeful future for America, if we have the will and determination to build it.

In a live webinar event, Gus Speth and Orion’s editor Andrew Blechman will be talking about what it takes to get America back on track next Tuesday May 15th at 4 pm EST.  Gus Speth worked in the White House and at the United Nation and has interesting ideas about the future prospects of America.

If you want to listen in, you can register in advance for free.  The presentation will be a live audio stream with a slide show of images that you can see, with chances for you to ask questions and share your thoughts.

Image Source:
www.america2050.org/

 

Links:

Registration Page for the Orion Live America the Possible Live Web Event

America the Possible: Part I in Orion Magazine

Stretch Your Paycheck at Lunch On Friday at CIA – Pictures are up!

Stretch Your Paycheck at Lunch On Friday at CIA – Pictures are up!

Stretch your paycheck is an interactive performance where you can stretch your paycheck and get a souvenir picture that you can download, print, and share. Send to your boss, your congressman, or to the bill collector!

On Friday March 9th,  Stretch Your Paycheck was at the the Cleveland Institute of Art Lunch on Friday.

If you got your picture taken stretching your paycheck – you can download your picture at the Stretch Your Paycheck website.

 

Links:

stretchpaycheck.tumblr.com/

 

 

 

 

Build a Hexayurt Shelter

Build a Hexayurt Shelter

On Friday May 11th at the Pixelache Festival in Helsinki, volunteers will be building a hexayurt shelter.  What is a hexayurt?  It is a structure that costs less a relief tent, can be built anywhere in the world at various sizes, and can be made from local materials.  The hexayurt can be used as a emergency or relief structure or as a cheap easy structure for other uses.

The hexayurt that we are building at the Camp Pixelache Festival will be used as a sauna later this night (note: The Finns love saunas, and most households and hotels have saunas.)   A the event will be Vinay Gupta, the developer of the free/open source emergency shelter Hexayurt who is participating in Camp Pixelache.

To make the simple version of the hexayurt, you build a wall by putting six sheets of plywood on their sides in a hexagon shape.  Six more sheets of plywood are cut in  in half diagonally, and these are screwed together into a shallow cone shape. The roof is lifted onto the wall by a large group of people, then it is  fastened down with screws. The structure can be sealed, painted, or if you are in the desert covered with reflective materials.

The basic hexayurt design is a  166 square foot (15 sq meter) structure.  The design can last for years and costs approximately $100 to make. The basic design can be improved with proper windows, doors, room partitions, stove fittings and other architectural features.  Hexayurts have been built on the beach, at Occupy Pittsburgh, and at Burning Man.

Image Source:
http://hexayurt.com/

Links:

http://hexayurt.com/

Hexayurt @ Camp Pixelache in Helsinki

Hexayurt Designs

Hand + Heart Winning Design to be exhibited at 92YTribeca

This Spring the Where Do You Give? National Design Competition asked designers and to translate the Jewish tradition of giving to others, tzedakah‘s meaning into a compelling and contemporary design.  The design contest explored ways that in current times people can give to others and how the values behind our giving can inspire us to expand our universe of obligation around where and how we give.

The contest had 3 categories which included Interactive/ Web, “Out-of-the-Box’” and  Tzedakah  box category.  All of the winning entries show creative ways that philanthropy can work in our increasingly interconnected, global, and technologically accelerated world.  The winning designs, including my Hand + Heart Game design that was a winter in the Interactive/ Web category will be in a show that will travel across the United States this year.

Next week – on June 20th at 92YTribeca the show will be exhibited.  There also is a panel discussion and event about the current and future state of giving which includes Rebecca Stone of the American Jewish World (AJWS), Karen Pittelman, author of Resource Generation’s Classified:  How to Stop Hiding Your Privilege and Use it for Social Change, Ryan Clifford, a judge of the contest and Faculty Director of the MICA Design Coalition.  Sasha Feldstein, who works in the department of education and community engagement of AJWS is the facilitator for the event.

If you are in New York next week – get a ticket for the event, and stop by to see the exhibition at 92YTribeca.  It might get you thinking about how you give to others.

 

Links:

Tickets for the June 20th Event at 92YTribeca

www.wheredoyougive.org

 

Restaurant Day in Helsinki : Anyone Can Setup a Restaurant

Restaurant Day in Helsinki : Anyone Can Setup a Restaurant

Restaurant Day is an event where anyone can set up a restaurant, café or a bar for a day.   You can set it up at your home, office, street corner, your garden, the park, or the  beach.  This unique day of restaurants started in Helsinki Finland, and now is happening four times a year in Finland and other countries.

The first Restaurant Day happened in May of 2011,  and 40 restaurants opened in 13 different towns. By the fourth Restaurant Day, held in February 2012 nearly 300 restaurants opened in almost 50 different towns in 12 different countries.  The next Restaurant Day is May 19th, 2012.

The idea of Restaurant Day is to have fun, share different restaurant experiences with other people and enjoy creating an environment where you can interact with others.   Want to make a restaurant that serves flavored flatbread, cake, coffee, or vegan hot dogs?  Check out the Restaurant Day website which has planning documents and information to get your Restaurant plans started.

Image Source:
www.restaurantday.org/

Links:

www.restaurantday.org/

Restaurant Day on Facebook