What can policymakers learn from previous key economic, political and social transformations about how to push forward reforms to support a new social contract? Drawing on the experiences of former Soviet economies, the Arab Spring and ongoing constitutional reforms in Latin America, the panel discussed how the pandemic can be an opportunity for countries to restructure their economies.

Key points:

• Reasons for change: muasher noted that the root causes of major societal changes are the lack of good governance and economic opportunity. Cardenas highlighted the sharp reversal of recent gains in poverty and inequality. by Shafik pointed out that current social contracts do not provide security or equal opportunity and that massive talent is wasted around the world.
• Successful transformations: Georgiava observed that change/transformation brings benefits and opportunities, but must be accompanied by policies that support those who are negatively affected. Shafik noted three elements of successful transformation: (i) political change (as opposed to political rebranding), (ii) institutional reform towards greater efficiency, and (iii) new ideas. For Berglöfeconomic and social transformation can only be accompanied by political transformation, whereas muasher highlighted the need for a new social contract. Cardenas observed the need to prioritize between different objectives, focusing on social cohesion objectives that go hand in hand with an increase in institutional capacity.
• Role of the fund: Cardenas called on the Fund to inform about the economic trade-offs of different options for change. muasher insisted on the need to talk more to civil society. Shafik added that the Fund must show countries the economic costs of unequal societies. Berglöf saw a role for the Fund in supporting conflict-affected, vulnerable, island and low-income economies.

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“Transformations are desirable when they lead to good policies, but they are complex and can be painful.” Kristalina Georgieva

“We absolutely have an obligation to look at what policies can do to move us towards a digital world that is more inclusive, greener, resilient and with as few divergences as possible” Kristalina Georgieva

Contributor: Rodolfo Dall’Orto

What interregional perspectives can be drawn from previous economic, political and social transformations, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, the aftermath of the Arab crisis Uprisings, and the recent protests in Latin America? What can policy makers learn from these events about how to advance reforms to support a new social contract?

After IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva’s keynote address, join IMF Jihad Azour, Alejandro Werner, and a panel of leading experts from the Middle East, Latin America, and Europe for a discussion on the how the pandemic can serve as an opportunity for countries to redesign their economies, make them smarter, fairer, greener and more conducive to job creation.

Opening remarks:

Kristalina Georgiava Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund

Speakers:

Jihad Azour, Director, Middle East and Central Asia Department, IMF (Moderator)

Erik BerglöfChief Economist at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

Erik Berglöf is the Chief Economist of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Prior to joining the AIIB in September 2020, he was Director of the Institute of Global Affairs at the London School of Economics and Chief Economist of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development from 2006 to 2015, where he participated to the creation and co-led the Vienna Initiative, a European crisis response team recognized for having mitigated the impact of the 2008 global financial crisis. He is an expert in transition economics and institutional transformation through the development of the private sector. He holds a PhD in Financial Economics and a Masters in Business and Economics, both from the Stockholm School of Economics. Mr. Berglöf comes from Sweden.

Mauricio CardenasVisiting Senior Researcher and Visiting Professor at Columbia University SIPA

Mauricio Cardenas is a Visiting Senior Scholar and Visiting Professor at Columbia University SIPA. Mr. Cárdenas served as Colombia’s finance minister from 2012 to 2018 and served as minister in four other portfolios: economic development, transport, planning, mines and energy. He was twice executive director of Fedesarrollo and was director of the Latin America Initiative at the Brookings Institution and president of LACEA. Mr. Cárdenas holds a doctorate. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley.

Marwan MuasherVice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Marwan Muasher is vice president of studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he oversees research on the Middle East. He is a Jordanian diplomat and politician who served as Jordan’s Foreign Minister from 2002 to 2004 and its Deputy Prime Minister in 2004 and 2005. He was Jordan’s first Ambassador to Israel and former Ambassador to the United States. United.

Minouch Shafikdirector of the London School of Economics and Political Science

Minouch Shafik is director of the London School of Economics. Previously, she held senior positions at the World Bank, the Department for International Development and the IMF before becoming Deputy Governor of the Bank of England in 2014. She was appointed Dame Commander of the British Empire at Queen’s New Year’s list in 2015.

Final remarks:

Alexander Werner, Director, Western Hemisphere Department, IMF

January 10, 2020

Arizona State University’s School of Social Transformation will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the annual John P. Frank Memorial Lecture with Emily Bazelon as featured guest Jan. 28 at ASU’s Tempe campus.

Bazelon, a New York Times Magazine editor, is the author of two national bestsellers: ‘Sticks and Stones’, a book about bullying, and ‘Charged’, which examines the issue of mass incarceration in the States. -United.

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Prior to joining The New York Times Magazine, Bazelon served as an editor and managing editor at Slate, for which she continues to co-host the popular weekly podcast Political Gabfest. She also appeared frequently on The Colbert Report on Comedy Central to discuss Supreme Court and social issues. Bazelon’s work has also appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Vogue and other outlets. She is a graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School.

“The School of Social Transformation is thrilled to have the opportunity to host such an important scholar-activist for the 20th anniversary of the John P. Frank Memorial Lecture, our school’s signature event. The tremendous work of Bazelon has had a critical impact in the field of justice studies, and we feel truly fortunate to have him here with us,” said Pardis Mahdavi, director of the School of Social Transformation.

Presented by the Justice and Social Inquiry program, the John P. Frank Memorial Lecture Series honors the memory of attorney John P. Frank (1917–2002), recognized as part of the team that argued the landmark case Miranda v. Arizona ahead of the United States. Supreme Court in 1966. The case established the Miranda warning which requires police to inform suspects of their right to counsel. Frank also wrote or presented arguments for numerous First Amendment and desegregation cases, including significant contributions to the landmark memoir of Brown v. Board of Education. A lawyer, constitutional scholar, historian, author, and generous mentor, Frank has been instrumental in shaping public policy in Arizona and across the country.

Bazelon joins a distinguished list of guest speakers who have participated in the School of Social Transformation’s iconic lecture series over the past two decades – Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Robert Reich among them. Bazelon will draw on his research on prosecution reform to discuss the issue of mass incarceration in the United States

Bazelon’s speech on mass incarceration comes at a critical time in Arizona history. According to Arizona Town Hall (2018), incarceration rates have increased exponentially, even with declining crime rates. Arizona has the fourth highest incarceration rate in the nation at 585 per 100,000 people.

“Our state ranks fourth in incarceration rates in the United States and fourth in investment in public education,” said Madelaine Adelman, professor of justice and social inquiry at the School of Social Transformation. . “The relationship between these two data points is encapsulated in the phrase “school-to-prison pipeline.” The STPP describes how students — and disproportionately African American, Native American, and Latino students, students with disabilities, and LGBTQ students – are pushed out of school and into the justice system via discriminatory policies and practices.

“The Bazelon conference draws our attention to the urgent need to reverse these data points on incarceration and education through the pursuit of diverse pathways to justice. Professors of justice and social inquiry are partners in this pursuit, as we examine the antecedents, processes and outcomes of criminalization – including health disparities, wealth inequality and rights violations rights – and also explore possible solutions, such as sentencing reform, prison abolition, restorative justice and education funding.

The talk featuring Bazelon is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Evelyn Smith Music Theater on ASU’s Tempe campus. This event is free and open to the public.

Visit https://sst.asu.edu/frank-lecture for more information on this event and register here.

May 26, 2021

In July, Camilla Fojas will join Arizona State University as the new director of the School of Social Transformation. She comes to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia, where she was a professor and chair of the Department of Media Studies with a cross-appointment in the Department of American Studies.

FOLLOWING: 4 New Directors Join ASU’s Social Sciences Division

In July, Camilla Fojas will join Arizona State University as the new director of the School of Social Transformation.

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“The School of Social Transformation is at the forefront of addressing important social issues facing our country and our world. With her years of experience and insight into these topics, Camilla Fojas will take the school to the next level with creative solutions and thought leadership,” said Pardis Mahdavi, Dean of Social Sciences at the College. “I look forward to working with her and seeing her blossom as a director.”

While at the University of Virginia, Fojas co-directed the Global South Lab and the Humanities Informatics Lab’s Surveillance and Infrastructure Research Area. She was previously the Vincent de Paul Professor at DePaul University, teaching Latin American and Latin American Studies as well as Global Asian Studies, LGBTQ Studies, and Critical Ethnic Studies. Additionally, she was a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Fellow.

Fojas said she was drawn to ASU for the innovation that takes place across the university and the opportunities for people from all walks of life.

“ASU is bold, and in that boldness is achieving things that other universities have not yet been able to achieve in terms of access for first-generation students, like me, and undocumented students. , ambitions for broad diversity and gender equity, not just in students and faculty, but in leadership. It’s unique and that’s really what draws me to ASU and the College,” Fojas said.

She completed her graduate studies at New York University, where she earned her PhD in Comparative Literature with a concentration in Film and Cultural Studies of the Americas in 1999 and her MA in Comparative Literature in 1996. She earned a BA in Literature Comparative Studies and Philosophy from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1993.

His research interests lie at the intersection of explorations of racial capitalism and frontier colonialism and imperialism. She is also interested in mixed race studies, comparative ethnic studies, and how surveillance cultures and visual codes of surveillance shape the way we view things like racialized boundaries, gender, and sexual norms. .

Much of her work draws from her background as a child of immigrants and a first-generation college graduate.

“My parents are immigrants to the United States from different parts of the world – from the Philippines and England. We also moved back and forth between Hawaii, where I was born, and California, where I was mostly raised. “, she said. “When you are a child of immigrants, it is difficult to feel fully belonging to the place where you were born or to the places where your parents were born. , this experience informs my work and explorations, for example, of the American empire in the expanded borders of the United States in the Philippines and Hawaii, and the experience and ideas of frontiers of all kinds, across races and the territories.

She has written and co-edited nine books on these topics, including the most recent “Border Optics: Surveillance Cultures on the US-Mexico Frontier.”

Fojas said his vision for the School of Social Transformation is to continue to elevate cutting-edge research and faculty and student activism, while exploring new avenues of curriculum and research.

“I am truly honored to be able to serve the faculty, staff and students of the School of Social Transformation. Although I have very specific ideas about the future of the school, I am also aware that any vision or mission can only be accomplished in collaboration with others. The School of Social Transformation includes a number of areas of study and research central to some of the most pressing cultural, social and political issues of our time. We can bring principled and fully theorized analyzes to the complex intersections of racial, queer, trans, Indigenous and feminist issues, and should be present in any conversation that engages them – at ASU and beyond.

Indian Railways has just announced that since 2014 it has converted all toilets on trains to bio-toilets, in a way eliminating a long history of smelly association with the railways.

This is not only a major aesthetic and hygienic development, but also a major step towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of making India free of manual cleaning. One of the biggest problems before the introduction of biotoilets in efforts against manual scavenging was the use of manual scavengers, through private contractors, to clean railroad tracks onto which human waste would fall from train toilets. The introduction of bio-toilets, as Railways Minister Piyush Goyal wrote, “…restored their dignity to those who spent their lives carrying the burden of being a manual scavenger”. This is no small feat considering that according to the Indian Railways Civil Engineering portal, as of March 31, 2020, the total track of the railways was 99,235 km.

Manual cleaning has been a plague in Indian society for, well, since no one can say for how long, let’s just say for a very long time. Although prohibited by the Employment Ban on Manual Scavengers and its Rehabilitation Act 2013, there were persistent reports that this type of labor was hired and used in a wide range of activities, including the cleaning of railway tracks.

The fight against these societal ills, including those related to caste discrimination, has always been fraught with pitfalls in India. The role of structural change, for example, through the application of markets, technology and infrastructure, is not accepted by many traditional researchers of social equity and justice.

This, even though recent research has shown the effectiveness of such interventions. For example, in 2010 research by Devesh Kapur, Chandra Bhan Prasad, Lant Pritchett, and D. Shyam Babu, “Rethinking Inequality: Dalits in Uttar Pradesh in the Market Reform Era,” researchers showed that in just one decade of interacting with freer markets, new types of mobilities hitherto almost unknown have infiltrated, and with them a demand for non-negotiable equity, whether asserting the right to sitting (on a chair or bed) at the same level as a higher caste person and in the presence of a higher caste person, to refusing to take on the burden of undesirable tasks in the village. For example, while disposal of animal carcasses was a role assigned to Dalits from time immemorial, this changed with interaction with markets, and better job prospects, and mobility to the city. While three quarters or more of the carcasses were slaughtered by Dalits in the surveyed villages before the liberalization of the economy, this figure fell to 5% in the years following the opening of the markets.

In his book How Europe underdeveloped Africa, pan-African, historian, Walter Rodney defines culture, “A culture is a total way of life. It encompasses what people ate and what they wore; the way they walked and talked; how they treated death and greeted the newborn.

by Grace Kwinjeh

Before the brutal invasion in the name of Western civilization, by Christopher Columbus and others, indigenous peoples of the world, we live their lives, enjoying their cultures without interruption. The violent entrance in communities in Africa, Asia and South America, upset the history of entire indigenous societies through pillaging, mmurder and enslavement.

This story of invasion keep staying vigorously contested in contemporary politics, as Indigenous peoples seek to unravel their individual histories while reclaiming their stolen heritage.

On the small island of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the African tree trunk drum and cannabis have for centuries played a central role in the resistance against colonial invasion and continued defiance against it after independence. Eit is have been significant mobilization tools to stimulate social awareness about freedom, for the oppressed classs often leading to violent clashes with settlersClasses.

JThat’s why, as we reflect on history, a conversation about the criminalization and racialization of cannabis SVG offers an important case study for everything radical progressive.

Owhile the role of the drum has diminished, cannabis remains an important tool for social transformation.

Consequently, there is a context for understanding the real anxiety against cannabis cultivation that market forces as directed by major Western countries have nothing to do with doubtful moral justifications they so wish to espouse. Rather, these are part of a historic response to invade and destroy an ancient colonthere’s sovereignty and ability to support themselves, leading to US-funded military invasions destroying entire plantations.

Operation Weedeater under the Clinton administration, who targeted and destroyed weed farms, versus Farmers who had already lost their sources of income in the banana plantations, due to New WTO regulations. More cynical was the attempt to then give more aid in exchange for the destruction of cannabis farms, not to mention reparations for centuries of slavery.

This violence against farmers must be understood in a broader socio-historical context, it did not happen in a vacuum.

Further thexpose deception especially by Western capitalist interests of their apparent goodwill in the destruction of a native ganja farms. I submit that this served as a camouflage for a more sinister violent reply to youthe struggle of social movements for political and economic emancipation whose ideas are rooted in the eradication of racial capitalism.

In this regard, a unique yet inspiring story unfolds in the little Caribbean island of STB. Lhero of the liberation, Joseph Chatoyer would be thead a momentous and unique resistance to the British military invasion in 1762.

NOTbut you have to understand that there was a history and a people before the colonialists, these were divided into Black Caribs and Yellow Caribs, the Garifuna and the Kalinagos who occupied separate sides of the island.

In this historical anecdote after a few years of massive resistance to their invasion, the british armyaccording to some accounts had to use unorthodox methods to lure and assassinate the high king Shimmer in 1seven72. Eventually taking over the islands famous for black gold, rich volcanic soils.

After the “victory”, the British and French still fearful Garifuna reorganizing and taking over their land captured them and “deported” 5,000 to Honduras.

This context of being conquered by the Garifuna people fueled paranoia and conclusions about the mystical regarding the “Black Caribbean”, the use of magical powers, including cannabis, the drum and the church, in particular, the Shakers Baptists became prime targets for violent persecution.

Fast forward

It was a day in May 1973, during a confrontation between the colonial administration and the local Vincentians, during which the leader of Black Power and pioneer of the cannabis trade, Junior Spirit Cottle, was shot in the throat. A tremendous movement had emerged bringing together all groups (indigenous peoples and those brought as slaves.) who were marginalized, suffering deprivation under the status quo.

The fires of revolution were burning around the world from the Caribbean, from the United States to Africa, still fueled by musical legends including Bob Marley. The Rastafari movement has become a powerful spiritual and political engine Obligate for the movements worldwide, offering a new consciousness to the black man to free himself.

IIn Rastafarianism, ganja is smoked for medicinal, meditation and healing purposes, an ancient tradition passed down during the time of slavery by indentured East Indians.

To this day, two decades later, the bullet remains lodged in Spirit’s throat, a reminder of the brutal cruelty he suffered at the hands of this same system he still fights with others. A system that manifests itself in the contradictions encountered in the construction of the post-colonial state, questioning the problems caused by capitalism this time in the field of agroecology and cannabis cultivation.

Build a link on why cannabis, for spiritual and economic reasons Iis at the heart of this fight, as social movements continue to build resistance against capitalist exploitation.

Therefore, the historical progression in resistance from the time of slavery to the present day must be understood in this larger context of total liberation and victory over poverty.

On the fateful mayday 1973 angry colonialistitches would descend into an appearance weird rampage, targeting Drum Movement members, destroying their drums, in a fit of angering them in pieces. The Black Power movement in the Caribbean had revived the use of the African tree trunk drum as part of a broader cultural consciousness for the oppressed classes.

global cCapitalist oppression may seem all-powerful and overwhelming, but it is driven by instability, anxiety and fears, which leads to paranoia.

The fear of the unknown the mystical the spiritual which in the SVG has historically taken a rather tragicomedy turn.

Along with the destruction and the establishment of laws banning drumming, the Shaker Baptist Church is also under attack. They were attacked for drumming, singing and dancing, wilder manifestations of the holy spirit, as some began to sing and speak in tongues. A 2012 ordinance would ban them, leading them to worship underground in the mountains.

The Iindomitable spirit by the Vincentians has a history since they came out of struggles claiming profits in recent years from medicinal ganja. Intrinsically exposes capitalist class manipulations to take control of a people and their resources. To be continued

Related

Vedanta is ready to roll out a social transformation campaign through its flagship project, “Nand Ghar”, focusing on the key areas of health, education, nutrition, women empowerment and human rights. hygiene, a company statement said Friday.

The campaign titled #ForABetterKalaptly showcases the essence of Nand Ghar, aiming to bridge the gap between urban and rural India.

As part of the campaign, the company will unveil five videos honoring frontline workers in Nand Ghar who work tirelessly to improve communities.

The Nand Ghar Project – conducted under the umbrella of the Anil Agarwal Foundation – is transforming the Anganwadi ecosystem in collaboration with the Ministry of Women’s Union and Child Development.

The campaign conceptualized and created by McCann World Group, highlights services such as education and new e-learning modules being introduced in villages to ensure continuity of early childhood education even during lockdown.

These modules which were previously only seen in urban towns are now being successfully implemented in villages thanks to the ardent efforts of the Nand Ghar team. Another video showcases the state-of-the-art health care facilities provided to the communities. Medical services that were a distant dream for these villages are now seeing the light of day thanks to the Nand Ghar project.

The company will also release these videos as TVCs on several national TV channels as well as social media platforms. They will air on major channels supported by digital, outdoor and commercial activation plans.

“All women and children deserve equal opportunities. Vedanta Nand Ghars strives to provide the best nutrition, healthcare, education and skills to children and women in rural India to help them grow and become self-sufficient. These videos testify to the undying spirit of our frontline workers in Nand Ghar who are making these dreams come true through their unwavering determination,” Ms. Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Director of Vedanta Resources, said:

With over 2,300 Nand Ghars in 11 states, the campaign holds the key to bringing stories to the world and contributing to the transformation of rural women and children.

Mumbai: Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, has launched a new campaign through its flagship project, Nand Ghar, focusing on key areas of health, education, nutrition, women empowerment and hygiene. The campaign titled #ForABetterKal aptly captures the essence of Nand Ghar, aiming to bridge the gap between urban and rural India.

The Nand Ghar Project – run under the Anil Agarwal Foundation – is transforming the Anganwadi ecosystem in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, the company said in a statement on Saturday.

With over 2,300 Nand Ghars in 11 states, the #ForABetterKal campaign is essential in bringing stories to the world and contributing to the transformation of rural women and children. Nand Ghar aims to transform the lives of seven million children and two million women locally, he added.

Shedding light on the initiative, Vedanta Resources Director Priya Agarwal Hebbar said, “All women and children deserve equal opportunities. Vedanta Nand Ghars strives to provide the best nutrition, healthcare, education and skills to children and women in rural India to help them grow and become self-sufficient. These videos testify to the undying spirit of our frontline workers in Nand Ghar who are making these dreams come true through their unwavering determination.

The campaign, conceptualized and created by McCann World Group, unveiled five videos honoring frontline workers in Nand Ghar who work tirelessly to uplift communities. These videos will be launched as TVCs on several national TV channels as well as social media platforms. They will air on major channels supported by a digital, outdoor and retail activation plan.

Speaking on the idea behind the video campaign, CEO and CCO of McCann Worldgroup India, Prasoon Joshi said, “A brand carries within itself streams of narratives that gradually engage and build a unique relationship. Desh ki Zarooraton ke Liye has already struck a chord with the public. With the launch of the second phase of this campaign, a new dimension to this relationship will be added.

Four University of Michigan professors have been named recipients of the University Chair in Diversity and Social Transformation, as the university moves more broadly into the next phase of strategic planning for diversity, equity and inclusion.

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Created in 2019, the designation recognizes accomplished faculty who have demonstrated a commitment to the university’s ideals of diversity, equity, and inclusion through their scholarship, teaching, or service and their commitment.

The chair is sponsored by the Office of the Provost and jointly administered by the National Center for Institutional Diversity and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Lilia M. Cortina, Trachette L. Jackson, Hitomi Tonomura, and Herbert G. Winful were each nominated by a UM Dean, selected by an academic committee, and recommended by the Provost for this distinction. The Board of Regents approved the appointments on July 15.

“This year’s cohort of scholars, as in previous years, has demonstrated leadership, character and passion,” said Susan M. Collins, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “These nominations are granted in recognition of the ideas and passions that have developed over the faculty’s years of research and teaching.”

Each recipient will be appointed for five years and will receive an annual stipend to support their academic and professional work. They will also receive special faculty member status at NCID and spend at least one semester as a faculty member-in-residence.

The UDSTP is designed to create a community of faculty members who have an overlapping set of academic, educational, and commitment interests aimed at developing exciting new collaborations and ideas.

“University professors of diversity and social transformation are a nationally recognized interdisciplinary group of experts,” said NCID director Tabbye Chavous, associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion and professor of psychology. at the LSA; and Professor of Education at the School of Education.

“While they represent diverse fields, they are united in transforming their fields, communities, and campus through their invaluable academic and service contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion. “

About recipients

Lilia M.Cortina is Professor of Psychology and Women’s and Gender Studies at LSA, and Professor of Management and Organizations at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. She is a leading specialist in occupational psychology, with a particular focus on the psychological consequences of negative workplace experiences, including sexual harassment, racial harassment and incivility.

Trachette L.Jackson is a professor of mathematics at LSA. She has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to increasing opportunities for underrepresented minority girls, women, and students in science, technology, engineering, and math through her teaching and leadership.

Hitomi Tonomura is Professor of History and Women’s and Gender Studies at LSA. As a historian of pre-modern Japan and East Asia, Tonomura’s work has interrogated questions of gender and the role of women in the male-dominated culture of the samurai and the context of the medieval japanese warfare.

Herbert G. Winful is Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Joseph E. and Anne P. Rowe Professor of Electrical Engineering, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the College of Engineering, and Professor of Physics at LSA. His approach has been to help as many people as possible advance in STEM-based careers – especially those whose opportunity or background has made it more difficult to achieve this goal – while creating inclusive communities, bridges and social infrastructure wherever possible.

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