- What were for you meaningful moments during the discussions and talks at the Trusteeship Council Chamber?
It was meaningful to hear from past New School students who had only recently graduated. Seeing how their work at Parsons had brought them to such a great point only a few years after attending as a student was very hopeful, personally. I also found Ambassador of Denmark’s response to a student question regarding using sustainability tactics used in Denmark in NYC very promising too, showing that we too can adapt toward a more environmentally gentle future.
- What are the key points Ana Baptista brought up to address existing social injustice that will be further exacerbated by climate change?
Ana Baptista’s segment discussed the effects of climate change occurring in communities not even contributing to the pollution that leads to climate change. The global south is confronted with the impact of climate change, though contributing the least greenhouse gases. We, as a whole, have to consider the impacts of individual communities, focusing on climate justice as a human right. We must share the benefits and burdens across communities. We must use community efforts to invest in sustainable energies, natural processing…
- Angela Luna said to all of you systems are there to be challenged. What did you find inspiring about how Angela sets out to address some large issues in the fashion system?
I found it inspiring how her ambitious idea proposed in college was a goal that she then set and followed through with. This idea is not perfect, it cannot replace the situations that millions of homeless and displaced citizens are in, but she was not turned around by this lack of perfection. Her efforts, while having a minimal effect, have the potential to grow and draw attention to the larger issue, not aiming to solve it right away. I also found it inspiring that she encouraged the audience to be inspired by the progress already made and pushed awareness.
- Joel Towers talked about the importance of redesigning our designed world. As an aspiring designer, artist, business innovator how do you envision contributing to a paradigm shift in your field of interest?
Going into the direction of being a designer professionally, I think it is the responsibility of me and others like me to focus our efforts on redesigning design itself. Designing for resilience in terms of being a creative means framing the process of design differently to better adapt for the demands of society and the environment. We need to frame our mindsets to be more open, allowing us to observe the benefits and drawbacks of the processes we already have, able to alter them for the better.
- Walking out of the UN after the event how did the evening impact you? Did you leave hopeful, concerned, overwhelmed, inspired?
I would say I left the event with a healthy balance of many of these emotions. While a bit overwhelmed with the amount of work that we have left to do, and the short time period to do so, I was comforted to know that I was not alone in the fight for environmental resilience. Many others are educated on what needs to be done, so as long as everyone has the right mindset and the right way to enforce these values on a day-to-day basis, we can get closer to reaching our goal.
