All in Interviews

Interview with Sedekah Benih – Urban Ecology and Community-based Art Activism

Sedekah Benih is a collaborative and urban environmental practice initiated by an urban farming activist, Dian Nurdiana (Mang Dian), and artist Vincent Rumahloine in 2020 in one of the dense urban neighborhoods in Cibogo, Bandung, West Java. It aims to share and exchange knowledge of urban farming more widely and build a community of “tiis leungen” (Sundanese for “cold arms”), a term comparable to the English “green thumbs”. Drawn from a localized Arabic word and concept of صدقة (sadaqah), which means “righteousness” and refers to the giving of charity, Sedekah Benih aims to share seeds of everyday staple plants that can be grown in dense community spaces and used for local and domestic needs. It encourage collaborators to share the seeds of plants they received with others from their communities, growing connected communities.

Activating the Value of Handmade: The Role of Social Enterprises in Transforming India’s Artisan Economy

Urmila Mohan interviews Priya Krishnamoorthy, Founder and CEO of 200 Million Artisans, and Aparna Subramanyam, Partner at 200 Million Artisans, an ecosystem enabler reimagining the potential of India’s artisan economy. 200 Million Artisans is a social enterprise catalysing self-reliance and responsible innovation in India’s artisan economy by providing access to knowledge, resources, and networks that empower artisan-producers and impact entrepreneurs.

“If You’re Looking to Radicalize an Archaeologist, Force Them to do Something Traditional:” An Interview with Dr. Jason de León

Led by UCLA anthropologist Jason de León, the Undocumented Migration Project is changing the way we think about the U.S.-Mexico border. Using a fusion of archaeological, ethnographic, visual, museological, and forensic perspectives, the project is fostering conversation and understanding about the human impacts of American immigration policies. Through an exhibition, field school, and ongoing interdisciplinary research, de León and his team are making the tangible, material traces of migration visible.