Women Are Heroes is a project carried out between 2008 and 2009 in different cities in Africa, Brazil, India and Cambodia by French artist JR, winner of the TED Prize in 2011.

The project recognizes and highlights the social role of women in these areas of conflict, celebrating their heroism from an expressive and optimistic approach. Stunning portraits of local women make their unfortunate stories come to light and become the protagonists of the urban landscape to which they are linked. In this way, the interventions seek to support the resilience of the female community and achieve social awareness.

“In order to pay tribute to those who play an essential role in society but who are the primary victims of war, crime, rape and political or religious fanaticism, JR pasted huge photos of the faces and eyes of local women all over the outside of the favela, suddenly giving a female gaze to both the hill and the favela”.

“We had to adapt to this world where the roofs of houses are made of plastic and children’s revolvers are made of steel. We managed to get by in spite of the steep streets, the unsteady houses, the unpredictable electric cables and the exchanges of gunshots”, pointed out JR regarding the intervention in the Moro de Providencia favela in Rio de Janeiro.

Finally, all these experiences were collected in a documentary and a book.

(+info: JR)

(+info: the book)

(+info: the documentary)

(via The Guardian)

La entrada Women Are Heroes | JR se publicó primero en More Than Green.

The shocking images of giant cruises on the historic Venetian facades document a reality that we do not consider when visiting the city. Who lives in Venice and how they live? The documentary “The Venice syndrome” tells us a reality that is common in many cities: economic power preempts urban social needs, a process where the mass of tourists takes precedence over everyday life;  the Venice gentrification.

“58,000 people currently live in Venice, a similar amount to which lived in the Italian city after the great plague of 1438. This figure decreases each year due to mass tourism. An exodus of true Venetians, fleeing masses visitors arriving every day and they are destroying the city of canals. Before ending Venice will kill its citizens and their customs, and endangered.

A problem that analyzes “The Venice syndrome”, winner of Best Documentary at the Urbanfestivaltv which took place this week in “La casa encendida”. A film that explores how uncontrolled tourism is leading to Venice to become a Disneyland version, as criticizing his producer Valerio B. Moser. “

“The pressure of lobbies

The producer of The Venice syndrome admits that political inaction is condemning to death the city, ending turned into an outdoor museum if nobody avoided, but believes that one of the main problems is the pressure lobbies exercise in public office.

Another problem which has led to mass tourism is property speculation. The price of housing in Venice has reached figures that very few people can afford. The documentary gives an outrageous price: 12,000 euros per square meter. For comparison, a house in the center of Madrid is priced at 3,650 euros per square meter.

Moreover, the government does not put measures in this speculation, allowing the market to regulate itself. This has contributed to the exodus of its inhabitants, because if they have a house bought them moving to other parts of Italy, especially young people, who as stated in the documentary “have no future; or glass figurines sold in the square or leave.” O live from tourism or escape. There is another option for a city that receives more day cruises to New York.”

(via elconfidencial.com)

La entrada Venice gentrification | Economic market dictatorship se publicó primero en More Than Green.

We wrote in 2012 this post about Isang Litrong Liwanag, the campaign of MyShelter Foundation which had managed to change the lives of more than 10,000 inhabitants of suburbs from the Philippines through a sustainable lighting project which aims to bring the eco-friendly Solar Bottle Bulb. Now this non-profit organization has expanded its campaign to bring a million of these dirt-cheap bulbs to the homes of the poorest neighborhoods of Manila.

“A Liter of Light uses simple technology to create social change in underprivileged areas of the Philippines. Originally conceived by Alfredo Moser and modified by MIT students as well as funding from Pepsi, Bosch and other contributors, is expected to transform the lives of 1/3 of Philippine people living in the dark.

3 million households in the Philippines lack connectivity to the national grid and therefore lack decent lighting. And the Bureau of Fire Protection claims that many preventable fires are caused by faulty connections, which is made worse by the government’s inability to properly monitor informal settlements. Both of these problems can be addressed very easily with the solar bottle bulbs which are extremely easy to put together.”

This is a clear example of both environmental and economic sustainability, but it is also important its social component by the fact of creating awareness of what can be achieved with few resources: to improve significantly the living conditions of an entire society hit by the cruelty of poverty.

(+info)

(Via Inhabitat)

La entrada A Liter of Light | MIT se publicó primero en More Than Green.

Documentary relating the series of events that leaded to the massive construction of cycle paths.

The documentary shows how Dutch people developed a new environmental and social awareness. The causes were the oil crisis and the excessive motorization of the country. The first consequences: high price of petrol, high rate of casualties in car accidents, destruction of consolidated urban patterns  for the construction of new roads, less social interactions, etc.

The solution Dutch proposed, some years ago, to fight a problem -which is now common to every developed country- has been very successful.

Holland has managed to develop and to innovate while keeping their social and environmental values, as well as a powerful cultural identity. And all that, without cars.

(via la Ciudad Viva)

La entrada How did Dutch people manage to get their cycle paths? se publicó primero en More Than Green.