Ideas may, as Gregg Easterbrook once observed, move nations; but we believe it is also people who make things happen. For this reason, we can never underestimate the lessons learned from ancient societies or how practical applications can ensure ideas are implemented properly.
Our reach in this issue ranges from theory to practice, to experience. I engage in theory, bookending the issue with a challenge and proposed solution: the challenge being a need to find new ideas that can meaningfully address our broken social contracts, the proposed solution– built upon what we learn from our contributors–is the eco-cultural community, defined both through its naturally occurring biosystem and the economic and cultural identity of the people living therein.
Between, the practical and the real. Robert Springborg discusses the Arab dignity deficit; Gian de Phillipo argues for a third way–bioregionalism– which can provide an alternative to the binary choice of nationalism and globalism. Thomas Kelly presents a photo essay on Sadhus of India and Nepal, and another photo essay on the Kayapo of the Amazon which is accompanied by an essay of Darrell Posey. Anna Thielen provides perspective on being Asian American, by introducing us to the concepts of 'racial identity realignment' and amnesiac fog; and Bob Rhodes addresses the question of whether discrimination exists on Hopi.
And it’s not just about respecting cultures, but how to creatively and ethically move them forward. Luis Tapia extends the New Mexico religious and craft tradition of carving bultos and santos into contemporary sculptures that address social and political environments; and Shirine Gill engages photography to move beyond history and remembrance into a new space of abstraction and nuance that speaks directly to our understanding of what is beautiful and meaningful.
Equally, it’s about doing good through good work. We profile Wieden+Kennedy, which demonstrates it is possible to sell products and empower people through creative storytelling; and we profile Creative Growth, an Oakland, California-based organization that is a leader in the field of arts and disabilities. Finally, bringing culture and commerce together, we hear from Pamela Kelly, who speaks to the issue of cultural appropriation through her experiences building an ethical wholesale licensing program from materials in the respective Museum of New Mexico collections, the profits from which support museum operations.
Enjoy.
In this Issue ...
05
dig.ni.fy magazine
is produced in partnership with Dignity Projects.
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dig.ni.fy
William Paul Wanker
Founder
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