February Roundup: A Lot of Forward Movement
Newsletter 018 -- Tech companies in Greece. A huge highway. Art & Politics.
Hello again,
This month we are looking at the possible implications of tech companies partnering with countries in an effort to use them as laboratories for new ideas. We are also discussing tech in the intelligence arena.
What I was most excited about this month is our section “People On The Move” which includes stories about public safety in Pakistan, the South Asian diaspora in America, and a new highway being built across the African continent. In each story, we examine the ways humans carry ideas across space and time and the possible benefits or pitfalls this has on our communities. Hopefully, it will cause you to pause and think about what ideas you carry and plant in the places that you go.
Enjoy!
» People On The Move
You will soon be able to drive from Cairo to Cape Town
The Trans-African Highway Network, UNECA, and the African Development Bank in collaboration with regional communities are building a road that will start in Cairo, pass through seven other countries, and end in Cape Town, South Africa. Although the main reason for this road is to increase commerce and decrease poverty, I am most interested in the social changes that could erupt from a road that connects North Africa to Southern Africa. North and Southern Africa have long been separated by distance and culture; North Africa is influenced by Arab Nationalism (the idea that Arabs should all unite under one identity), and Southern Africa is influenced by Pan-Africanism (a movement meant to create unity of all Africans whether diasporic or not). Although the people in North and Southern Africa are all Africans, because of these historical differences, North and South Africa do not engage with each other often. In fact, North Africans usually identify as Arab over African. Their relationship could be compared to North and South America. Just because both are the Americas, does not mean that they share an identity and understand one another. As Americans, we were not taught about the expansiveness of Africa - that over 3 United States’ could fit into the boundaries of the giant continent! There are so many different regions and cultures in Africa, and anywhere between 1000-2000 languages are spoken on the continent. This road can change the economic game in Africa. It could also increase social relationships and make the cultural wealth of the continent accessible to so many. It will allow for goods to be transported more easily from one end to the other, offering the two sides of the continent more exposure to each other’s foods, music, and language. Because of some African countries’ post-colonization histories and Arab Nationalism, anti-Black racism in North Africa has been a major issue. One of the greatest aspects of building new roads is that folks from many socioeconomic backgrounds can utilize the highway, and it doesn’t require the purchasing of an expensive plane ticket or other pricey means of transportation. This new infrastructure can be an opportunity for these two halves of Africa to establish a deep social connection, and strengthen the continent economically through collaboration.
— Sarah
This story helped stretch my sociological imagination around how America handles immigrant communities as monoliths and the ways in which social constructs are brought with communities when they settle in new homelands. In this episode, Dalit activist, Thenmozhi Soundararajan, discusses how the Indian diaspora has brought the caste system to America. Under this exported caste system, Soundararajan has found that many Dalit immigrants face discrimination that makes it difficult to build a better life for themselves in America. Soundararajan was invited to carry out a DEI event at Google (in Seattle) to discuss how the company can address the caste division playing out among the tech giants’ employees. The event was canceled because a number of employees of the privileged caste expressed fear for their safety – the unsafety of having to acknowledge and then address their caste privilege so others can be brought into equity with them. This Google example shows how these social constructs create untenable and violent work environments. As in many companies, Google has an internal referrals program that has catalyzed the homogenization of entire departments. Soundararajan explains that by utilizing Google’s internal referral program (which is preferential to hiring someone “unknown” from outside the company’s community), one dominant caste person is able to build a hiring pipeline that brings on people from within their caste network (a common practice among other privileged groups). Because the network of managers in companies like this is so small, once people are outed as Dalit, it could affect their job prospects for the rest of their careers. Luckily the Alphabet workers union is taking on this internal caste issue, and by taking the issue seriously, they’ve elevated the problem of caste as a workers’ issue. This month, the Dalit community has had one great victory as Seattle moves to ban discrimination based on caste. — Alexis
Can Karachi’s women-only pink buses drive change in Pakistan?
Most women could tell you a story about a time they were harassed in public. But, in Pakistan, street harassment has reached such extreme levels that to mitigate women’s fear of commuting, Karachi debuted its first women-only bus service in the Sindh province. Pakistani women have pointed out that although it’s a necessary service, women-only buses do not solve the systemic problem. To better understand harassment culture in Pakistan, we must first return to pre-partition India, during British colonization. One of the tools of colonization was sexual violence. Rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment were used to assert power, control, and dominance over Indian people and their land. The exploitation of people and land often went hand in hand with colonization. This type of violence is acculturated by the people, and when it came time for them to organize society for themselves, they modeled it after the British colonial hierarchy. This resulted in a culture in which sexual violence is the norm. Colonial sexual violence was also embedded into laws and institutions that still exist. Here are some examples of these laws: laws that decriminalized sexual violence, laws that don’t allow women to initiate divorce, laws that take away a woman’s bodily autonomy, or laws that hold the victim responsible for “attracting” sexual violence. These laws ensured the sustainability of sexual violence – an agenda of colonization. So, the important question here is, “how can Pakistan address the historical trauma that so profoundly impacts its citizens?” It starts with three things: interrupting gender norms, educating people about consent, boundaries, and rape culture, and transforming laws that absolve men and punish women. — Sarah
» Tech
Experts believe that “lighter than air aircrafts”, like the balloon that was shot down earlier this month, are the future of surveillance. This technology has been around for a long time, and you’re probably familiar with some version of it (think: drones). Here are some of the uses and key benefits of this military technology: 1) It can be used for surveillance and for detecting or tracking things/people; it’s also able to detect air or missile threats. 2) It’s more effective than satellites because a balloon can get closer to the earth's surface, offering a closer view. — Alexis
Open-source intelligence is publicly available information that can be found on the internet, including on platforms like Twitter, commercial satellite imaging, dashcams, and users’ personal social media accounts. The piece of this episode that I found most interesting was their discussion about how the American government would do well to see Tik Tok as a threat to our national security. It sounds inflammatory, I know, and although the reality is disturbingly mundane, they bring up some interesting points. 40% of Americans are Tik Tok users, the biggest share of the social media platform market. And, ByteDance (Tik Tok’s parent company) is a Chinese-based company, subject to Chinese government regulations. This means that by law, the Chinese government is allowed to access Tik Tok users’ data. This is why U.S. officials believe Tik Tok to be our newest national security threat. When Russia interfered with American elections, they nefariously accessed data and information from American companies. China doesn't have this kind of barrier to entry. The risks of open-source intelligence are pretty obvious: If it’s open to anyone how can states maintain a superior tactical edge in their intelligence infrastructure? In this episode, Amy Zegart proposes some ideas on how the U.S. can lean into the open-source revolution and regain its tactical edge in the intelligence sphere. — Alexis
These Tiny Greek Islands Have Become Unlikely Laboratories for Global Corporations
“Greece has become a technological laboratory. The use of high-risk border technologies like drone surveillance, various data gathering schemes, and opportunities for companies like Amazon…is concerning. The rampant digitization of public life so often does not take local context into consideration.” – Petra Molnar (Technology and Human Rights lawyer)
Greece is still clawing its way out of near collapse after the financial crisis in the early 2000s. The country, which relies heavily on tourism, has recently been made the testing ground for large corporations to workshop ideas for the future of industry. The mayor of the island of Astypalea signed a six-year deal with Volkswagon in 2020 which lays out how the company will allocate its $10.4 million dollar investment into green-energy initiatives that will essentially overhaul the small island’s infrastructure. For initiatives like this to be viable, there has to be buy-in from locals and each phase of the transition from the beginning of the project to the end has to factor in the needs of the people whose lives, and livelihoods will be affected by this. The testimonies collected in this article show that there was a lack of consideration for the people who call Astypalea home. Many cannot afford to buy a new electric vehicle (as proposed by the Volkswagon initiative), even with a subsidy. Tobacco company Philip Morris International has also struck a deal with Astypalea’s mayor to turn it into a “smoke-free” island. The company is trying to push its new vape product, but many EU officials are worried that the partnership would violate the World Health Organization’s anti-smoking treaty. Greece is likely an interesting destination for this Philip Morris International project as data from 2021 shows that Greece has the second-highest rate of daily smokers in the European Union. There are a few other projects, such as Amazon’s “Smart Hub” project, being initiated on islands across the country in the next few years. This onslaught of tech intervention on the Greek islands will change the social fabric of the country as well as the built environment. And I can’t help but feel heavy-hearted about what that will look like for this beautiful, culturally and historically significant place. — Alexis
» International Institutions in Need of an Overhaul
Sri Lanka Hikes Power Prices by 66% Hoping to Gain IMF Support
In previous issues of the newsletter (found here and here) we watched as the island of Sri Lanka was upended by its failing economy and government institutions. As news outlets have altogether stopped following events on the island, I did find this short article that discusses what Sri Lankan leadership is doing to remain qualified for the $2.9 billion loan the country received from the IMF in September. The IMF loan came with conditions: the Sri Lankan government is required to raise taxes, get rid of government subsidies that aided Sri Lankans during the downturn, and find ways to cut the public sector debt. If this course of action seems counterproductive to you, it’s because you’re thinking about the daily lives of people, and that’s reasonable. Loans from the IMF aren’t allocated for specific projects, rather they are meant to offer countries in crisis or financial distress interim funds to help alleviate the pressure while the government implements policies that will restore stability. When the IMF loans a country money, they not only put conditions on the loan but also impose unusually large or longstanding fees. These fees are designed to help protect the IMF in the event that they offer a country a high-risk loan or if they incur losses. At the height of the coronavirus crisis, this IMF practice was a hot topic. Many argued that these fees come at the worst possible time – countries already in desperate need of financing to address the immediate needs of their people. Critics say that by requiring fees (which are a source of revenue for the IMF), the IMF is actually undermining the financial stability of the countries it’s trying to help. The IMF was established in response to the Great Depression in order to reinvigorate global trade and rebuild international capitalism. Even at its conception, it was in service of capitalism, and not of aiding countries in crisis. Capitalism will never truly be able to serve the people, but at its most elementary, boiled-down form, the IMF’s mission is necessary. The countries most in need of financial help, the most vulnerable to crisis, are nations that have undergone the plundering of resources and strategic underdevelopment, the violence of colonization, and the exploitation of capitalism – the world does owe them. — Alexis
Republicans kicked Ilhan Omar off the Foreign Affairs Committee to get revenge on Democrats
Representative Ilhan Omar has been removed from the Foreign Affairs Committee because of her support for Palestine, which other members have deemed anti-Semitic. The Foreign Affairs Committee, which is majority white, male, and American born, removed the only Black, African-born (Somali), a female representative from the committee. The move was seen by others as a Republican retaliation after two Republicans were removed from other committees. In those instances, the Republican representatives shared posts that promoted violence towards other representatives. The removal of Ilhan Omar is a reflection of how the United States views Foreign Affairs—America doesn’t really care about relationship-building, and definitely not with nations of the Global South. While other nations are updating their foreign policy outlook to stay current, the U.S. continues to take an ethnocentric approach. The U.S. may be starting to realize that its influence is losing its strength, particularly in relation to China. It’s why they decided to host a U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit at the end of 2022. China has systematically been increasing its involvement in Africa for over 20 years and holds the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation every three beginning in 2000. This most recent summit is only the second Africa summit held by the U.S. since 2014. If the U.S. is serious about relationship building on the African continent, or in the Global South in general, it needs to ensure that its committees on matters of foreign policy and affairs are diverse enough to address modern issues. — Sarah
After the devastating earthquake in Turkiye and Syria, foreign governments extended helping hands in earnest…they also received some insincere offers that only postured benevolence. The U.S. offered aid to Syria, but put conditions on how that aid will be given out, and the Syrian government put restrictions on who, within the country, can accept the aid sent into its borders. Israel has also offered to come to Syria’s aid, a move seen as suspicious as their shared border has recently been active, militarily. Unfortunately, neither Syria, nor Turkiye is truly in a place to turn down aid, so we watch as these governments attempt to manage their foreign relationships, being sure not to give their adversaries the upper hand in their moment of need, while also combing through the contingencies that come with the aid offers they have received. — Alexis
Turkiye’s earthquake response is as political as the conditions that increased the devastation
By now you have probably heard about the complete devastation caused by the earthquake that affected both Turkiye and Syria. However, there is nuance to consider as we think about who has been disproportionately affected by this natural disaster. The areas most severely damaged in Turkiye were home to a large Kurdish population and many Syrian refugees. The Kurdish movement was born in this southeast region of Turkiye and has always been a beacon of anti-government activism and politics. Historically, these two marginalized groups, Kurds and refugees, have not been given the same quality of resources by the government as other Turkish cities. This was made clear, as journalists found that infrastructure in the mainly Kurdish areas of Turkiye was not built following the same construction standard as buildings in other parts of Turkiye. Typically countries or areas that are located in fault zones have strict engineering standards, but Turkiye’s Presidential party encouraged poorly built, cheap mass-housing projects across the country, mainly in areas where refugees or Kurdish residents resided. 30 buildings were either destroyed or greatly damaged in this earthquake, leading to many casualties much of which could’ve been prevented. In addition, many Kurds on the ground have reported that aid has been blocked from getting to these Kurdish-majority areas, and Kurds are denied interpreters when communicating with humanitarian support. This earthquake has brought Kurdish oppression to the forefront – they face discrimination within Turkish society, and they have long been victims of police violence and mass murder by the Turkish government. There have been attempts to erase Kurdish culture as Turkiye has placed restrictions on the Kurdish language, the flag, and other cultural traditions. While all eyes are on Turkiye, I’m taking this opportunity to bring the oppression of the Kurdish people to light, especially since these minoritized groups in Turkiye were the most affected. — Sarah
» What is Art’s Role in Politics?
This election is a pivotal one for Nigeria, as its the first time there is a three-candidate race; each candidate is from one of the three biggest ethnic groups in the country. This election has garnered much fervor among voters eager to see how it will turn out. Amidst the country’s currency issue, Dolly Kola-Balogun (art director at Retro Africa gallery) explains the need for the country’s next leader to think seriously about taking culture into account as a significant contributor to the economy. For the past several years, the country has been in economic decline and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has set out to collect the excess cash in circulation and redistribute new bills. Kola-Balogun says that the timing of this scheme could be motivated by the election – citizens have been asked to replace their old currency with the new currency before election day. She believes this tight turnaround was imposed to make it difficult for candidates to engage in vote buying ahead of the election. Art is seen as a societal luxury, both for those who produce it and those who collect it. But Kola-Balogun argues that it should be taken more seriously as a net contributor to the economy. She lays out her ideas on how the government could help shift this predominantly private sector to allow for more public engagement; not just as patrons of the arts but makers and employees of the arts. Kola-Balogun also says, it’s worth thinking about how government support for the arts could exist on a national scale and not just a local scale. As of March 1st, Bola Tinubu has been named Nigeria’s next president. — Alexis
Adi Stern, president of Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, is interviewed about his role in creating the curriculum that is shaping art students in the country today. Stern says the school’s responsibility is to be an educational institution that trains young creatives to understand the context of the world and their responsibility to it. When asked to explain further, he hesitated for a moment and proceeded to tread lightly, he expressed his intention to push students into engaging more in politics because “creating is a political act, and you have to be aware of that”. It got me thinking about what it means that certain people have the privilege of creating art, while others do not. And, if culture creation and narrative making is a practice only the privileged are able to engage in, then the narrative produced is one-sided. This also means that whatever art is created, however beautiful or meaningful, might one day be reduced to a relic or vestige of this oppression. I think this is a fascinating conversation as archives and histories are being added to every day, around the world, mostly by those who hold power or privilege. — Alexis
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In Solidarity,
The 823 Team