Creating Technology for Social Change

Zuckerman and Center for Civic Media to be given Lewis Mumford Award

We’re honored to hear from Dan Whittet that Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility have awarded our Center and director Ethan Zuckerman with a Lewis Mumford Award, specifically the Peace Award, for our work in global communications. ADPSR’s press release:

Contact: Dan Whittet, 702 755 0240 Dan@ADPSR.ORG or Franziska Amacher fran@amacher- associates.net 617 354 8707.

Three organizations to be honored with Architects, Designers and Planners’ (ADPSR.org) 2014 Lewis Mumford Awards Awards to be presented at Boston Greenfest on Aug 16, 2014

“Designing a better world involves more than bricks and mortar”

http://www.bostongreenfest.org/Mumford.html

ADPSR recognizes social activists nationally for innovative work

The winners of its 20th annual Lewis Mumford Awards for outstanding contributions in areas that embrace ADPSR’s mission of world peace, protection of the environment, and socially responsible development are:

Peace: Ethan Zuckerman and the MIT Center for Civic Media
Environment: Bonnie Rukin and Slow Money
Development: Ken Smith and Youth Build

Peace, through creating global communications
In recognizing the work of Ethan Zuckerman and the MIT Center for Civic Media for The Peace Award, the ADPSR board recognized Zuckerman’s innovative efforts to design and facilitate new information technologies that empower civic media and political action. The board felt MIT CfCM investigations into “providing people with the necessary skills to process, evaluate, and act upon the knowledge in circulation”…to “ensure the diversity of inputs and mutual respect necessary for democratic deliberation”, fit very well with the mission and values of the ADPSR.

In the rapidly changing field of global media it is our hope that by recognizing his work and the work of the MIT Center for Civic Media more attention will be given to the potential to improve world communication and information flow, and peaceful coexistence.”

Environment, for changing how money and investing work in a sustainable world
Slow Money Maine with Bonnie Rukin have had impressive success in helping investments get made in investing and saving farms, fisheries and ecosystems that sustain local food systems and communities.

Slow Money Maine is bringing awareness of the environmental, social, economic, and political issues that impact our food system.

The Slow Money Alliance is “bringing people together around a new conversation about money that is too fast, and too focused on short term profit, about finance that is disconnected from people and place, about how we can begin fixing our economy from the ground up… starting with food.”

Saving farmland, supporting a new generation of small and mid-size organic farmers, rebuilding local and regional food processing and distribution, improving nutrition and otherwise remedying the imbalances of a food system that is too consolidated, too global and too industrial.

Youth Build Boston for rebuilding community and self-respect
Youth Build, a national organization represented by the Boston group, helps young people to get work skills giving them an opportunity to be independent financially and valuable members of the community. By improving their local built environment including affordable housing the Youth Build organization brings awareness of the social, environmental and political issues that impact our society. The high unemployment rate among young people, particularly those of disadvantaged backgrounds makes the work of this organization an essential force in improving their positive participation and fair share in our economy.

ADPSR is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1982 to raise professional and public awareness of critical issues.

In 1992, ADPSR instituted an annual Lewis Mumford awards program to honor people and organizations whose work exemplifies social responsibility. The awards were named after Lewis Mumford (1895-1990) an American historian, sociologist, philosopher, and critic, noted for his study of cities and urban architecture. Lewis Mumford’s writings continue to inspire and remind us that architecture, design, and planning must respond to human needs, harmonize with its surroundings, and reflect the aspirations and social context of our civilization.

http://adpsr.org/home/mumford_award_history

The awards ceremony will be August 16, 2014 at 6:30 PM as part of the Boston Greenfest, organized by the Foundation for a Green Future. Boston Greenfest celebrates many ways we can create a better world by greening our lives and our communities and takes place August 15-17 at Boston City Hall Plaza and is free to the public.
http://www.bostongreenfest.org/Mumford.html

Dan Whittet is a resident of Lincoln, MA and a sustainability consultant. He is a board member of the ADPSR
Dan@adpsr.org

Franziska Amacher is a Cambridge Architect known internationally for her work in high performance buildings and social responsibility. She is a board member of the ADPSR fran@amacher-associates.net