May 2021, DJN Newsletter

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Dear DJN Members, Signatories, and Friends,

We believe in care for the health of our network and for ourselves; The Design Justice Network (Steering Committee and Staff) held their first quarterly pause, April 26 - May 2, 2021, and will host three other pauses this year: Summer: June 28 - July 4, Fall: Sept 27 - Oct 3 and Winter: Dec 20 - Jan 2 (extended end-of-year break). Taking an intentional pause is a living expression of aligning design justice work with practices of care. We’re learning how to model what it means to approach the work of design justice differently, in hopes that DJN members, signatories, friends, and other movements can integrate time to pause as well! 

Reflecting on this pause, we came back into the network with renewed energy and reflections on how to continue to sustain and support all of you - and hope that you see this reflected as we move forward! As a reflection point - we’ve now hosted 2 “Welcome to the Design Justice Network” sessions, those who have attended have shared insights and feedback that we have been able to take action on. You can see the recorded session of Welcome to the Design Justice Network here, and two new resources we have created:  a Design Justice Network Finances page on our website, and a “Getting started with the Design Justice Network” overview page. We will continue to build these resources, and support you with any questions and feedback. Register to join us for the next session on Saturday, July 10th at 8pm ET (GMT-04) (other timezones listed in the post - this event will be on Sun. July 11th for some timezones).

Solidarity notes:

Thank you, as always, for everything you are doing to live and advocate for design justice in your lives, communities and in the world. 
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What’s in this email

  • Attend an upcoming DJN event: Browse our upcoming DJN events below, or check out our events page for up-to-date events held by working groups, members and nodes.

  • DJN Member Story: Max Masure, they/them, is an Ethical UX Researcher, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant, Author, and Public Speaker. Read their story below! 

  • Welcome to the Design Justice Network Session on DJN YouTube: We have a YouTube channel, with many resources and past talks! Check out the Welcome to the Design Justice Network Session here, and register for the next one!

  • Facilitators Connect + Welcome New Nodes & Working Groups + Upcoming Events: June 3rd Facilitators Connect, welcome London, UK, node + WG updates with Principles at work and #neurodiverse-collaboration! 

  • Turkish translation of Design Justice principles: https://designjustice.org/turkish 

  • Check out what we’ve been sharing: Featuring some of the interesting work that’s being shared around the network.

  • Look for jobs and other opportunities: If you’re looking for paid or volunteer opportunities, scroll down and have a look through this month’s opportunities.

  • Join as a DJN member: As a DJN member, you can gain access to the Design Justice Network Slack channel (to keep in touch with other DJN members), network with movement builders around the world, receive invitations to DJN Member Story sharing sessions (and the opportunity to lead one yourself), plus more. Find out more on our membership page. 

If there is anything you'd like to see featured in these newsletters, please feel free to email us directly at designjusticenetwork@gmail.com with the subject line "Newsletter" (if you’re a DJN member, you can also let us know on #comms on Slack). 

Upcoming Events

Take a look at what events are coming up and remember you can always check designjustice.org/events for more updates!

Please use these timezone translators to convert to your timezone:

Feel free to send us suggestions to help make these events more accessible anytime at designjusticenetwork@gmail.com. The schedule for all other events is always posted to designjustice.org/events with contact information provided. Get involved! 

DJN Member Story Share!

This month, we are featuring the work of Max Masure, (they/them), is an Ethical UX Researcher, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant, Author, and Public Speaker. 

Read the full story here on our website (in the News section).

They were named one of the most influential leaders of DEI in 2019 and 2020 by Hive Learning. They recently supported the United Nations in their efforts to improve engagement on their Sustainable Development Goals, trained Doctors Without Borders to better serve their employees and donors, trained a global hotel company to better serve their transgender and gender non-conforming customers, and they are currently advising the Service Design Network Organization as a founding member of their Diversity, Education, and Inclusion Advisory Board.

They believe in equity, human-centered design, nature-centered design, community-led initiatives, and the liberation of underserved communities. They regularly speak on trans inclusion, inner power, ethics, and transformative culture.

You can connect with Max Masure directly at www.MaxMasure.com, and on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxmasure Their Inner Power Workbook will be released in 2021: http://www.maxmasure.com/inner-power-workbook 

Read Max’s full story here on our website (in the News section).

Join Max on June 10: DJN Member Stories with Max Masure, Thurs. June 10 @ 4pm PT (GMT-07)

Our DJN Member Stories sessions have their own YouTube Playlist - thus far we’ve hosted 5 DJN Member story share sessions, and can’t wait for more! If you are a DJN member doing interesting work and would like to be featured in a future newsletter or blog post, please email us at designjusticenetwork@gmail.com. 

Facilitators Connect + Welcome New Nodes & Working Groups + Upcoming Events:

Welcome to the newly formed and approved London, UK node: they are coordinating a next meeting time, and you can contact the team at: designjusticeldn@gmail.com. For folx in Ohio or the surrounding area, a new node is slowly taking shape! If you’d like to connect with the newly forming Ohio node, you can fill out this form, and join them for their first book club meeting on June 1st, 2021 at 7:30pm ET. 

To see all current local nodes/working groups, please check our website here: https://designjustice.org/existing-local-nodes. You can also see more information on how to start your own, and the process to follow here: https://designjustice.org/how-to-organize-local-node - this also includes the local nodes zine that was created to support and give guidance to local nodes - but will also be supportive for DJN working groups! 

#neurodiverse-collaboration 

Last month, we heard from DJN member, Jorn Bettin, in New Zealand, who is part of many amazing organizations, and looking to connect more broadly within the Design Justice Network! He is also trying to connect with DJN more broadly across the Oceania region, and within the network in the #neurodiverse-collaboration DJN members slack channel! The Austistic Collaboration has hosted two events, and will be hosting more, and you can see these videos here.

The Autistic Collaboration Trust has put together a User Guide (which can be viewed/downloaded) to assist organisations to understand the value of the Employer Rating Service and Bullying Alert Service, as well as the way in which the services are delivered, including frequently asked questions. They are actively looking for volunteers from marginalised groups to expand the reach of the services and to offer local support to a US based employer who has subscribed to these services.

You are invited to sign the petition of the Autistic Collaboration Trust and the autistic community towards a ban on all forms of conversion therapy including ABA. We encourage international support: The petition can be signed at:  https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/inquiry-into-the-consequences-of-conversion-therapies-for-autistic-children.

 A related article on autcollab.org provides further context! 

What we’re sharing

Here you’ll find some of the interesting work that’s being shared around the network. Let us know if you have something you’d like to share in a future newsletter!

  • Data Capitalism: This site from Data 4 Black Lives explores the history of data capitalism from slavery to today. They recently released a report called, Data Capitalism and Algorithmic Racism. Check it out here.

  • Dr. Chad Shomura's Lecture in Creative Inquiry: Check out Dr. Chad Shomura’s lecture for the Design Studies course, Cultures, where he talks about the politics of care, public feelings, and the emotional dimensions to making, creating, and being. Watch here.

  • Abolish the Cop Inside Your (Designer's) Head: In this piece, Sarah Fathallah and A.D. Sean Lewis unravel the links between design and policing. In making their argument, they recommend three actions designers must take in order to fight to abolish cops, as well as the one’s inside their heads. Read here.

  • Back Up Your Data!: is a new Blackwood Gallery online publication that examines how forms of digital storytelling, ethics, access, governance, and data sovereignty are being practiced by media-makers across diverse fields. Back Up Your Data! circulates key lessons and critical considerations for working and living with data and technology. For designers engaged with data ethics, visual culture, activism, and expanded storytelling, this free digital publication identifies ongoing needs within the sector to engage with dominant tech paradigms, refuse harmful data extractive practices, and navigate mediation and accessibility. Check it out here.

  • Moodlight: a check-in tool for self and collective emotional awareness made by Camplight Cooperative. It is an instrument for helping teams to be present, to recognize their emotions, accept them, and work on achieving another level of team synchronization and vibration. You can try it live here and read more about its use from the presentation here or the video here.

Paid Opportunities

  • Black Visions is hiring for multiple roles: Join this Black-led, Queer and Trans centering organization whose mission is to organize powerful, connected Black communities and dismantle systems of violence. Learn more here.

  • Sonder Collective is hiring a Project Coordinator: Sonder Collective is a co-operative of designers, storytellers, anthropologists, system thinkers, and innovators. Learn more here.

  • Creative Reaction Lab is hiring for a number of roles: With a mission to educate, train, and challenge Black and Latinx youth to become leaders designing healthy and racially equitable communities, CRL is setting the pace for equitable design for justice. Learn more here.

  • Movement Labs is hiring a Director of Knowledge: Movement Labs (formerly Resistance Labs) is a not-for-profit movement incubator and the leading peer-to-peer text political consultancy supporting progressives and grassroots activists nationwide. Learn more here.

  • Mozilla is hiring for multiple roles. Mozilla believes in creating an accessible and open Internet for all. Here's one role and another role.

  • The New School is hiring a Lead Curriculum Designer and Facilitator: The New School is launching an innovative new leadership program for and with Environmental Justice movement leaders. Learn more here.

  • Beytna Design is hiring a Liberatory Design Strategist: The design firm does a lot of work on equity and justice-centred organizational redesigning and co-design projects. Learn more here.

  • Civilla is hiring a UX Researcher: Civilla is a non-profit design studio dedicated to changing the way public-serving institutions work. Learn more here.

  • University of Michigan has a Faculty Position in Anti-Racism by Design: This is a Tenure-Track Faculty position, starting September 1, 2022. Learn more here.

Volunteer Opportunities

Other Opportunities

  • Apply for the Henry Luce Foundation’s new initiative: The foundation, a private grantmaking organization based in New York, is developing a new initiative focused on the challenges of building just, equitable, and inclusive societies. They are inviting groups and organizations addressing these challenges to send information about their work. Submit an idea through an email to fundingopportunity@hluce.org by June 15.

  • Attend a workshop at Design Forge 2021: Design Forge is running 10x 50-minute workshop sessions, offering tools and strategies for participatory design pedagogies, digital storytelling, democratically engaged assessment tools, local-global learning resources, designs for equity-centred community engagement and more. Learn more and register here.

  • Design As Protest has a national call coming up on June 5th: https://www.instagram.com/p/CO_xRx9s5P8/ 

  • Propose a Track or Network Gathering at the 2022 Allied Media Conference. Deadline is July 12, 2021.

Know of any upcoming opportunities? Let us know if you hear of any opportunities we can share by emailing designjusticenetwork@gmail.com. DJN members, you can also share them in the #opportunities channel on Slack.