December 2021, Design Justice Newsletter
Dear DJN Members, Signatories, and Friends,
As 2021 draws to a close, we are entering a mood of rest, reflection, and celebration (and our 4th quarterly DJN Pause). So much has happened this year, and we know that we have much more to do to build a world where many worlds can fit. One thing we know is that we are so thankful to be in community with all of you in the Design Justice Network!
In 2021, our network grew to include 7 Steering Committee members, 2 International Network Coordinators, 16 Local Nodes (and more forming), 3 active Working Groups, over 500 Members, and 2,357 Signatories!
We recently welcomed new DJN Steering Committee members Boaz Sender, Nour Arafat, Elena Silvestrini, and Marta Delatte, who join existing Steering Committee members Wes Taylor, Sasha Costanza-Chock, and Denise Shanté Brown.
After a long and thoughtful process, we also recently launched the Design Justice Network Mission, Vision, and Intentions, and we again thank all of you who participated in crafting those with us over the past year. If you haven't seen them yet, you can find more information here.
We are ending 2021 feeling connected, encouraged, and inspired by the ways that DJN continues to organically evolve. We look forward to continuing that process with you in 2022.
Wishing you a gentle transition into 2022,
- Taylor Simone and Victoria Barnett, DJN International Network Coordinators, and the DJN Communications team!
Email: designjusticenetwork@gmail.com
Instagram: @designjusticenetwork
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designjusticenetwork
Twitter: @design__justice (double underscore)
Web: designjustice.org
DJN Connects! #DJNconnects
We want to take a moment to highlight DJN members meeting up: whether traveling to meet each other, in-person meetings, or chance happenings! We encourage all DJN members and signatories to share their stories and images around connecting. If you’d like to submit some images and a brief writeup or story about your meeting or visit in real life, please email them to us at desgnjusticenetwork@gmail.com - or post on your social media platform - tag us and use the hashtag #DJNconnects
DJN Taiwan First Meetup!
From Yu-Hua Jade Shih, Taiwan node facilitator: Very grateful to get the DJN conversations started here in Taiwan! A few friends of mine who are designers, educators, and project managers in social innovation sectors were involved in this very first gathering. :)
We discussed our understanding of the DJN principles and explored ways to make them more applicable locally. Localization and application are the top concerns of the group, and we look forward to following up on this a few months later.
A huge thank you to Jade, who is coordinating these first node sessions and also supporting the translation of the DJN Principles into Mandarin + who has also translated the DJN 101 slides and new Mission and Vision and Intentions statements- this will be shared with the network in the new year!
Events
Find events happening this month or go to designjustice.org/events for more. If you have ideas on how our events can be more accessible, please send us an email.
December 20: London, UK Node Event: Book Club 6 pm BST
December 21: London, UK Node Event: Book Club 5 pm BST
January 5: DC, Maryland, Virginia Node Meetup 6:30pm ET (GMT-05)
January 17: Boston Node Monthly Meeting 7pm EST (GMT-05)
January 25: DJN Philly Node Monthly Meetup 7pm (GMT-05)
Translate to your timezone using thetimezoneconverter.com or timeanddate.com.
Getting started with DJN
If you’re new to the Design Justice Network, welcome! Here are some resources to help get you started. As we continue to build these resources we welcome your questions and feedback.
Read an overview on how to get involved
Watch one of our Welcome to the Design Justice Network meeting recordings (New Nov. 30, 2021 session is now uploaded)
Check out our YouTube channel
Read about our membership benefits
Receive care in our Design Justice Network Care Circle (a benefit for DJN Members)
Review our finances.
DJN Facilitators Connect + Nodes & Working Group Updates
December 2: Node & Working Group Facilitators Connect Meeting (8 pm ET, GMT-05)
Node & Working Group Facilitators Connect: February 2022 meeting (12:30pm ET, GMT-05)
A quick note of FYI: We will NOT be hosting a Facilitators Connect meeting in the month of January, to allow folx to ease into the new year and continue to rest!! See you the first Thursday in February at 12:30 pm ET (GMT-05) !!
DJN Communications Working Group: We would like to thank our amazing volunteer, Tyler Gindraux for her work with DJN over the past year - she has supported this monthly newsletter by curating and editing the content, and this is her last month! She will be missed in this role, but remains a DJN member! If you’re interested in supporting the DJN newsletters, please get in touch! Please read more info on joining DJN Comms!
The Design Justice Principles at Work working group can be reached at designjustice.atwork@gmail.com to get involved and learn more. They host two regular meetings a month, with various sub-groups, so please get in touch if you’re interested.
All of our current nodes and working groups are listed on our website. If you’re thinking of starting your own, learn more about how to organize a local node and read our local nodes zine that was created to support and give guidance to local nodes. (much of it applies also to Working Groups)
Paid opportunities
The University of Michigan is hiring an Associate Director for Teaching, Research, and Academic Partnerships
Northumbria University and the Wordsworth Trust are funding a PhD opportunity
Grassriots is hiring a Senior Art Director remote or in Toronto
PHL Service Design Studio is hiring two content strategy fellows
USC is hiring an Assistant Professor in Social Design
The African American Policy Forum is seeking a graphic designer
Northwestern University is hiring Human-centered design assistant professor
Algorithmic Justice League is hiring:
Parsons School of Design is hiring:
Work4Germany is looking for transformation experts for 2022 fellowships
Tulane University is hiring a Professor of Practice and Associate Director of Design Thinking for Social Impact
The Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism is hiring:
Volunteer opportunities
Other opportunities
Submit an expression of interest to the Just Tech Fellowship: A full-time paid research fellowship practitioners to identify and challenge injustices emerging from new technologies and identify solutions that advance social, political, and economic rights. Deadline is 2 January 2022.
Donate to riseup: Riseup provides worldwide services to activists, journalists, human rights defenders, and… us! We use riseup to send this newsletter to you!
What we’re sharing
Here are some inspiration and resources we are sharing in and around the network.
Consentful Tech Curriculum: A curriculum for building and using technology consentfully.
Fundraiser for Political Prisoners: Buy Your Certain Days Calendar
We are failing people with severe mental illness: What can we do?
Rachael Dietkus, Morgan Cataldo and Tad Hirsch: Practicing without a license podcast.
Tech Worker Handbook: A collection of resources for tech workers who are looking to make more informed decisions about whether to speak out on issues that are in the public interest.