Search anything

Close search
Back to Programme

Design Reparations

Nurturing relationships of understanding, care and mutual support between the design community and traditional indigenous communities

Poster Design Reparations — © Design Cecilia Scolaro, Photos from Unsplash

Design Reparations organises two workshops on October 22nd and 25th, in collaboration with traditional communities, to explore ancestral wisdom, rethink your design approach, and provide direct support to their valuable initiatives.

Celebrate and preserve wisdoms and heritage from Kenya

In this session of Design Reparations, the focus is on preserving indigenous knowledge by working closely with Kenge Content Hive, a community-driven organisation from Lake Victoria's region in Kenya. The wisdom of the community elders, passed down through generations, is at risk of being lost as traditional ways of life fade. This knowledge, deeply rooted in a profound connection with nature, holds valuable lessons not only for the local youth but also for people worldwide who are grappling with environmental degradation.

You will collaborate with Kenge Content Hive to create projects that celebrate and preserve this vital heritage. Potential outcomes include the design of online archives, the creation of books and documentaries, educational materials for local schools, and initiatives to revitalize cultural centers and village barazas. By working on these projects, you will contribute to the ongoing efforts to keep this knowledge alive, ensuring that it can continue to inspire and guide future generations, both within the community and beyond.

Belonging and collective support in Caribbean communities.

Ocan is an organization supporting people of Dutch Caribbean descent in the Netherlands, tackling issues like exclusion, racism, and poverty. Focused on intersectional inclusion, climate justice, inclusive energy transition, and labor rights, Ocan drives positive change within the Caribbean diaspora.
In the Design Reparations workshop, we will collaborate with Ocan on their project to engage people of various Caribbean descent in a way that is not replicating the dominant narrative, that fosters belonging and mutual support, while elevating and celebrating their culture.

Caribbean culture, rich with vibrant traditions, resilience, and a deep connection to the land, will be central to our work. Designers have a unique opportunity to engage with ancestral wisdom from Caribbean ways of life. Through this collaboration, you’ll reflect on and potentially transform your approach to design, thinking, and living, embracing a more connected, ecocentric perspective.

About Design Reparations

Design Reparations fosters understanding and reciprocity between the design community and indigenous communities worldwide. Through hands-on collaboration, ancestral knowledge holders guide designers in the ways of living and designing within their communities. Designers learn from this wisdom, transforming their own practices to embrace more holistic, ecocentric approaches. In the spirit of reciprocity, designers lend their skills to support the existence and culture of indigenous communities.
What Design Reparations is about — © Design by Cecilia Scolaro
Partners