MIT, Future Heritage Lab and Amman Design Week would like to invite you for an exchange of ideas on design, ethics and scarcity over dinner on Wednesday, the 25th of July at the terrace of Amman Design Week’s new space in Jabal Amman.

The world is witnessing a rise of social, political and cultural divisions. War, displacement and unequal distribution of resources push fragile communities in conditions of scarcity. How can art and design practitioners steer away from savior mentalities and develop tools and models that ethically address/reverse these shifts? Design for the real world across scales is a place to discuss , debate and question existing frameworks of socially engaged art, community-driven design, and the methods and outputs of art and design in a world of increased inequalities.

Confirmed speakers include:

• MIT, FHL Director and Associate Professor Azra Aksamija
• MIT, FHL Program Director and Researcher Melina Philippou
• MIT, FHL Local Research Consultant, Zeid Madi
• CSBE, Touma Hamarneh
• CSBE, Reef Qubailat 
• Arini, Liyan Al Jabi 
• Arini, Mohammad Jabi 
• Arini, Heba Najada 
• Rand Abu-Al-Sha'r, Architect

If you would like to take part in this conversation, please send your comments/thoughts/provocations/projects on the subject, personal info (email, phone, affiliation/profession) and language of preference (Arabic, English, bilingual) at fhl@mit.edu. The selection of guests will be solely based on the sent statements. Due to space restrictions the number of guests will be limited to 32.

About our Co-hosts

The MIT, Future Heritage Lab is the first resident institution at Amman Design Week's new space in Jabal Amman. The resident designers include:

• FHL Director and Associate Professor, Azra Aksamija
• FHL Program Director and Researcher, Melina Philippou
• FHL Local Research Consultant, Zeid Madi
• Master in City Planning, Akemi Sato
• Master in Architecture 2020, Catherine Anabella Lie

This evening is part of the Code of Ethics project run by the resident designers, who are working at the Al Azraq refugee camp on projects focused on Culturally Sensitive Design.