The new cultural space for Middle Eastern and North African, or MENA, students will be located at 305 Crown St., Dean of Yale College Pericles Lewis confirmed to the News. So let us get to know what 305 Crown St. to be renovated to the MENA cultural space.
305 Crown St. to be renovated to Middle Eastern and North African cultural space
Administrators confirmed that the new “cultural suite” will be located on the first floor of a building on Crown Street, which is set to undergo renovations over the summer.
The new cultural space for Middle Eastern and North African, or MENA, students will be located at 305 Crown St., Dean of Yale College Pericles Lewis confirmed to the News.
Director of the Asian American Cultural Center Joliana Yee wrote that she and assistant director Sheraz Iqbal toured 305 Crown St. earlier this semester, along with the lead architect, to see the future home of the newly-announced MENA space. The “cultural suite” will be built over the summer on half of the first floor, according to Yee, who added that she arranged for a workshop on Friday, March 1 to solicit input from MENA students.
The lack of a MENA cultural center has long been a source of student frustration, with the new space coming after nearly six years of student organizing.The Asian American Cultural Center currently has a dedicated room for MENA students on its third floor, and, this year, the AACC sponsored the University’s first AACC-MENA peer liaisons.
“It is my goal to remain in communication with the architect and design team to ensure that the renovated space meets the needs and expectations of the MENA community within the parameters that have been approved by the University,” wrote Yee, who also an assistant dean of the College.
The latest development comes after University President Peter Salovey promised the creation of a “more plentiful and fully dedicated space” for MENA students in December. Salovey’s commitment was part of a larger message on the University’s actions to “enhance support” for students in the wake of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, including permanent security at the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale and the hiring of a second Muslim chaplain.
“In recent years, university leaders have discussed with MENA students their requests for additional space and recognition, and we are committed to work with them and to provide resources and guidance,” Salovey wrote in his “Against Hatred” message.
In January, administrators told the News that the new MENA center would have its own dedicated peer liaisons, assistant director and physical space — distinct from the AACC — by the fall 2024 semester.
Yale added a job posting on LinkedIn for assistant director of the “MENA Cultural Community” on Jan. 18. Responsibilities include liaising with facilities staff to maintain the current MENA space in the AACC and “provide guidance throughout the build out of the new space in 305 Crown,” and to work with the AACC director in “strategic planning, financial management, program assessment, and departmental reporting.”
Lewis told the News in February that the MENA space will have a separate budget from the AACC with “substantial funding.” He said that the YCDO will use a survey to find out how many students would be engaged with the MENA center because the U.S. Census Bureau, which the Common Application uses, does not include a category for Middle Eastern and North African identity.
“In the case of some races, we get [racial demographic] information after students have been admitted from the Common App, but I think with MENA, because it’s a complex category and not exactly one of the categories in the census, we have to just ask people,” Lewis said.
Although the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action last summer, the University can still use self-reported racial identity data gathered after the application process.
Last April, University administration ordered student groups to vacate their previously assigned spaces at 305 Crown St. by the end of the year, citing “inequities” with the building hosting only 15 student groups out of hundreds on campus. At the time, Dean of Student Affairs Hannah Peck wrote to the groups that instead, each would receive a shelf in the 305 Crown storage room.
This year, the Yale Herald and the Yale Record both have offices on the third floor of the building, and First Year Outdoor Orientation Trips — one of the Camp Yale orientation programs — also uses rooms on the first and second floors for storage.
TRISTAN HERNANDEZ
Tristan Hernandez covers student policy and affairs for the News. He is also a copy editor and previously reported on student life. Originally from Austin, Texas, he is a sophomore in Pierson College majoring in political science.
In the process of building a sustainable future, the importance of innovation and intellectual property for the construction industry is according to HGF Ltd – Jennifer Unsworth of paramount importance. Why? Let us see.
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Building a sustainable future: the importance of innovation and intellectual property for the construction industry
Like many industries, the construction industry faces huge challenges as it works toward achieving the ambitious target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Whilst already adhering to stringent environmental standards to minimise its ecological impact, construction activities still contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, as well as the depletion of natural resources. The construction sector is particularly well-known for its contribution to global carbon emissions, both directly from construction processes and indirectly through the production and transportation of materials.
Organisations in the construction sector are working hard to develop innovative technologies, including modular construction and sustainable materials, in an attempt to meet evolving environmental standards and to reduce the ecological impact of construction projects.
Sustainable materials encompass a wide array of products, ranging from recycled aggregates and reclaimed wood to innovative biodegradable composites and low-carbon concrete. These materials offer not only environmental benefits but also opportunities for differentiation and innovation within the competitive construction sector.
The role of intellectual property rights (IP rights) in shaping the use and development of sustainable materials by and for the construction industry cannot be overstated.
Protecting one’s own IP rights is essential for protecting investments in research and development. Whether it be a novel construction technique, a proprietary blend of eco-friendly materials, or a unique design solution, securing patents, registered designs and trademarks can provide a competitive advantage, mitigate the risk of imitation by competitors, as well as help attract investment and development partners.
Understanding the IP landscape is also important for companies seeking to leverage sustainable materials in their projects. IP due diligence, conducted with the support of IP firms, will enable construction organisations to identify existing technologies and designs. Awareness of competitors’ patents, registered designs, trademarks, and other IP rights can inform strategic decisions and reduce infringement risks for businesses.
There is no doubt that IP also plays a pivotal role in facilitating collaborations and partnerships within the construction ecosystem. By licensing protected technologies or entering into joint ventures, companies can access cutting-edge sustainable materials developed by others, accelerating their adoption and integration into projects.
Collaborative efforts between industry players, policymakers, as well as IP experts, are essential to navigate this evolving landscape and unlock the full potential of sustainable materials in construction.
Ultimately, sustainable materials represent a promising avenue for driving positive change in the construction industry. However, the effective use and development of these technologies requires a solid understanding of IP rights. By staying informed about competitors’ IP rights, protecting their innovations, and embracing responsible collaboration, organisations in the construction industry can position themselves for success in a sustainable future.
It is obvious that Climate change has disproportionate impacts globally, and in the most vulnerable and impacted, hard-hit countries, Climate journalism is strong . . .
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The above image is for illustration and is of CIRES
Climate journalism is strong in hard-hit countries
Inter-topic distance map (countries). For this distance map, we used the average topic distribution in each country to compute their distances. The shapes are used to demarcate the 5 world bank regions in our sample The 8 most vulnerable countries in our sample (those with a vulnerability value in the >75th percentile of the global ND-gain index) are shown in red. The two outlier countries (South Africa and Vietnam) are shown in green. Credit: Environmental Research Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ad22b7
Climate change has disproportionate impacts globally, and in the most vulnerable and impacted countries, journalists report on the issue in unique and in-depth ways, according to a study published in Environmental Research Letters. The study called into question previous research that found news coverage in less-resourced countries lacked journalistic resources and scientific training.
Lucy McAllister, a former CU Boulder Ph.D. student and current professor of Environmental Studies at Denison University, led the study alongside CIRES Fellow Max Boykoff and a team of international interdisciplinary researchers from Munich to Manitoba.
“As people increasingly experience overlapping climate impacts, it is critical that the media articulately convey the interconnected nature of climate change,” said McAllister. “There is a biased narrative, that reporting in less-resourced countries is less comprehensive, but we found the opposite: Media in the more-resourced countries have much to learn from media in the most vulnerable countries.”
The study analyzed nearly 100,000 news articles from 50 sources over 10 years (2010–2020), and the team focused on 26 countries most vulnerable to climate change, including Botswana and Bangladesh. The authors used machine learning, statistical analysis, and qualitative content analysis of news articles to examine how countries in less-resourced countries covered climate change.
The study is the first to examine media and climate change coverage in lower-middle and upper-middle-income countries. These countries experience the most severe impacts of climate change, yet are often overlooked in most academic studies. Previous studies have focused on a single country, like India or Ghana, rather than comparing multiple less-resourced countries to one another. Researchers found a strong relationship between a country’s vulnerability to climate change and the diversity of topics covered in the news.
The authors reported that previous research often lumped less-resourced countries into one bucket, concluding these countries report similarly on the same issues.
“We often discuss these countries in broad strokes, as ’emerging countries’ or those from the ‘Global South,'” said Siddharth Vedula, associate professor at the Technical University of Munich and lead co-author of the study. “However, our analysis shows substantial variability between these countries in terms of how news media cover climate change.”
For example, media coverage in sub-Saharan Africa focused on agriculture. In South Asia, coverage emphasized the impacts of climate change, such as extreme weather events, educational events, and the appointment of national advisors to lead the country’s response to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Overall, media coverage among the 26 more vulnerable countries includes international governance and development, the economics of energy transitions, and the impacts of climate change.
The authors note the most significant limitation of their study is the focus on English-language news sources, noting that there is a significant need to study the media in other languages. Further research might also expand the analysis to examine radio, television, and social media.
“It is important to continue to analyze media coverage,” said Max Boykoff. “Because the ways the media portray climate change shape our perceptions, conversations, and actions in the public sphere as they also bridge formal science and policy into our everyday lives.”
More information: Lucy McAllister et al, Vulnerable voices: using topic modeling to analyze newspaper coverage of climate change in 26 non-Annex I countries (2010–2020), Environmental Research Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ad22b7
The climate crisis fuels change in the MENA region which is home today to the world’s last absolute monarchies and/or military-involved republics. Rabah Arezki elaborates in Atlantic Council on their evolution.
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Climate crisis fuels change in MENA region
ByRabah Arezki
Evolution of freedom Freedom to prosperity The future ahead
Evolution of freedom
The countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are stuck in economic and political transitions toward more open economic and political markets. The lack of economic freedom has long echoed the lack of political freedom in the region. To maintain the status quo, political elites have for many years sought to cultivate an enduring social contract wherein economic and political elites capture economic rents—including from oil revenues—and citizens receiving patronage spending have tended to look the other way.
That is evident from the overall freedom score for the region, which has remained considerably lower than the global average. Indeed, the MENA region’s freedom score in 2022 is the same as two decades before (around 46.9), 15.4 points below the global average. That said, an increase in the freedom score is evident at the beginning of the period of analysis (from 1995 to 2002) which coincided with a wave of both economic and political reforms.
While there are important cultural and legal similarities among MENA countries, the region is also heterogeneous in many ways. Three distinct groups have progressed at different speeds in their economic transitions: the high-speed group, mostly composed of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries; moderate-speed, mostly composed of North African countries plus countries like Jordan and Lebanon; and the low-speed group, which includes conflict or post-conflict countries. Indeed, the GCC countries, which are mostly nonpopulous economies with vast wealth, have outperformed the other two groups, increasing their average freedom score by 6.7 points over the sample (1995–2022). The “moderate-speed” group of countries in North Africa, plus Jordan and Lebanon, includes both oil-importing and oil-exporting states, with a mixed record of economic reforms. Most of these countries are populous, with Egypt home to the largest population in the region. The conflict and post-conflict group includes Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, each with a complex history of civil wars coupled with foreign invasions.
The diversity of circumstances is evident when considering the evolution of the economic freedom score. The regional score has increased by 5 points throughout the period, driven by improvements in women’s economic freedom and, recently, investment freedom. This increase is mainly driven by progress in the GCC group of countries, where economic freedom went up by 14.5 points. The GCC is now led by Saudi Arabia, which has embarked on an important economic and social transformation agenda. In the “low-speed” group, we see an overall decline over the period (−3.7 points). Across the region, trade freedom presents a significant negative trend since 2011, losing almost 15 points.
On the political freedom front, the region is home to the world’s last absolute monarchies, whose transition to constitutional monarchies has been slow, and at times reversed. Military involvement in politics is all too common and has been on the rise. The wave of protests that spread through almost the entire region and which came to be known as the Arab Spring is apparent in the data. The Arab Spring erupted in the early 2010s from the frustration of a young and educated population aspiring to more political and economic freedom and prosperity. The hope raised by the Arab Spring proved, however, to be temporary. Indeed, protests ended up either tamed by autocrats or resulted in internal conflicts, with foreign interventions supporting opposing sides. The political freedom score shows an increase starting in 2010, which has vanished by 2014. All indicators of the political freedom subindex have been affected. This shows that countries in the region are stuck in political transitions toward democracy.
Legal freedom is relatively low in the region, with all its indicators except informality scoring below 50 in 2022. Most indicators of legal freedom have had a flat trend in the last decade, showing no signs of improvement. Here as well, the GCC countries score higher than the other two groups, with a stable score over the sample. In the other two groups, legal freedom is declining. Just as on the political front, legal reforms toward more fair and inclusive systems have stalled.
From freedom to prosperity
The prosperity score of the MENA region has clearly diverged from the global average during the period 1995–2022. Overall scores mask important differences between countries in MENA, especially along economic lines. Indeed, the MENA region has the largest reserves of oil and other hydrocarbons in the world.1 But not all countries in the region are rich in oil. The region is host to both oil importers and oil exporters, and the impacts of oil shocks far outweigh any policy intervention. Evidently, persistently high oil prices—albeit remaining volatile—have been good news for oil exporters and somewhat bad news for oil importers in the region. However, the reality is not always so straightforward, as high oil prices result in large and positive spillover effects from oil exporters to oil importers, especially in terms of remittances and foreign aid, and these have tended to mitigate the differences between the two groups.
While the consequences of oil market fluctuations continue to play a dominant role in driving prosperity in the region, that situation is clearly not sustainable as the world economy is firmly embarking on a transition away from fossil fuels. The MENA region scores higher than the global average in income, health, and environment, but the gap in the last two decades has been narrowing. Countries in the region should not be complacent and should transform their economies by supporting more (genuine) private sector development. The success of the economic and social transformation agenda led by Saudi Arabia is vital for the region. Yet the ultimate test of that transformation is whether it would be sustained and financed through (domestic and foreign) private investment instead of state funds, which will eventually run out.
Education is the best performing indicator for the region, with a score that has doubled in the period of analysis. Nonetheless, there is still room for improvement, as the level is still low (close to 45 points), relative to the global average. Educated but unemployed youth have been the drivers of the Arab Spring. That situation is a source of worry for leaders who want to keep the status quo, and has led them to place limits on political freedom and civil liberties.
The region scores significantly below the global average in inequality and minority rights, and the gaps have not been reduced in the last twenty-five years. Persistently high inequality is a source of further tensions. The need to promote equality of opportunity in the region—through free enterprise and curbing cronyism—has never been greater. Failure to address deficiencies in economic but also political freedom will hamper prosperity in the region and lead to further instability.
The future ahead
Over the next decade, countries in the MENA region will have to grapple with economic and political transitions in a world in mutation. To achieve freedom and prosperity, countries in the region will have to face up to risks linked to geopolitics, climate change, and the transformation of energy markets, as well as social polarization.
The region is at a tipping point when it comes to conflict escalation. Indeed, the alarming intensity and casualties resulting from the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian territories risk engulfing the whole region. This new phase of escalation of violence brings not only tragic loss of lives but also physical destruction, fear, and uncertainty. That new spread of violence will have far-reaching economic and social consequences. What is more, the Palestinian issue is an important fault line between the Global North and the Global South that could have global repercussions and tear the region further apart.
The region is also extremely exposed to the existential threat posed by climate change. Climate change is simply making the Middle East and North Africa unlivable at a faster rate than any other region. Specifically, temperatures have reached record highs and a water crisis is looming in the region, which could lead to heightened domestic tensions and interstate conflicts. The crisis is made worse by the inadequate governance of the water sector and other utilities, which has exacerbated the frustration of the citizenry over poor public services.
The region also needs to transition away from fossil fuels. Oil prices have been persistently high and this has provided some respite to the many oil-exporting countries in the region. Yet, as the world moves away from fossil fuels, the vast reserves of oil and natural gas with which MENA is endowed will eventually become stranded—and so will the capital investment in the sector. With these considerations in mind, several MENA countries have embarked on ambitious diversification programs to move away from oil, although success has, so far, been elusive. As we have said, Saudi Arabia’s ambitious economic and social transformation agenda could be a game changer for the region and perhaps offer a model for other countries to emulate.
A credible economic and social transformation agenda is long overdue, to meet the aspirations of an educated youth and to absorb millions of young people—females and males alike—into the labor market. The aborted political transitions have, however, polarized societies in the region: the people on the streets who continue to protest on the one side, and the political elites and crony capitalists on the other. The political and economic transitions are interlinked and failure to address both could result in further social tensions and instability.2
Rabah Arezki is a former vice president at the African Development Bank, a former chief economist of the World Bank’s Middle East and North Africa region, and a former chief of commodities at the the International Monetary Fund’s Research Department. He is now a director of research at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development and at Harvard Kennedy School.
The bombing of Gaza is causing the entire destruction of its built environment. Many reports reveal that damaged or destroyed heritage sites are deliberately aimed at, to the point where the destruction of Gazaʼs historic buildings is like an act of ‘urbicide’.
The above featured image is for illustration and is of the BBC News
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Palestinians inspect the rubble of the Yassin Mosque in Gaza, destroyed after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike on October 9 2023. Associated Press/Alamy Stock Photo
The destruction of Gazaʼs historic buildings is an act of ‘urbicide’
Buildings are often celebrated as symbols of history, political events and creative expression. However, the simplest, most pure function of buildings is often forgotten: the way they fulfil needs and form memories.
For years, research has shown that buildings, people’s memories and everyday life are connected elements that form our attachment to a place and create our relationships to our “homeˮ. This triangle of connection helps us identify with places and feel like we belong somewhere.
Gaza has long been cherished as a sanctuary for creative experimentation, and as a place where resilient people strive to defy the violence of colonisation. Within this landscape of destruction and occupation, the locals have always tried to hold onto the concept of home, beyond a fleeting shelter that could vanish with the next bombing campaign.
However, this continuous cycle of destruction and hopeful reconstruction has now come to an abrupt halt. Since October 7 2023, the bombardment of Gaza is reported to have damaged more than 100 historic sites and destroyed 69,700 homes.
At the time of writing, 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced. This ongoing urbicide – the destruction of cultural hubs in the built environment – also threatens that triangle connecting people to their homes, land and heritage.
With more than half of Gazaʼs buildings either damaged or destroyed, it is impossible to cover the immense changes to the lives of these Palestinians in one article. So, here are just three examples of these lost buildings, and how their destruction has affected the everyday lives of local people in Gaza.
Built on the site of a pagan temple, this fifth-century church became a mosque in AD635. With a courtyard area of 1,190m², the mosque was the second-largest in Palestine and served as a daily destination for more than 3,000 worshippers.
Situated near Palestine Square, it has played a crucial role in the everyday life of Gaza, as mosques in Middle Eastern cities foster social interactions, informal conversations and societal bonds. But this incubation of societal interactions came to an abrupt stop in December 2023, when the mosque was reduced to rubble.
Palestine Square
Palestine Square has long been the centre of everyday life in Gaza and is widely regarded as the heart of the city. It is significant due to its proximity to the Great Omari Mosque and many services, as well as the passage it provides to various markets.
Urban squares play a crucial role not only in facilitating transportation and passage but also as places that are connected to our identity, memories and how we perceive our city.
Therefore, targeting Palestine Square and completely destroying the surrounding buildings in January posed a threat to some fundamental aspects of people’s daily lives and their sense of belonging to the city.
The extent of the great destruction that affected Palestine Square “Al-Saha” in the center of Gaza City after it was bombed by the occupation army yesterday. pic.twitter.com/CdKC00YW6x
It serves as the city’s commercial centre and is home to the city hall and public library. However, on October 8 2023, the street became one of the first targets of Israeli airstrikes, abruptly ending the bustling commercial activities that so many people relied on.
Gaza’s main and only public library has been destroyed by #Israel.
Municipal authorities in Gaza accuse the Israeli army of deliberately destroying thousands of books and historical documents. pic.twitter.com/NdmcR48t6U
This street was not only a place for Palestinian families to fulfil their everyday needs, but a hub for leisure and entertainment. For years, cultural sites like Omar Al-Mukhtar Street have fostered social bonds, preserved memories, and created societal bonds through everyday life and cultural events.
Seeing past the ashes
Gaza faces a challenging and lengthy path to recovery. These destroyed buildings serve as a reminder of the lost everyday life and rich cultural heritage hidden beneath the rubble.
The scale of destruction is immense, as is the humanitarian loss and disruption to daily life patterns. All will have long-lasting effects on the city’s identity and the local community’s heritage.
While it is important to highlight the destruction of buildings, it is even more crucial to shed light on how this affects everyday life and the functioning of the city. Gaza, once a hub of creative experimentation, now lies in ruins and urgently requires humanitarian, architectural and heritage support.
In this complex landscape, aid efforts should prioritise the restoration of physical structures that facilitate everyday life. Commercial spaces, urban squares, places of worship and homes formed a network that sustained daily life in Palestine.
When the bombing finally ends, it will be crucial to uncover and restore this network to restore Palestinians’ sense of belonging to their cities – and connection with their land.
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