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W H Y C R E A T I V E R E S I S T A N C E

The contribution we make to Design & People is to open dialogue that is needed globally in order to have broader perspectives of the issues we face in the present context. Dialogue, we believe is the only way that we, humans could come to an understanding of the intricacies related to diverse issues. A conflict has many roots that the thinkers need to explore. As we have seen cultural politics play a major role in shaping the minds of the people anywhere in the world. Mere discussion on politics would not be sufficient if we are to touch on the complexity of the issue.

The space opened in Design & People is to enable people all over the world to 'design' their thinking relatively and grab the opportunity given to present them so that all receive the chance of voicing their grievances. We believe that even the thinkers have their grievances and that is why they write. We have this notion and we continue contributing to Creative Resistance. The virtual space opened empowers us to speak to the whole world and we need everyone in the world to see what issues we face and our perceptions on the ground realities. We need the world to communicate with us and to turn the discussion into a political discourse to promote and strengthen democratic struggles.

Further, we believe that our thoughts would help people in different sectors to sharpen their thinking as well as activities and even take these thoughts to their forums to dialogue which we think is a great influence we could make through Design & People. The whole writing process to this web space is to investigative and could be named as Citizen Journalism. We believe that our thoughts can influence the lives of many and so investigative writing could even help in changing conditions of the lives of the people. It is therefore to make writing a struggle to change conditions that we are engaged with Design & People. We think writers in the world would perceive in the same way and make their valuable contributions so that a global dialogue could be realised through Design & People. This contribution is not a mere intellectual practice but a daring act to defy the unjust systems prevalent in one's social environment.

We believe writing is productivity. And it turns out to be revolutionary production only if it could see how the repressive systems act on people. The subtleties in the repressions meted out by the 'system' or as the Westerners call it the 'establishment' should be explored and Design & People is to enable such exploration make visible to the world. It is very correct when we call 'Creative Resistance' as the resistance that people in the ground level should make is first creatively brought up here. Therefore, it is for resistance purposes that we write and what we try to achieve is that not only our people but sympathisers from all over the world should come together in resisting all types of repressions.

Ravindra Ranasinha
Colombo, Sri Lanka.
ravindra.ranasinha@designandpeople.org

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C R E A T I V E R E S I S T A N C E L A U N C H

Creative Resistance Launch at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh: Contributors for the first issue of Creative Resistance — Tenzin Tsundue, noted Tibetan poet-activist, CA Kallianpur, Friends of Tibet National Coordinator; Priyanka Rana; Gabriel Lafitte, noted Australian writer and Lhasang Tsering, Tibetan writer-activist during the launch of 'Creative Resistance' published by Design & People at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh on August 19, 2003. Poetry reading sessions and open discussions marked the launch of 'Creative Resistance'. People gathered at the Lhakpa Tsering Memorial Hall of the Department of Information and International Relations, Dharamshala to listen to poems written by Tibetan writers in exile like Bhuchung D Sonam, Lhasang Tsering, Sonam Dhondup and Sung Chung Kyi.

Creative Resistance Launch at Cochin, Kerala: Thomas Jacob, Chairman of Press Academy releases 'Creative Resistance' by handing over a copy to architect Joseph John (left) on August 9, 2003 at the Lalithakala Academy Gallery at Ernakulam, Kerala.

Creative Resistance Re-Launch: 'Daya Bai', India's maverick activist relaunches the online version of 'Creative Resistance' during a 'Face to Face' with her organised by Design & People and BookPort at Ernakulam on August 3, 2009. Journalist and Novelist KR Meera and Niranjan Das Sharma of Design & People next to her.

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C O N T R I B U T O R S

Ravindra Ranasinha: Dramatist, journalist, sociologist, educationist and social worker, Ravindra Ranasinha writes profusely on the current political situation in Sri Lanka. He concentrates widely on multicultural aspect of Sri Lankan society in order to reconcile the conflicting ethnic groups in the country and focuses his post-modernist thoughts on making school education a multicultural sphere enabling children to accept and appreciate diversity in the social environment. Ravindra's thinking on cultural politics has made him to write on the influence of media on shaping the minds of the people in the current political context and he continuously queries whether Sri Lanka could survive in a mono-cultural sphere. These thoughts on ideology extends to the views of Louise Althusser, a post-modern Marxist critique and Ravindra is much influenced by the Frankfurt school. Walter Benjamin's lectures on 'Author as Producer' and 'Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction' have influenced Ravindra heavily and he has translated and published these texts enriching the Sinhala literature on art criticism. He has translated texts from Michel Foucault (History of Sexuality) and Simone de Beauvoir (Second Sex). Presently, Ravindra is working on a book on the prison system in Sri Lanka, which is a thorough study on prison life titled 'Jesus in Prison'. He is also a social activist attached to the Friends of Tibet supporting the cause of the Tibetans to free themselves from all repression that is meted out by the Chinese authorities. He can be reached at: ravindra.ranasinha@designandpeople.org

Writings by Ravindra Ranasinha: http://www.designandpeople.org/ravindra/

Sethu Das: Graduated from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda with a Fine Arts Degree and went to Srinagar for a casual visit — and accidentally reached Dharamshala, the seat of the Tibetan Government-in-exile. There he was moved by the stories of Chinese atrocities in Tibet related to him by Tibetan political prisoners. He founded the Friends of Tibet (India) in 1999 with one member, an organisation he never registered officially till now. Friends of Tibet (www.friendsoftibet.org) has several chapters in India and abroad. He is also the Executive Director of 'World Tibet Day' and the Founder Member of 'Friends of Tibet Foundation for the Wellbeing'. Among other things, Sethu has the rare distinction of dropping out from the Industrial Design Centre of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), one of the premier design institutes in India. He has worked with The Economic Times, a business newspaper and Netscribes India, a knowledge-consulting firm. He was an International Observer during the Presidential Elections in Sri Lanka and to several other conflict regions.

In the year 2003, Sethu Das co-founded Design & People with the slogan — 'Design For People In Need'. Today Design & People is a global network of graphic and industrial designers and architects working towards social and humanitarian projects. He is one of the Design Curators for the International Symposium/Exhibition "Re-Designing the East: Political Design in Asia and Europe" currently touring the former Eastern European countries and South Korea. Titled 'Swaraj in Design: Opportunities for a Conscious Learning and Sharing', the Indian section of 'Re-Designing the East' focuses on the 'Open Design & Information' policy of Design & People and its initiatives to change the historical misconceptions about the function and purpose of Design. Sethu Das devotes his time and energy working on humanitarian projects of Design & People and campaigning for various causes in which he believes. From being a graphic designer, to starting a socially-conscious design movement, Sethu is a man of varied tastes and talents. You won't however find him enjoying a bottle of Coca-Cola! Sethu Das can be reached at: sethu.das@designandpeople.org

Writings by Sethu Das: http://www.designandpeople.org/sethudas/

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W R I T I N G S

Jeju Island Road Show: South Korea
A brief report by Sethu Das, Co-founder of Design & People on the Jeju Island Road Show Project organised by the Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea. The report based on his Travel Show experiences as a participant is being published by: 'The Artro', a global platform for Korean contemporary art.
Read: Korean

LLRC, Tamils and Comedy of Errors
In this article Ravindra Ranasinha analyses the distorted history of Commissions like Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) that were appointed by different governments of Sri Lanka to investigate into human rights violations and the lack of credibility of the findings of such Commissions.
Read

The Fighting Peacock Begins to Dance
Dr Tint Swe is a physician-tuned Burmese politician. He is also the Minister for Information and Public Relations of the Prime Ministers' Office. Design & People Co-founder Sethu Das in conversation with Dr Tint Swe, one of the most prominent Burmese politicians who enjoys conducting free medical camps for his community living in exile.
Read: English | Malayalam

In Conversation with Dr Ela Bhatt
"Social and Political Design" Open Electives team of the National Institute of Design (NID) meets with Dr Ela Bhatt, Founder of SEWA at her residence in Ahmedabad, Gujarat to seek her blessings and guidance. She discussed on a wide-variety of topics — ranging from Women Empowerment to the bureaucracy of the United Nations.
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Water Makes Money, Not Maxim
What happens when a cinema owner; a musician; a dancer cum film costume designer; a painter cum filmmaker and a designer-activist meet for a chat? Sethu Das, Co-founder of Design & People in conversation with Siegfried Daiber of The Maxim Kino and his close associates — HW Mueller, Alexander Devasia and Sylvie Bantle.
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Silent Majority: The Sri Lankan Catastrophe
In this paper, Ravindra Ranasinha of Design & People explores how the present regime in Sri Lanka utilises its ideological labels and the regime's machinery to gag Sri Lankan citizens and the sorrowful transformation undergone by the populace, turning them into silent spectators, by their own choice.
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"I Believe Violence is A Dead-End-Street": Dolkun Isa
Originally published in the April 2011 edition of Pachakuthira Magazine, this piece is based on a conversation between Design & People Co-founder Sethu Das and Dolkun Isa, Secretary General of World Uyghur Congress (WUC), formed under the leadership of a charismatic woman — Rebiya Kadeer.
Read: English | Malayalam

Nation Building of Rajapaksa: Rhetoric of a Power-Project
In this note, Ravindra Ranasinha tries to sum up the total impact of Rajapakse regime's power-project as an 'image building' effort which is proven through so-called 'developmental' plans. The efforts to attract the eye of Westerners has become an primary function of the regime to ensure that funding becomes possible for their construction plan.
Read

The Essential Youth
There is a Stuttgart 21 happening in every corner of our country in the name of progress. But not a single creative professional has ever marched to protect our falling monuments and to retain the aesthetic and historical values of our cities. Design & People Co-founder Sethu Das on Stuttgart 21 and the inertia of our generation.
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The Forward March of Mahinda
Sri Lankan journalist and educationist Ravindra Ranasinha writes about what is really going on in Sri Lanka after the LTTE rebels were wiped out from the island with the power of the gun and how the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajpakse is battling numerous legal charges leveled against his regime by the Tamil Diaspora.
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The Queen, Gandhi and Limited Editions
The political design edition of the popular European design magazine 'Springerin' carries the not-so discussed history of Montblanc International GmbH by Sethu Das and the Indian Creative Resistance against the usage of historic icons by Mont Blanc and Swisscom in order to generate funds.
Read | PDF (German)

Sri Lanka: A State Minus Information
Ravindra Ranasinha investigates how the citizen is barred of right to information and the dictatorial practices of those who are in governance stifling the free flow of information through ruthless action against the media. The deterioration of democracy in Sri Lanka brings out the fact that State has determined to exist only with its own ideology.
Read

Mapping Creative Resistance of Tamils in Sri Lanka
Ravindra Ranasinha maps how journalism, creative writing, drama and painting survived among Tamils during the civil war and further elaborates the vitality of the creative resistance of Tamil artist as a source of inspiration for the population to endure hardships. He explores on how the Tamil identity was created through arts.
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The Invisible Hands Of Sri Lanka
Ravindra Ranasinha discusses the growth of totalitarianism in Sri Lanka through propaganda machines which has kept the population silent and infringed the right to information and the contribution of China in the acceleration of war and the Chinese strategic intervention in making Sri Lanka another Georgia.
Read

Politicising Citizen Thinking in Sri Lanka
Ravindra Ranasinha examines how the thinking patterns of a country functions in the political maneuvering of citizen's thinking. This investigation could be considered as an introduction to a deep study on the prevailing 'silence' in Sri Lanka. This new thinking will open doors for anyone who wishes to explore cultural politics of the world.
Read

A River Runs Through Him
He filed the fist complaint against a polluting factory on March 27, 1981. Ever since Right to Information Act came into existence, VJ Jose has filed 254 applications seeking information on pollution. Design & People Co-founder Sethu Das in conversation with Periyar Riverkeeper, who has been protecting the River Periyar for the last three decades.
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Children of Christopher Columbus
The 1492 voyage of Christopher Columbus in search of slaves and gold, and the subsequent genocide of Native Americans, is now being continued in third world countries. Columbus may be dead, but his children are alive and need to be thrown out from Asia's soil, says Sethu Das, Co-founder of Design & People.
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Newspapers As National Symbols
What are national symbols and what makes them national properties? Do all symbols that belong to a state become national symbols? Why do we think newspapers are national symbols that belong to us? Sethu Das of Design & People looks at some of the Indian national newspapers and the redesign industry.
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"Good Morning! This Was All India Radio!"
Most of us grew up listening to the radio at a time when subjects had to pay the state for the cautiously-edited news broadcasts under the radio receiver license system of 1928. Design & People Co-founder Sethu Das wonders why India wants to keep radio a state property while it tries to open up television so much.
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The Mountbatten Bomb
He belonged to a family that once symbolised the British Empire. And for many he was a dead child walking. Design & People Co-founder Sethu Das meets with Timothy Knatchbull, survivor of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb that killed his high profile 'grandpapa' — Lord Louis Mountbatten.
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The Land Minds of Sri Lanka
Soon after the killing of Lasantha Wikramatunge, Editor of 'The Sunday Leader', by the Sri Lankan government forces, Design & People Co-Founder Sethu Das travelled to Sri Lanka to meet with Ravindra Ranasinha, one of Lasantha's close associates in journalism and a known Sinhalese theatre activist.
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Hind Swaraj and Common Sense
Even after years, two political pamphlets continue to inspire people all over the world. Sethu Das of Design & People looks at Mahatma Gandhi's 'Hind Swaraj' or 'Indian Home Rule' and Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense' — two historic Pamphlets that changed the fate of two colonies forever.
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When Mont Blanc Ink Runs Through Father Of A Nation
Not many designers understand that meanings and interpretations are meaningless if the sole purpose of design is only to empower the elite and the powerful section of a society, argues Sethu Das of Design & People while presenting the case of Mont Blanc Mahatma Gandhi Limited Edition 241.
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People's Own Fortune Tellers and Story Tellers
Sometimes unpredictable events lead to favorable outcomes. Sethu Das of Design & People tells us how fortunate he was to meet with Anubrotto Kumar Roy, popularly known as Dunu Roy — India's own story teller whose stories are centered around the wisdom of the ordinary people.
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The Plural Society in Modern Sri Lanka
Veteran Sri Lankan theatre activist Ravindra Ranasinha focuses on pluralism that is evident in the Sri Lankan society that proves of an untapped resource with immense potentiality. He feels that if properly understood, this multiculturalism could be made a focal point in bringing peace and harmony to the much damaged country.
Read

The Politics of Not-So Creative Billboards
From Alaska to Mumbai, concerned individuals and organisations fight not only for clean air and clean water, but also for a clean environment sans billboards. Sethu Das of Design & People looks at the politics of advertisement billboards and their impact on people and society.
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Laurie Baker — Poetry In Mud
With the passing away of Laurie Baker in 2007, Indian architecture has lost its breath of fresh air in a man who single-handedly gave Indian architecture and low-cost construction a new approach, a new meaning, a new dimension. Suku Dass of Design & People caught up with Laurie Baker in June 2006. Excerpts from the interview.
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Genden Choephel — the 'Mad Monk'
Shortly after the military occupation of Tibet, the unorthodox Tibetan monk Gendun Choephel passed away. He supposedly concluded on the political events in Tibet by saying: "Now we are fucked!". Sethu Das of Design & People pays tribute to the controversial but one of the most important Tibetan intellectuals of the 20th century.
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Multi-Culturalism or Mono-Culture: A Quest in Sri Lanka
Ravindra Ranasinha looks at the Sri Lankan society and shares the view that the war in the island would end up with crushing of the LTTE, thus expecting the rise of a dominant mono-culture of the Sinhala community. Soon after, the government declared the end of the civil war with the killing of Velupillai Prabhakaran.
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October 25, 1920: Remembering Terence MacSwiney
During the hunger strike a young MacSwiney said: "I am confident that my death will do more to smash the British Empire than my release." Sethu Das of Design & People remembers Terence MacSwiney (1879-1920), IRA Commanding Officer who died on the 74th day of his hunger strike in London's Brixton Prison — without giving up!
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