Past Events

In these uncertain times, one thing is certain - transportation is more important than ever. Cities in Metro Boston and across the country are taking different approaches to address the challenge of getting around during this pandemic. Oakland, CA opened a network of slow streets, and Chicago, IL is closing a major lakefront trail. Speakers who will explore the pros and cons of various street interventions: Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Lynda Lopez from Chicago-based Active Transportation Alliance, and Naomi Doerner from the accessibility group Nelson\Nygaard. This is the second in a **[four-part virtual StreetTalk series](https://forum-network.org/series/streettalks-transportation-during-covid-19-pandemic/)** focused on our streets, our transportation system, and the future of mobility. Join our solutions-oriented discussion where we explore mobility challenges brought about by COVID-19 and physical distancing and highlight practical and equitable steps we can take to keep people safe and healthy on our streets now and in the future. Image courtesy of Pexels

In 1975, during the fall of Saigon, Phuc Tran immigrates to America along with his family. By sheer chance they land in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a small town where the Tran's struggle to assimilate into their new life. _Sigh, Gone_ explores one man’s bewildering experiences of abuse, racism, and tragedy. Against the hairspray-and-synthesizer backdrop of the ‘80s, he finds solace and kinship in the wisdom of classic literature; and in the subculture of punk rock, he finds affirmation and echoes of his disaffection. In his journey for self-discovery, Tran ultimately finds refuge and inspiration in the art that shapes—and ultimately saves—him. Listen to author Phuc Tran discuss his memoir and the process of writing. This talk is part of the virtual author event series American Stories, Inspiration Today with moderators Kristin Motte of the Boston Public Library and Margaret Talcott of American Ancestors NEHGS.

Precious Phiri grew up in Zimbabwe and discusses her evolution as a trainer in Holistic Management and community facilitation. Her work focuses on working with rural communities and collaborating with networks in Africa to reduce poverty, rebuild soils, and restore food and water security for people, livestock and wildlife – and most recently, to address the corona virus. This talk is part of the Blessed Unrest conference hosted by Biodiversity for a Livable Climate. See more conference information [**here.**](http://https://bio4climate.org/blessed-unrest-program/) Image courtesy of Pixabay

Edible landscaping is the use of food-producing plants in the residential and public landscape. It combines fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, along with functional ornamental plants into aesthetically pleasing designs. Edible landscaping offers an alternative to conventional residential landscapes; edible plants can be just as attractive while producing fruits and vegetables. One can install an entirely edible landscape or incorporate some edible plants into existing gardens. In this talk Sven will cover different forms of Edible Landscape design from Foodscaping to Edible Forest Gardens and some history on this ages-old worldwide practice. **[Blessed Unrest](https://bio4climate.org/blessed-unrest-program/) ** is a conference that features speakers around the world offering a variety of practical solutions from nature. The aim is to encourage attendees and viewers to arrive at the conclusion that collectively we humans can change course to a healthy and bountiful planet for all.

What do public health advocates need to know about misinformation research? Like our hospitals, our information systems are completely overwhelmed with questions, ranging from the banal, “How do I know if I have coronavirus?,” “Where can I get tested for COVID-19?,” “Is there a vaccine?” to the conspiracy-driven, “Does 5G affect your health?” or “What is the World Health Organization and do they work for China?” The list goes on, but the fact remains: people are seeking more and more information about COVID-19 and wrong answers could be deadly. Ashish Jha, Director of the Harvard Global Health Institute talks with Setti Warren, Executive Director of the Shorenstein Center and former Mayor of Newton MA. The two discuss what public health advocates need to know about misinformation and how misinformation influence people’s behaviors. They . cover the ways local governments communicate to residents and how public health professionals and local officials can work together to share life-saving recommendations during the infodemic. This talk is part of the [_Big, If True_](https://forum-network.org/series/big-if-true-series-tech-pandemic/) webinar series hosted by Joan Donovan, Ph.D., who heads up the [**Technology and Social Change Research Project** (TaSC)](https://shorensteincenter.org/about-us/areas-of-focus/technology-social-change/) at Harvard University's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy.

In these uncertain times, one thing is certain - transportation is more important than ever. Federal transportation policy can be confusing and feel disconnected from our day-to-day lives. But the coronavirus public health crisis has jumpstarted action in Congress, which has important implications for Massachusetts transportation. Join Congresswoman Katherine Clark and Beth Osborne, the Director of Transportation for America, who will help us unpack how the most recent stimulus package impacts local transportation and explain what we’ll need to do to make sure future transportation and infrastructure bills get it right. In partnership with the WGBH’s Forum Network, LivableStreets will be hosting a four-part virtual StreetTalk series focused on our streets, our transportation system, and the future of mobility. Each StreetTalk will feature a discussion with guest speakers followed by ample time for Q&A with the audience. Image Adam E. Moreira/[Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Outbound_Green_Line_train_leaving_Fenway_station,_August_2005.jpg)

Increasingly frequent droughts are destroying food production levels in the more drought-prone half of sub-Saharan Africa. Although most people have attributed this gathering crisis to climate change, about 80 percent of the cause of the droughts is that fallowing – a process of allowing the forest to grow for fifteen years or more to replace the soil’s organic matter — isn't happening. This problem has in turn caused a huge drop in soil organic matter and a resulting lack of rainwater absorption rates. The good news, however, is that there exists an extremely simple technology, called “green manure/cover crops,” that can reverse these soil organic matter losses within just a few years, at virtually no cost to the farmers. Putting all that organic matter back into the soil sequesters tremendous amounts of carbon. In fact, if all the world’s farmers and ranchers were to sequester as much carbon/acre/year in their soils as tens of thousands of smallholder African farmers are already doing, they would sequester, long-term, over 50 percent of all the carbon the world needs to sequester in order to reach the goals of the Paris Climate Accords. **[Blessed Unrest](http://https://bio4climate.org/blessed-unrest-program/)** is a conference that features speakers around the world offering a variety of practical solutions from nature. The aim is to encourage attendees and viewers to arrive at the conclusion that collectively we humans can change course to a healthy and bountiful planet for all. Image courtesy of Flickr

Over the past two decades, environmental activist Ronnie Cummins has served as director of US and international campaigns dealing with sustainable agriculture issues including food safety, genetic engineering, factory farming, and global warming. In this talk Cummins focuses on what individuals and small groups have done and continue to accomplish in these realms. Cummins also tells his own stories about co-founding the [Organic Consumers Association](https://www.organicconsumers.org/usa) (OCA) and its Mexico affiliate [Via Organica](https://viaorganica.org/). He will also discuss the obstacles to building sustainable systems and how people have overcome them in creative and personal ways. Cummins' talk is part of the **[Blessed Unrest conference](https://bio4climate.org/blessed-unrest-program/)** featuring speakers around the world offering a variety of practical solutions from nature. Image courtesy of Flickr

Janot Mendler De Suarez describes the community-driven “Green Pearl” initiative that aspires to transform Haiti from one of the poorest, most insecure and degraded countries in the world to a flourishing mosaic of Green Pearls. At the same time charting a new path for the humanitarian sector, rooted in the power of humanity to turn vicious cycles into virtuous cycles, all through people-centered creativity and community engagement. The new bottom line? Restoring and even enhancing the productive function of healthy resilient ecosystems. De Suarez's talk is part of the **[Blessed Unrest conference](https://bio4climate.org/blessed-unrest-program/)** featuring speakers around the world offering a variety of practical solutions from nature. Image: Pixabay

Explore how COVID-19 has exacerbated existing inequalities, fueled xenophobia, and harmed marginalized groups. How can policymakers, civil society, and media mitigate against discrimination by shining a light on health disparities? What does xenophobia look like in a time of social distancing? How has misinformation and disinformation inflamed these divides? And what can journalists do to surface these tensions without compounding the problem? COVID-19 won’t be the last global crisis, but how we respond to these questions may make all the difference. ProPublica reporters, Akilah Johnson and Talia Buford, who are covering the data on health outcomes across communities of color, Marita Etcubañezs, Director of Strategic Initiatives for Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Lisa Nakamura, Professor and Director of the Digital Studies Institute at University of Michigan, and Gabby Lim, Researcher, Technology and Social Change Research Project, Shorenstein Center, dicuss the impacts of the pandemic on inequalities. This talk is part of the [_Big, If True_](https://forum-network.org/series/big-if-true-series-tech-pandemic/) webinar series hosted by Joan Donovan, Ph.D., who heads up the [**Technology and Social Change Research Project** (TaSC)](https://shorensteincenter.org/about-us/areas-of-focus/technology-social-change/) at Harvard University's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy. Image courtesy of Flickr