Spring 2024, Volume 38 Number 2
The Spring 2024 issue of Centerpiece highlights recent activities at the Weatherhead Center. Executive Director Erin Goodman summarizes the semester and shares important updates in her Message from the Executive Director column. The conflict in Israel/Palestine remains at the forefront of many hearts and minds, and we share a synopsis of our series on the topic—with many thanks to all the event panelists and attendees for their participation. Climate change solutions are also in the zeitgeist, and our two features explore this theme from different angles: Asmaa Elgamal, Hicham Alaoui Postdoctoral Fellow in the Weatherhead Scholars Program, unpacks Morocco's colonial formulas and history of ancestral lands in our feature "Commodifying the Desert." In our interview with Michael Hiscox, director of STAR Lab, he explains the work the new project is doing on incorporating behavioral science into companies' sustainability initatives. And of course we provide updates on several other programs and clusters, such as student programs, the Canada Program, and the Global Sports Initiative.
Download: Spring 2024, Volume 38 Number 2 [ PDF: 2.1 MB ]
Message from the Executive Director
by Erin Goodman
Through the hustle and bustle of a busy semester, the throughline at Weatherhead has been our continued commitment to modeling civil discourse and debate. We continued our online Forum series on Israel/Palestine, focusing on topics such as scenarios for peace, broader geopolitical ramifications, a philosophical dialogue, and peace activism...
Commodifying the Desert: Colonial Formulas and Ancestral Lands in Morocco’s Renewable Energy Sector
by Asmaa Elgamal
If you type “Sahara Desert” into a dozen different AI image generators, you will almost invariably get the same result: vast swaths of unperturbed sand, unobstructed views of the horizon, and a yellow tint that recalls the thick, oppressive heat of sun-soaked landscapes...
STAR Lab: In Conversation with Michael Hiscox
Interview by Michelle Nicholasen
Twenty years ago, Michael Hiscox was a budding trade economist working in private sector governance. His research was aimed at understanding consumer behavior regarding Fairtrade certified goods. He and his colleagues conducted field experiments, including driving around New England visiting Whole Foods stores, to assess the impact of labeling Fairtrade certified coffee on sales...
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