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The Humane Village: Awakenings

Alexander Manu
Introduction to the Humane Village Journal Volume 1, 1994

Over the past few years, increasing numbers of designers have become fascinated by the very real possibility of initiating social change through design; with all of the risks and rewards that this would imply. When I proposed the "Humane Village" as a necessary next step to follow Marshall McLuhan's "Global Village," the term was intended to suggest that in our pursuit of 'globalism' we may have destroyed, or be about to destroy, the very essence of what makes us human beings, which is to say our humanity. What we need to celebrate about ourselves today is not our success on the global scale, but the smaller human satisfactions of cherished local heritages and cultures which we are in danger of losing forever. Where the Global Village has left us citizens of a world too large for either comprehension or compassion, the Humane Village seeks to establish a more closely detailed landscape of intimate, humane, values.

In informal discussions among designers and non-designers, we have started to explore the potential aspects of a truly Humane Village, and find ourselves immediately caught up in the issue of ethics. Designers have managed for many years to avoid debate about the real meaning of our work in the broader social context. But now, as everyday common sense rebels against our society's appalling short sighted wastefulness, we find ourselves in a genuine moral crisis, faced with the inadequacy of our existing moral codes. We are at a genuine crossroads, with important consequences depending on the direction we choose now to follow.

And so, the " Humane Village" ; intended not as a system of ethics, but as a pre-ethical discussion that will lead to the formulation of a new design ethic. Instead of creating any number of instant 'solutions' to apply to our as-yet undefined problems, we want to take the time to let the questions become more fully formulated. Our quest will not be, as in business practice simply a close comparison of alternative solutions. In search for a minima moralia that will guide action in the Humane Village, our first step must be a wider appreciation of the problems to be solved. When assessing a solution, ask, "what is the problem for which this is the solution?" Simply asking this question will show if the present development models under which we operate have any hope in solving a crisis that is far more reaching than the technically solvable.

We can see the effects of limited problem-definition in the environmental movement, or 'green design.' It has been said that when "environmentalism joined the mainstream, it lost its ability to imagine a different society."1 Instead, environmentalism has become concerned with finding ways of preserving and sustaining the existing way of life; by recycling soda cans rather than learning to drink water. Other development models, such as "Global Efficiency" or "Eco-Efficiency" also focus on the preservation of current consumption habits, constrained by ecological surveillance.

Design which is concerned only about ecology limits our wider human potentials. As designers, working from purely 'environmental' briefs we find ourselves limited in philosophical and practical terms; our creative potential constrained to a single dimension. True, the environment must be protected, and fiercely, with careful consideration of each material and process. But we can and must do more. Whether or not a product is 'ecological' - biodegradable, recyclable, or dis-assemble-able - we must also consider its social implications. How does the product affect its many users over its lifespan? Was it needed at all? Many designers conveniently forget that the "three R's" begin with "Reduce".

The first step on the path towards the Humane Village is the simple observation that our ecological problems are caused by social conditions. We have been led to our present condition by short-sighted greed and insecurity of both individuals and corporations, by the titillation of covetousness to stimulate consumption, and by our narcotic love affair with technology at its most trivial. A moral code for the Humane Village must recognize that the creation of artifacts and environments is a holistic act. People, communities and the ecosystem are indissolubly intertwined.

My colleague Jan Kuypers has observed that, "the Humane Village is a concept of purpose... everyone has a notion of what it is - not consistent, but not too divergent; not so precise that one can object to the details, [but still] challenging enough that it invokes thoughts and possibly conversion." He adds, "is this not design?"

Moral questions are not optional luxuries for private indulgence. Real moral problems arrive daily, in the urgent press of real life, demanding immediate answers to the dilemmas they pose. Every designer working today faces such questions.

Our lack of answers places us at the moral crossroads. To one side we can see the ruin and disaster that will inevitably follow further unrestrained consumerist greed and consumption. But the other path is only dimly visible. We're not sure even of how to find it, but find it we must. We have no choice, for our current practise is no longer acceptable. It is time for our young profession to accept adult responsibility. We are no longer the newborn child of art and industry, subservient to our clients for guidance and direction. We must move from selfish time to historic time, with moral competence to keep pace with our responsibilities. We must awaken. Our innocence has been prolonged too long; continued ethical 'relativism' will soon become guilt.

With the Humane Village, what we are about to construct is a road map towards an ethic, the general terms of acceptable action in light of what we now know to be unacceptable.

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