At a Distance

Dominican artist, curator, and activist Lizania Cruz, whose latest project, “Obituaries of the American Dream,” was commissioned by El Museo del Barrio for “Estamos Bien: La Trienal 20/21,” discusses the difference between integration and assimilation, storytelling as a means for understanding, and why traveling between states in the U.S. should be considered migration in the context of the climate crisis.

Turkish-born, Copenhagen-based activist and former politician Özlem Cekic, author of the new book “Overcoming Hate Through Dialogue: Confronting Prejudice, Racism, and Bigotry with Conversation―and Coffee,” speaks with us about friendship as a vaccination against prejudice, the importance of remembering that people are more than their opinions, and why being on the receiving end of hateful language is opportunity to initiate a meaningful exchange.

Scott Smith, founder and managing partner of the Netherlands-based futures consultancy Changeist and author of the new book “How to Future: Leading and Sense-Making in an Age of Hyperchange,” talks with us about why President Trump is a covert futurist, the problems with taking a passive approach toward tomorrow, and why the next generation of leaders will be people who use pragmatic, real-life experiences, not necessarily advanced educations, to make change in the world.

Environmental journalist Amy Westervelt, founder of the Critical Frequency podcast network and co-host of the Hot Take podcast, discusses what President-elect Joe Biden should prioritize when addressing the climate crisis, why forgiveness doesn’t entail giving up on justice, and how President Trump, his family and associates, and the mass media—including The New York Times and The Washington Post—have all furthered the agendas of fossil-fuel giants.

Economist Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, a professor of international affairs at the New School and recipient of a 2019 Grawemeyer Award for her co-authorship of the book “Fulfilling Social and Economic Rights,” speaks with us about the danger of vaccine nationalism, the challenges with the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals, and why having access to life-saving medication is a human right.

Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi, co-founders of the New York–based architectural design firm Weiss/Manfredi, talk with us about creating environments that encourage slowing down, why all five senses matter in architecture, and the surprising ways in which public spaces serve and support people in times of crisis.

Somerset, England–based farmer Chris Smaje, author of the new book “A Small Farm Future: Making the Case for a Society Built Around Local Economies, Self-Provisioning, Agricultural Diversity, and a Shared Earth,” discusses incentivizing a new generation of farmers, the problems inherent with cheap food, and how reconnecting people with nature could impact the “bullshit jobs” phenomenon.

Jess Scully, deputy lord mayor of Sydney, Australia, and author of the new book “Glimpses of Utopia: Real Ideas for a Fairer World,” speaks with us about bringing indigenous knowledge into modern society, how increased citizen participation in politics could transform government policy, and why caring and creating are the economy’s most future-proof skill sets.

Poet and essayist Elisa Gabbert, author of the new book “The Unreality of Memory: And Other Essays,” talks with us about why the 24-hour news cycle fuels a demand for disasters, how false memories are created, and the emotional difficulty of responding to big, invisible threats like the climate crisis.

Ben Adida, executive director of the nonprofit Voting Works, discusses how to build more resilient voting systems, the reason for paper ballots, and why the best response to digital warfare is a slower, more considered approach to consuming information.