What CRIN is reading: the stuck-at-home edition
[18 March 2020] With the spread of Covid-19 keeping many of us and our families at home for extended periods, we need distractions and entertainment, but which keep us thinking creatively and critically about the world. Below, we at CRIN decided to share some materials we’re currently reading, watching or listening to which are helping to take our mind off things, and we hope they’ll be useful to our readers too.
Sabine Saliba: Regional Advisor for the MENA region
I've been mainly trying to find articles on how the planet is taking a break thanks to our lockdown, including this one. I read (for the 3rd time at least), How Do You Raise A Feminist Daughter? by Chimamanda Adichie, it's a quick read and super refreshing.
Charlotte Cooper: Campaigns Coordinator
Thinking about how to look after ourselves in this time reminded me of something my friend shared with me called The Healthy Mind Platter. It’s a model for thinking about seven different kinds of things our minds need to be happy and healthy: focus time, connecting time, physical time, play time, “time in”, down time and sleep time. It’s going to be hard to get all of those things in our daily lives with the current restrictions, especially for those who are most affected, but I’m going to try, by calling friends for some connection time, doing some daily movement (there are loads of good at-home yoga videos on YouTube), finding time to be creative or silly, and reading and watching things I haven’t had time to for a while. I’ve just ordered The Muslims Are Coming! Islamophobia, Extremism, and the Domestic War on Terror by Arun Kundnani, which I’ve heard is one of the best books about the horrific impact of counter-terrorism policies.
Diana Gheorghiu: Legal and Policy Intern
One of the songs that I keep coming back to is Going Gets Tough by The Growlers. It has some of my favourite lyrics: “Man’s never alone / If he can offer help.” I love how the band took inspiration from some of their less fortunate experiences to create something positive and uplifting: “Between our house burning down and constantly being poor and living out of a suitcase on the road, the going gets tough, but we’re doing it for a reason. I set myself to do this goal, to make music and inspire people and keep them happy and keep doing it.” I’ve also been dipping into some of the ‘Histories of the Unexpected’ podcasts – they’re quirky and fun, but also informative and thought-provoking.
Isabelle Kolebinov: Geneva representative
An article in The Correspondent by Rutger Bregman ‘Don’t forget: disasters and crises bring out the best in people’. Such a positive article about the crisis that we are going through and on how it is bringing back solidarity and care for each other. Gives hope in humanity. To go deeper on this topic, a very timely read would also be Rebecca Solnit's book A Paradise Built in Hell. Article giving some advice on how to deal with being at home with your kids for a prolonged period and on how to deal with their/your anxiety: My Kids school is closed so now what? A comic exploring the new coronavirus for kids themselves and a zine version available here for printing.
Miriam Sugranyes: Art Director and Illustrator
Music by Ted Gioia: this is an amazing history and argues for the universality of music from all cultures and eras. Such a great toolkit on the power of music in many ways especially for these days. Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino: a story of a boy who gets angry and decides to go and live on top of a tree, changing the fundamentals and principles of how life is organised. He is on top of the tree and the tree is inevitably connected to the ground...Toolkit for kids: Oliver Jeffers is reading his children books on Instagram live videos everyday (short stories) - @oliverjeffers
Larisa Abrickaja: Regions Manager
Unlikely Friendships by Jennifer Holland. This book is a collection of stories about the most amazing friendships between different species of animals from around the world. It opens your eyes to how incredibly emotional and socially accepting animals are of one another in unforeseen circumstances. A bit of a lesson to us all, especially these days.
Leo Ratledge: Legal and Policy Director
To start with a book, I’ve been reading Guest House for Young Widows by Azadeh Moaveni. Built around the lives of girls and young women who joined ISIS, it takes a detailed and empathetic look at the experiences and decisions that led them to Syria and Iraq. The willingness to see people in all their complexity and to reject simplistic explanations is a refreshing approach in stark contrast to much contemporary media coverage on this issue. I’ve also loved the Catch and Kill podcast by Ronan Farrow. It takes an in-depth look at the story behind the investigative reporting into Harvey Weinstein and the people who protected him and silenced the women he abused. For music, there are no lessons to learn or connections to human rights on this one, but Suddenly, the latest album by Caribou, has been the soundtrack of my coronavirus induced isolation. It’s a short, sweet and varied mix of dance, electronica, rock and pop.
Lianne Minasian: Deputy to the Director
I think I’m going to use this period to read a book that I’ve had on my list for several months now - From What Is To What If - Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want by Rob Hopkins. I feel so strongly that now, perhaps more than ever, we need to think creatively about how we can live differently - in better harmony with nature and caring for our planet and fellow human beings. Reading about people who are thinking similarly and providing tangible solutions gets me inspired and motivated about a new future we can all work towards. Things can change for the better - we all have the capability of effecting change - we just need to believe in the power of imagination and collective action to help us get there.
Victor Sande-Aneiros: Writer and Editor
I’ll admit, I’ve mainly been reading the news these days, but there are some stories that stay with me because they were a delight to read. A 103-year-old woman in Wuhan, China recovered from covid-19, one of multiple centenarians to do so; and a 3D-printing company in Italy produced respirator valves for free for a hospital that had run out and the original supplier couldn’t make new valves quickly enough. I also came across this child-friendly booklet by a child psychologist about a virus that loves to travel...
Benedict Lombe: Communications Director
Watching The Good Place. Imagine you’re having a bad day. The world feels scary, sad, cruel. You hear a knock on your door. Reluctantly, you open it. It’s your zany best friend, who shows up (unannounced), barges in (uninvited), and takes you on a wild ride - one where you don’t know where you’ll end up, where nothing is as it seems, yet somehow you trust it’s a ride worth taking. The Good Place is such a show - depicting the complexities of humans with an arresting charm and humour. It’s a show I’m revisiting often in times like these because it doesn’t take itself too seriously whilst still presenting the resilience, strength and beauty in human nature. (Plus, you can watch it with friends from afar at the same time here).
Maria Than: Design and Outreach Officer
There is a super fun online sandbox tool which anyone can use and play with called Sandspiel Club. I’ve been obsessed with it for the past two weeks. You use your mouse to create different elements (stone, sand, water, oil, fire, plants, gas, dust, etc.) and each pixel interacts with another in the most fantastic way. Also for any people interested in creative tech or who want to learn how to create animations using coding, Tim Rodenbroeker has released a set of free online courses on creative coding, fantastic for any tech artists out there! Finally you can write any good ideas other people can do to pass time during this corona crisis on a beautiful website created by artist Rifke Sadleir called Excellent Quarantine Ideas.
Veronica Yates: Director
The wonderful Margaret Wheatley has written extensively about societal collapse and how we as humans can become courageous leaders in such times. I have read her book Who Do We Choose to Be; Facing reality, claiming leadership, restoring sanity several times and it now sits on my desk and I keep going back to it over and over - especially now when the idea of hiding indoors and ignoring the world outside can seem so enticing. As she says: “Facing reality is an empowering act - it can liberate our mind and heart to discern how best to use our power and influence in service of this time.”
I am also always inclined to turn to creative people to find inspiration and surprise. Even more so in these unsettling times when mainstream media mostly batters us with bad news and shines a light on the worst in people. Thankfully thousands of people around the world are countering that negativity through simple and creative acts of kindness and solidarity. I’m a big fan of It’s Nice That which this week is highlighting creative reactions to the current crisis, from messages of support to new funds helping those affected and projects to work on from home. In addition, the women’s rights organisation Equality Now, compiled a list of things to read, watch, and listen to to celebrate international women’s day and female artists.