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Nature/Nurture

Contributed by Neema Iyer

Thursday, 10 December, 2020
Nature/Nurture

Neema Iyer

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The coronavirus pandemic has created uncertainties across communities and presents us with questions of new ways of being and doing. Coupled with ongoing issues of social injustices, we may feel confused about how to navigate a rapidly changing world. I wanted to depict these feelings of loneliness and disconnection by juxtapositioning them against my growing connection to nature and outdoors, as I experienced during times of lockdown. To consider getting out of our echo chambers and looking at the world through different perspectives, while still being mindful of how the pandemic has accelerated the use and misuse of technology in our day-to-day lives, for epidemiological surveillance. But where do we draw the line between protecting the health of the public and rising intrusion by governments in our private lives. Overall, this piece encompasses the intricate relationships between our fundamental need for connection, our interdependence on nature and our growing dependence on technology, in a world in flux.

Neema Iyer

Neema Iyer is an artist and a technologist. She is the founder and director of Pollicy, a civic technology organization based in Kampala, Uganda. Pollicy uses data, design and technology to improve how citizens and government engage around public service delivery. She has a Masters in Public Health from Emory University and has worked on large-scale mobile and digital projects across Africa as part of TTC Mobile (previously Text to Change) and Viamo (previously VOTO Mobile). She currently leads the design of a number of projects focused on building data skills, on fostering conversations on data privacy and digital security, and on innovating around policy.

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