Intervention Overview

Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies (HumanDHS) is primarily grounded in academic work. However, we wish to bring academic work into "real life." We therefore welcome both, like-minded academicians and practitioners into our network. Our research focuses on topics such as dignity (with humiliation as its violation), or, more precisely, on respect for equal dignity for all human beings in the world. This is not only our research topic, but also our core value, in line with Article 1 of the Human Rights Declaration that states that every human being is born with equal dignity (that ought not be humiliated). We agree with Professor Shibley Telhami, who advocates the building of bridges from academia as follows, "I have always believed that good scholarship can be relevant and consequential for public policy. It is possible to affect public policy without being an advocate; to be passionate about peace without losing analytical rigor; to be moved by what is just while conceding that no one has a monopoly on justice."

Apartheid as a legal institution has been dismantled in South Africa, however, humiliating structures still are widespread, everywhere around the world, globally and locally, at macro and micro levels, as part of societal institutions, public politicies, cultural practices, social relations, and psychological scripts. This needs to be addressed. We, HumanDHS, as a global network of academics and practitioners, wish to do that. The HumanDHS Intervention Agenda is designed to serve as a platform for interested people to develop projects that translate the vision of a more dignified world into action.

You are warmly invited to become a Coordinator/Director for one of our various Intervention ideas, and/or develop your own ideas (please note that our HumanDHS definition of a coordinator is different as compared to mainstream definitions - please read more here).

How can you do this in practice? Please see, for example, our Dignity Beyond the Human World project directed by Arran Stibbe. Arran made a mirror page from which he develops his project. The HumanDHS network as a whole, including its Intervention Agenda could be seen as a tree that nurtures many branches. The aim is that many people use our Intervention Agenda as a starting point for such projects, making their mirror pages (through WordPress, for example), so that our network nurtures concrete projects!

In other words, we wish to combine our over-arching network character with concrete sub-projects. As a global network, we do not engage in activities as an organization. Instead, we wish to develop our global network and website as a platform for opportunities for whoever resonates with our vision and desires to contribute to bringing it to life. In the spirit of this vision, we hope to nurture an organic growth of our intervention activities, by inspiring the creativity, passion, and dedication of our members. Please read our call for creativity and read more about the rationale behind our intervention agenda.

The broader aim of HumanDHS intervention projects is to increase awareness of the traps of humiliation and how to avoid and prevent them in civil society, the corporate sector, and governments. Not only academicians are invited to contribute. Practitioners are welcome as much, to devise projects that address effects of humiliation. Also the corporate sector is invited to contribute. Business activities may be attached to the academic program so as to feed back into research and education, see for example our World Clothes for Equal Dignty project. The aim is to forge a network that knits together academia and practice in ways that prevent and heal humiliation and instead promote equal dignity.

The final aim of the HumanDHS intervention activities is to promote the use of appreciative and affirming approaches in interpersonal, intergroup and international relations so as to promote an increased sense of shared humanity, global community, and joint global responsibility.

Please note: The views expressed on this website, as in any of the HumanDHS publications, do not represent any official HumanDHS position. All HumanDHS publications present the views and research findings of the individual authors, with the aim of promoting the development of ideas and discussion about major concerns of human dignity and humiliation studies and related fields.

 

Projects Addressing Broad Concepts

A Moratorium on Humiliation
In order to promote the HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, HumanDHS wishes to promote a Moratorium on Humiliation, both locally and globally.

Human Security and Equal Dignity
The notion and concept of security is central to the way governments plan their policies. Traditionally, security is being approached from the angle of military strength or policing capabilities. However, the more the state-of-the-world is characterized by global interdependence, it is not so much military strength that counts anymore, but the willingness to cooperate, not just by states, but also by ordinary people. Thus, the HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, is intimately linked, both locally and globally, with the notion of human security.

Human Rights and Equal Dignity
The HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, is identical with the central human rights message. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 states that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights."

Public Policy for Equal Dignity
In order to promote the HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, public policy planning is central, both locally and globally.

Millennium Goals, Fair Trade, and Equal Dignity
Ten million children under the age of five die each year, the majority from preventable diseases and malnutrition. An estimated 1.2 billion people worldwide survive on less than $1 per day.
When we speak of equal dignity for all, we do not insinuate that the solution for world poverty would be to somehow, by ways of charity, elevate everybody to the level of the wealthy of this world (not to forget, in many of its current expressions, today's wealth is environmentally unsustainable anyhow, even for the wealthy). Neither would it be a solution to make everybody equally poor. The goal cannot be to make everybody the same.
The point is not the absence or presence of sameness or equality, but the absence or presence of ranking human worthiness. The problem arises when some people are regarded and treated as inherently higher beings and others as inherently lesser beings. What is obscene, in a world that believes in the human rights ideals of equal dignity, is such ranking, not difference and diversity. Diversity and difference can, without a problem, go together with sameness of value and worthiness; there is no automatism that necessarily links diversity and difference to rankings. More even, sameness of worthiness is the only constructive context, within which difference can serve as diversity that enriches everybody.
Thus, one might conclude that there is no need to attend to world poverty: we can solve the situation by merely regarding poverty as an expression of diversity and treat the poor as human beings with equal dignity.
Clearly, the last part of the previous sentence exposes that we cannot disengage from the problem of poverty that easily. Because, what does it mean to "treat the poor as human beings with equal dignity"? Does it not mean to not exploit them, does it not mean to provide them, if not with "sameness" or "equality," so at least with equal chances? Indeed, as soon as human rights are defined in this way, when "equal chances and enabling environments for all" are on the table, Lévinasian "caring for the other" is also on the table. Yet, again, it is not sameness that is called for, but enabling environments for all.

World Law for Equal Dignity
As to global law, we might describe the current situation as follows (Lindner, 2004): At the beginning of industrialization we had entrepreneurs living in luxury and workers suffer abominable conditions. Entrepreneurs' wives often engaged in charity. Those wives placed small plasters on the large wounds their husbands had inflicted. At the national level, this situation has improved in many parts of the world. In a number of countries, superordinate structures of national laws and institutions offer living conditions to all citizens which are considerably more dignified in their setup than during earlier periods of industrialization. However, at the global level, superordinate structures of global laws and institutions are still wanting. More so, it is not only the global economic order that is as of yet in need of fair and dignified development, we furthermore have not yet created the police force at the global level that we consider to be normal at the national level.

A Decent Global Society
Avishai Margalit wrote the book The Decent Society (1996), in which he calls for institutions that do not anymore humiliate citizens. He states that it is not sufficient to merely aspire to building just societies, decent societies should be implemented that do not entail humiliation. Humiliating living conditions are not only unjust; they are also obscene. Decency reigns when humiliation is being minimized, humiliation in relationships, but particularly humiliation inflicted by institutions. Decency reigns when dignity for all is made possible. Decency calls for a joint effort to attain the goals of the United Nations Millennium Declaration of September 2000.

World Democracy for Equal Dignity
In his March 2005 proposals for action, General-Secretary Kofi Annan, calls for "A Democracy Fund should be created at the UN to provide assistance to countries seeking to establish or strengthen their democracy."

Global Ethics for Equal Dignity
Global ethical norms are "not utopian. They are a realistic vision of hope," according to Hans Küng (2004). They play themselves out as injunctions and commitments, whereof the last goes as follows: "Not to abuse sexuality, cheat, humiliate or dishonor, but to commit to a culture of partnership and equal dignity for men and women" (italics added).

Diversity Within Unity
HumanDHS wishes to promote global brainstorming on how we can design a new global culture. We suggest we need a new global culture that includes all useful and functional aspects of traditional cultural practices from all cultural realms on the globe, be it Japanese or Egyptian or Chinese or French cultural practices, many of which are currently choked by Western uniformity. We recommend, however, that we do not include those cultural practices that have damaging effects, resembling bygone Chinese foot binding. And it would furthermore be advisable, we believe, to refrain from including differences that are so irreconcilable that that they split the common ground that humankind needs in order to coexist on planet Earth. We commend using human rights as sifting tool to decide how to make these choices.

From Social Exclusion to Equal Dignity
Ruth Lister writes (2004): "People living in poverty and their organisations should be empowered by involving them fully in the setting of targets, and in the design, implementation, monitoring and assessment of national strategies and programmes for poverty eradication and community-based development, and ensuring that such programmes reflect their priorities."

World Religions for Equal Dignity
Hopefull realist Hans Küng points pathway to global ethics (2004): "All of the world's main creeds sanction the humane treatment of each person and the observance of the Golden Rule. From these two principles stem core standards and values, which, if followed, will deliver the peace and justice the world dreams of and avoid the clash of civilizations that thinkers less optimistic than Küng have predicted.

World Leadership for Equal Dignity
In order to promote the HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, new forms of leadership have to be developed, both locally and globally.

World Business for Equal Dignity
In order to promote the HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, new forms of business have to be developed, both locally and globally.

Dignity Beyond the Human World
Arran Stibbe writes (2004), "the framework of dignity and humiliation could be usefully applied to any situation where humans are basing their self-worth on subjugating another, whoever or whatever that other may be. Moving away from humiliation towards affirmation of dignity, in ever wider spheres, may provide the wellspring of healing for all concerned."

World Environment for Equal Dignity
Our World Environment for Equal Dignity (WEED) project aims at highlighting the point that environmental problems are deeply interlinked with social problems. We believe that what is needed, for the constructive maintenance of a dignified social and ecological environment of humankind, is a mindset of humility and not of humiliation.

World Health for Equal Dignity
Our World Health for Equal Dignity (WHED) aims at focusing on cultural habits that undermine dignity, even though we might not always be aware of it. Please see some texts further down, that highlight different aspects of this issue. The notion of human rights and its ideal of equal dignity for all call for attention to the details of quality of life, of public and personal health, as a task within the quest for equal dignity for all.

World Gender Relations for Equal Dignity
In order to promote the HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, new forms of gender relations have to be developed, both locally and globally.

Relations with Young and Old for Equal Dignity
Relations between generations, particularly towards the young and the old, are core spheres for any society to show where it stands. These are spheres where humiliating indignities can be perpetrated - this is the worst case - or society can open up for the creativity that both, children and people of age, can contribute with when treated with dignity.

Children and Equal Dignity
The quality of relations between generations, particularly towards the young, shows where a society stands. How we treat our children decides in which world we will live tomorrow. Preventing children's humiliation is paramount for a decent society (Avishai Margalit, 1996, The Decent Society, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press).

Dignity for Persons with Disabilities
Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities
General Assembly resolution 56/168 of 19 December 2001 established an Ad Hoc Committee "to consider proposals for a comprehensive and integral international convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, based on the holistic approach in the work done in the fields of social development, human rights and non-discrimination and taking into account the recommendations of the Commission on Human Rights and the Commission for Social Development." [...]

 

Conceptualization of Humility and Dignity

The Concept of Humiliation and Equal Dignity
In Lindner's work, humiliation is a concept that is changing in the course of human history. Please see here Lindner's work.
Please read Neil Altman's text Humiliation, Retaliation, and Violence, in Tikkun Magazine, January/February 2004.

Global Identity and Equal Dignity
Arne Næss, in our annual meeting in 2003, in Paris, emphasized his stance that all human beings, without any exception, first and foremost are human beings. He explained, how he used to invite people from prison into class, so as to demonstrate to his students that "there are no muderers" - rather, "these are human beings, who have murdered."
Arie Nadler and Lindner are entertaining a discussion on identity, or, more precisely, on which kinds of personal and group identities would be beneficial if we envisage building a future peaceful world, and which kinds of identities might be practicable. Lindner's metaphor of her personal idenity is the sunflower. At the core she sees her identity as a fellow human being, this is of primary importance to her, while the petals represent diversity, i.e. her idiosyncratic differences from others, her cultural and personal connections around the world and to her past.

Equal Dignity and Purity for All
Ohta Kyoji, Chief Curator of the Human Rights Museum in Osaka, Japan, in a personal conversation with Lindner (7th February 2005), highlighted how the idea of impurity and pollution is often linked to discrimination. In many parts of the world, people who are doing "cleaning" work, even if it is "spiritual cleaning" (certain types of entertainment), are perceived as being "polluted" by the "dirt" they clean away and they are then excluded from society.
Mary Douglas addresses these topics in her work, among others in Purity and Danger (1966, see an interesting summary at http://www.bytrent.demon.co.uk/douglas00.html, see an overview also further down).
Lindner got acquainted with this phenomenon in many places, in Cairo with the zabalin (see e.g. Unni Wikan's work on the Life Among the Poor in Cairo, Tavistock, 1980), or in Somalia with the so-called minorities (see further down), and, in 2004/5, in Japan, with the buraku.

Creativity Through Equal Dignity
People often ask whether it is "useful" to engage in a vision of equal dignity for all. Our response is that indeed, it is "useful." People who feel respected, who feel that they are treated in a dignified way, in a way that reflects a vision of equal dignity for all, feel more inclined to cooperate and unfold and offer their creativity in a cooperative spirit. People who feel humiliated are not motivated to cooperate with the humiliator. Under pressure, they will only offer a "minimum." Thus, in the case of a school or company, or any other social context, it is not "useful" to engage in humiliating pupils, or employees, or fellow human beings. Humiliated people might ponder as to how to invest their creativity in opposing the humiliator, rather than cooperating with him or her.

 

Projects Addressing Special Areas

World Art for Equal Dignity
In order to promote the HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, art may contribute, locally and globally.

Performing Arts for Equal Dignity
In order to promote the HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, the performing arts may contribute, locally and globally.

World Clothes for Equal Dignity
Starting about 30 years ago, Evelin Lindner has developed a collection of clothes that combine materials and styles from different cultures in an original way, thus embodying cross-cultural fertilization. It is envisaged to give away these clothes for donations together with electronic information material about cases where humiliation has been diminished successfully and with respect. The donations would be fed into the activities of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies, particularly into research (such as the funding of scholarships for doctoral students).

World Architecture for Equal Dignity
Our World Architecture for Equal Dignity-WAED project is part of our quest for crossing boundaries between different disciplines. Our ultimate goal is to build bridges between architecture, psychology, and social and behavioral sciences within the framework of equal dignity and humiliation studies. To reach this goal, we envision a number of objectives and supporting activities to take place over the next three years. The activities will be planned to involve scholars representing different specialties and cultural backgrounds.

World Furniture for Equal Dignity
Evelin Lindner has developed ideas for furniture that draw upon the traditions from several cultures. Particularly her office furniture combines information technology with the message of human dignity. The donations given for this furniture would be fed into the activities of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies.

World Design for Equal Dignity
This project aims at stimulating the discussion around diversity versus uniformity. Questions may be asked such as: How can we better honour and respect the dignity of individuals? Perhaps by nurturing their talents, perhaps by helping them unfold their potential, for example in the field of design?

World Literature for Equal Dignity
In our Literature for Equal Dignity project, we would like to show how a writer, for example Ada Aharoni, may use literature to work for a world of more dignity and decency.

World Music for Equal Dignity
Our World Music for Equal Dignity project is part of our quest to build bridges from social science to other areas of life. When we look around today, many listen to more or less the same music, mostly originating in the West. We, the HumanDHS group, believe that diverse cultural traditions should receive more respect and attention, which, in the case of music, means that the diverse cultural heritage in music that we find around the world should be valued more and made more visible in day-to-day life.
Nadja Räss, with her colleagues, has embarked on a "Stimmreise," a journey of voice with voice. She has studied traditional music, "Jodeln," in Switzerland, and she presents this repertoire in innovative and authentic ways. She also connects this heritage with voice traditions in other parts of the world, for example, the use of voice in Lappland. Please see here some pictures from her performance at the 2006 SBAP Award for Applied Psychology.

World Films for Equal Dignity
Professor Dharm Bhawuk describes the World Films for Equal Dignity project as follows: We start sharing the story of films, and how humiliation is depicted in the films we have collected, and how the characters deal with it, or live with it. From a research perspective, we explore what topics are covered in the films in a particularly country and why, and then we examine international similarities and differences. We follow the "emic + etic" approach that cross-cultural psychologists recommend. The "emic" refers to the culture-specific aspects, and the within country analysis could highlight it. The "etic" refers to the culture-general or universal concepts, and the analysis of the films between or across countries helps us identify common themes. Based on the findings, we envisage developing an intervention strategy. We plan to write in popular press complementing the film makers, and thus encouraging others to fund such films in future.

World Theatre for Equal Dignity
In our World Theatre for Equal Dignity project, we would like to show how a play may promote a world of more dignity and decency.

World Journalism for Equal Dignity
A panel on Peace Journalism, at an International Communication Association Conference (ICA) conference in NY (May 26, 2005) brought together members of a 3-year, multinational project focused on developing and disseminating research, educational materials, and pedagogic strategies to facilitate and expedite the systematic integration of peace journalism education into university curricula. Panelists are members of a group of international scholars engaged in interdisciplinary, intercultural research to explore and encourage a mass media(ted) global dialogue for peace. Grounded in theoretical understandings of the constitutive power of media and in wide-ranging empirical study of mass media content, practices, and effects, these scholars advocate a move toward a "peace journalism" that advantages reconciliation and transformation over conflict and peace over war.

Our World Language for Equal Dignity
Our World Language for Equal Dignity (WLED) project aims at focusing on linguistic habits that can help (or undermine) dignity, even though we might not always be aware of it. Please see some texts further down that highlight different aspects of this issue. The notion of human rights and its ideal of equal dignity for all call for attention to the details of the language we use, as a task within the quest for equal dignity for all.

Cross-Cultural Linguistics for Equal Dignity
In our Cross-Cultural Linguistics for Equal Dignity (CCLEQ) project, please see Thomas Clough Daffern's work in cross-cultural linguistics, which was first published in the Muses Journal, Issue 6, 1999, and is also Appendix 5 in Thomas Daffern's PhD thesis.

Communication Skills for Equal Dignity
Dennis Rivers writes (August 1, 2005): The challenge is to coach adults to develop resilience to humiliation and a wide repertoire of dignity-granting skills and awarenesses in everyday interaction. Perhaps the most famous example in recent centuries of the refusal to allow oneself to be humiliated is the case of the Polish Franciscan Maximilian Kolbe, who maintained his spiritual dignity in the face of extreme attempts to humiliate him as a prisoner at Auschwitz, ending with his death. Now that "appreciative inquiry" is coming into full view as a methodological frame of reference, it would be great to see a book on "twenty cases of dignity and resilience in the face of extreme attempts to humiliate." (Now that I am thinking about it, I realize that appreciative inquiry, before it even had a name, was at the heart of Abraham Maslow's study of self-actualizing people.)

Education and Equal Dignity
Thomas Clough Daffern writes (June 7, 2005): I would like to propose a sub-group to look at cases of humiliation in education, including higher education – when so much is at stake – in peoples academic careers etc. – humiliation is often, it seems to me, used as a weapon of power in academic work and academic relations.

World Soap for Equal Dignity
Our World Soap for Equal Dignity project is part of our quest to build bridges from social science to other areas of life. Jan Smedslund (in a personal conversation with Lindner, October 2004) suggests that one of the primary strategies to spread the message of equal dignity (that ought not be humiliated) would be to develop and broadcast, on radion and televion, "soap operas" that have an educational mission. This approach has been used already, for example with the aim to raise awareness as to HIV/Aids (personal conversation with Reidar Ommundsen, October 2004).

World Games for Equal Dignity
Our World Games for Equal Dignity project is part of our quest to build bridges from social science to other areas of life. Why should games only celebrate violence? Why not dignity and love? Veteran Designer Peter Molyneux has said that he wants to put love into his next game, Fable 2.

World Relationships for Equal Dignity
In order to promote the HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, we have to build new kinds of relationships, locally and globally.

World Dialogue for Equal Dignity
In order to promote the HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, we have to work for dialogue, locally and globally.

World Apology for Equal Dignity
Several years ago Floyd Webster Rudmin had the idea to launch "The Apologies Project." The idea was for non-state groups (e.g., local or national peace organizations, churches, sub-national governments such as town, city, or county, school classes, from primary schools to gymnasia to universities) to apologize for an historic abuse. This would entail researching an event in which their national or ethnic group did some harm to another identifiable group, then conceiving of a way to express apology for that event, and then publicizing that this research and apology have been done.

Stop Hazing and Bullying
In order to promote the HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, we have to build new kinds of relationships, free from hazing an bullying, locally and globally.

Stop Abuse
In order to promote the HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, we have to build new kinds of relationships, free from abuse, locally and globally.

Prevent Suicide by Extending Equal Dignity to All
People who think of suicide, often suffer pain that stems from feeling deeply humiliated, dehumanized, neglected and left alone. Kenneth Hemmerick developed A Guide in Human Awareness that offers many helpful thoughts. The world can change when what Kenneth calls "proactive kindness" is applied, both by society at large and by the victim. Often victims are not aware of the power and resources they have and to what extent they indeed are in a position to contribute to changing the world.

World Therapy for Equal Dignity
Our Therapy for Equal Dignity (WTED) project wishes to highlight the notion of dignity in therapeutical approaches. We believe that therapy ought to contribute to the aim to build a world of equal dignity for all. In former times, therapy often entailed elements of humiliation so as to "teach lessons." We believe that these times are bygone time.

 

Targeted Projects

United Nations
Our aim is to invite UN critics into the notion that we have but One Planet and that we inhabit it together. We would like to invite critics into the concept of joint responsibility, away from deepening divides that might cost us our survival in times when only global cooperation can address the global problems that we have. We believe that the fact that we do not yet have a good "police" in the global village and that global laws are wanting, does not mean that we should not work for them, jointly, all together. What is insufficient, instead of being decried in ways that divide us, ought to be made sufficient, jointly.

World University for Equal Dignity
Global interdependence forces humankind to face its global challenges, both ecological and social, as a shared responsibility that has to be shouldered jointly. The consequences of global interdependence will punish all, if we try to preserve a conceptualization of the world as entailing independent national entities that can survive as isolated "islands."
Our aim is therefore to invite academics around the world into the notion that academics around the world carry a joint responsibility to lead the world away from deepening divides that might cost us our survival in times when only global cooperation can address the global problems that we have.
Why is there not a World University dedicated to the human rights ideal that all humans deserve to live dignified lives? Such a World University should exist, and, ideally, connect all national universities. Academic freedom ought to be exercised globally and not harnessed into national interests.

Japan for Equal Dignity
HumanDHS would like to warmly thank Neil Walsh for accepting our invitation to co-operate on this Japan for Equal Dignity project. This joint project explores how the concepts of dignity and humiliation can be given life in and by Japan. Comments and articles of any length are welcome welcome. Any work should be submitted to Neil Walsh at wakanyc@yahoo.com for consideration.

Elites for Equal Dignity
Our focus is to reach the powerful, the elites, engage them, and build cooperation - instead of confrontation - following the example of Mandela. We have several routes in mind, firstly, we want to change elite behavior through strengthening public opinion, which then may guide elites into new social contracts, which have respect for equal dignity at their core. Events such as Ukraine's orange revolution in 2005 should no longer be necessary (see also our big events project). Secondly, I think, we should try to reach elites themselves more directly (like David Hamburg did).

Dialogue Houses for Equal Dignity
The idea of building Dialogue Houses around the world (and begin with one pilot project) was born in 1997. Håkon Gunderson, together with the then Egyptian Ambassador to Norway, Dr. Hefny Madgy, and Evelin Lindner, developed and created "Global Forum" in Norway, a non-profit organization with the vision to provide conflict parties with facilities for the three-dimensional simulation of alternative futures.

Office Cockpit - Working with Dignity
Currently, many are glued to their chairs in front of their desks for hours, clutching their computer mouse, rigidifying their bodies, and acquiring back pain. An architect from an Arab country recently said: "With the chair, we also acquired back pain." This ought to be changed. Merely introducing "ergonomic chairs" is not sufficient. The basic pattern has to be humanized. No longer should the desk with its mounted computer be primary and the human body secondary. The human body has to be at the center of attention, while the machines have to be brought to the body and adapted to the body, not vice versa.
The Office Cockpit project attempts to dignify work and create a more functional solution, a solution that then could also be emulated by developing countries: the West ought to do more than bringing back pain as price for development. (Study: Sitting Up Straight Hurts Your Back)
Similar to our World Clothes for Equal Dignity project, also the Office Cockpit project has the aim to provide funding for our research. Part of the profit is designed to finance scholarships for doctoral research that study the concept of dignity, and probe how a world can be built that entails less disrespect and humiliation.

Potamis Publishing House
Ragnhild Nilsen Grødal is the founder of the publishing house Potamis (founded in 2004) together with Anne Katrine Hagelund. Potamis envisages to provide a customized and flexible publishing platform to authors giving lectures and courses around the world on topics related to quality of life. Potamis wishes to concentrate on publications that are connected to lectures and presentations that combine an academic structure with a touch of innovative creativity and inspirational magic.
Writers from around the world who wish to seriously contribute are invited to submit their work. Please contact: potamis@potamis.no

Family and Community for Equal Dignity
In order to promote the HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, we have to build new kinds of cohesion in families and communities, locally and globally.

Microfinancing Projects
Norwegian initiatives by Ragnhild Grødal for alleviating humiliating living conditions around the world have been met with great admiration by Evelin Lindner since many years. Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies would be glad to host some of these activities.

Parents and Equal Dignity
During the summer class of 2003, students worked on gender relations and how humiliation hampering them could be diminished. Students developed a number of ideas. Jennifer Kathleen Vakiener developed the idea of a Parents Union that would introduce changes in society that would make it possible for parents to combine child rearing and career, thus leveling the field between men and women and finally arriving at more women being able to take up influential positions in society.

Child Soldiers Worldwide
Alyi Patrick Lalur, Director and Coordinator, explains (13th June 2005): Many of the people I talked to suggested that we could name the page "child soldiers worldwide" with the aim of promoting the physical and psychological protection of child soldiers worldwide. Their concerns are that at present International laws do not adequately protect the psychological wellbeing of child soldiers during reintegration and demobilisation. Besides after reintegration litle attention is paid to the child soldiers when in the community.

Non-Arrogant Elite Women Network
"Men marry down and women marry up," this is a well-known saying that is supported by statistics. In other words, the more education, experience, and status women acquire, the more they lose their "value" as eligible partners. In 1999 Lindner developed the idea of a Non-arrogant Elite Women Network to address the problems that arise in this situation.

Professors without Borders
Victoria Firmo-Fontan and Marijke Keet are starting a program for young academics, tenured academics and graduate students, to share their knowledge and training with post-conflict and developing societies: global education for human dignity!

Jersualem Peace Capital of the World
Varda Mühlbauer, her husband Arik and Evelin were wandering through Jerusalem in March 2004 and Varda said that we should have one of our future annual meetings for our HumanDHS group/network at some point in Jerusalem, the Peace Capital of the World.
Is not this a wonderful image, Jerusalem, the Peace Capital of the World! We all know that reality currently is flying in the face of this dream, however, hope needs dreams, and without dreams we have no direction for action. So, why not promote the idea of Jerusalem, the Peace Capital of the World against all odds!
Dov Greenstone kindly explained:
"Regarding Jerusalem, city of peace, the original name for Jerusalem was Shalem, meaning peace. See Genesis 14-18. Yru in early Hebrew/Chaldean means "city". Thus Yru-Shalem or Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), city of peace. There are also other sources in the Prophets."

Big Events for Equal Dignity
9/11/2001 has become a code for a water-shed. It was an event that moved the world. And it was a terrible event. Let us now ask: Is it possible to create events that have as much impact as 9/11, only that they build up our hopes, instead of destroying them? Please have a look at the Global Responsibility Festival "Hamburger Ideenkette" that Lindner initiated and organized in 1993. Can we organize more such Big Events?

Declarations and Campaigns for Equal Dignity
Foot binding in China was practiced for 1000 years, and ended within ten years, through public declarations and campaigns. Female genital cutting in Senegal is in the process of ending in the same way (see Tostan). Social change can be affected by using public declarations and campaigns. Also a more dignified world can be built by using the same techniques.

Passages to Equal Dignity
Nora Femenia and Bill Leland design "rites of passage or transformation" to provide bridges of meaning.

Vegetarianism and Equal Dignity for All
Annette Exon kindly writes to us (3rd November 2005), expressing her view that eating meat represents a debasement and thus ought to be considered in our work.