UC Santa Cruz is hosting a week-long summer institute with Right Livelihood Award laureate Nicanor Perlas, who received the "alternative Nobel" in 2003 for his work opposing corporate globalization.
The public is invited to attend the institute with Perlas, an author and activist who will lead a five-day discussion focused on "Humanizing Artificial Intelligence: Using Cultural Power Governance and Business to Address the Challenges of Our Time."
Perlas is a Philippines-based activist and a central voice on issues of globalization, sustainability, and participatory governance and direct democracy. His books include the international bestseller Shaping Globalization: Civil Society, Cultural Power and Threefolding, and Humanity's Last Stand: The Challenge of Artificial Intelligence, a Spiritual Scientific Response.
The gathering will take place July 8-12 on the UC Santa Cruz campus. The cost is $460 for students and community members, and $860 for researchers and faculty; limited scholarships are available. Room and board is additional, and commuter tickets are available for those who do not need on-campus housing. The deadline for registration is May 28.
Perlas will also be on campus June 6 for a free public talk on the same topic of humanizing artificial intelligence. That event, cosponsored by the Kresge Common Ground Center and moderated by Sikina Jinnah, professor of politics, begins at 7 p.m. in the Kresge College Seminar Room. Advance registration is requested.
Right Livelihood Awards are presented annually by the Right Livelihood Foundation to "courageous people and organizations that have found practical solutions to the root causes of global problems." As the Right Livelihood College of North America, UC Santa Cruz is introducing programming to enhance engagement with laureates and provide opportunities for collaboration. In addition to the first-ever summer institute, the campus is hosting spring "conversations that matter" with laureates. These 90-minute interactions feature Zoom conversations with laureates around the world and callers who gather on campus at the Santa Cruz Institute for Social Transformation, or dial in remotely. UCSC faculty host these events. Upcoming opportunities include:
- May 16: Laureate Manfred Max-Neef, a Chilean economist and author of From the Outside Looking In: Experiences in Barefoot Economics, who specializes in development alternatives; hosted by Chris Benner, professor of sociology and environmental studies and director of the Santa Cruz Institute for Social Transformation.
- May 23: Laureate Chico Whitaker Ferreira, a Brazilian pro-democracy activist and co-founder of the World Social Forum; hosted by Matthew Sparke, professor of politics.
These conversations will continue next year, as the Right Livelihood Foundation celebrates its 40th anniversary.
