September 7, 2021

W.I.L.D. Presents Lead with Light on September 9

LEAD WITH LIGHT:
Responding to Communities in Need

Is light a basic human right? How does access to artificial light impact a community? What responsibility does the architectural lighting industry have to help communities facing darkness?How can we use light to engage communities? Our four panelists will provide an overview of their initiatives and discuss confronting these questions to identify a community’s lighting needs. They’ll dive into the challenges of taking action to plan and build a project, discussing how to meet a community’s needs first, and still meet municipal codes, starting a project when there is no RFP, and planning a project without available electricity.

Join us to learn how to Lead with Light and support Light for Lebanon.

PANEL:
Francesca Bastianini (Principal, Sighte Studio)
Manal Kahale (Founder, Light for Lebanon)
Leela Shanker (Founder, Flint Collective NYC and Lighting Designer, Borealis Lighting Studio)
Nathalie Rozot (Founder, Phoscope, Light Reach)

MODERATOR:
Sam Koerbel (Founder, Lytei)

WHO IS LIGHT REACH?
Light Reach is a global multi-program solar lighting initiative by lighting think-tank PhoScope designed to leapfrog over utility grids to fight light poverty and use light to boost the social, cultural, and economic well-being of underserved communities worldwide. Light Reach Programs use a sustainable and educational project model to bring light for work and play for all ages, and share knowledge about light for practical and artistic applications indoors and outdoors.

WHAT IS LIGHT FOR LEBANON?
On August 4, 2020, the largest non-nuclear explosion in history tore through Beirut, destroying homes, businesses and entire neighborhoods in this beautiful metropolis. The blast killed over 180 people, injured 7,500 and left 300,000 homeless. An already shaky power grid sustained significant damage plunging large swaths of the city into darkness after sunset. Now the power is back where the electrical lines are working, but there is still a huge gap between supply and demand. An informal and highly profitable diesel-generator network takes over during the daily blackouts, but many cannot afford to plug in and therefore do not have enough light for their daily tasks, safety and well-being.

Light Reach’s solar lighting model immediately and sustainably alleviates light poverty both indoors and outdoors. As intractable as the current situation appears, it also presents an opportunity to build back better. Lebanon burns imported fuel (mostly highly polluting diesel) to generate electricity — through Light for Lebanon we have a better way to quickly and sustainably re-illuminate Beirut. We are also distributing portable lights to the deaf and hard of hearing, who suffer doubly because they cannot communicate in the dark.