Today we are covering something that many may feel does not relate directly to design, but design can learn lessons from the small and peaceful country of Costa Rica, a country in Central America, and the first in the world to abolish its standing army.
One person’s intention can change the way thousands of others live. In 1948, after just five weeks of civil war, the leader, Jose Figueres, announced, “'The Regular Army of Costa Rica today gives the key to its military base to the schools ... The Government hereby declares the National Army officially abolished.” As a result, the nation’s resources were transferred into more worthy causes; namely, the improvement of healthcare and education. The country’s military bases became schools. Figueres also banned the Communist Party, gave women the right to vote, granted black immigrants full citizenship, and established a presidential term limit. Figueres nationalized the banks in order to promote economic diversity and eliminate coffee grower's control over the banking system. For decades, the elite coffee growers had dominated Costa Rican society and economy. Figueres also created The Supreme Electoral Tribunal.
Today Costa Rica has the highest standard of living in Central and South America. There is ‘cradle to the grave’ healthcare for all Costa Ricans, with special services for women, children and seniors. Costa Rica has the second highest literacy rate of 96%, in Latin and South America, and an average life expectancy of more than 75 years. Costa Rica has no enemies or terrorism, and the last elections saw a voter turnout of 90%, a lot more than what most countries can boast of.
Costa Rica’s neighbours are struggling with civil war, military repression and poverty. Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez, who was President of Costa Rica from 1986-1990, and 2006 to present, advocates education and vehemently believes too many countries sacrifice education to fund armies. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his work to establish peace and democracy in the region.
Costa Rica translates as ‘rich coast’, and the nation lives up to its name. It is near the top in the Human Developmental Index, the Environmental Performance Index, the Happy Planet Index, and is also the greenest country in the world. Former President Rodrigo Carazo Odio comments that, "Costa Ricans have cultivated a civilized spirit, a spirit opposed to militarization and violence. Armed with this spirit, the people are capable of seeking peaceful solutions to conflicts and respecting the rights of others." He states that this respect has survived and flourished because "education has fostered such an attitude and because in the absence of [military] weapons with which to impose an idea, the only weapon left is reason."
Why are we covering the country of Costa Rica today, on a site called ‘design is in’? Well, because in some ways the ‘design’ of countries, institutes, states and systems, are of prime importance. Innovation in leadership is the need of the hour. Creativity, change, and innovation is most needed in governance. Design is creating holistic solutions, not short term arrangements that create a new problem in place of the old one. Design is also about having the vision to take a bold step, even if it means doing something no one has done before, trading immediate economic gain, and power domination for more meaningful benefits, for countless future generations.
Hats off to you Costa Rica, hope there are more courageous enough to go your way.
By Armeen Kapadia
British firefighters sporting newly designed suits
Firefighters battle all kinds of circumstances, from extreme fire and flood to rescuing kittens from the drain. Since they are meant to protect civilians during disasters, how can they safeguard their own lives? The only savior is their uniform. The firefighters in Britain can be soon seen sporting a brand new uniform, which is much more efficient than the old one.
Firebuy Limited was established in 2006 to deliver English Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) procurement at a national level. It is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) and after the thorough evaluation of bids submitted by companies world-wide, Bristol Uniforms Ltd was selected as the service provider.
Although the design brief was clear, the design had to have a fine balance in function. These points influenced the design:
Protection (from heat and flame)
Lightweight (for carrying someone)
Supple (to move away from falling debris)
Trust (for the public to accept)
The end result had to find a fine balance between advanced technology and common sense. Two biggest challenges were to make the uniform efficient, and to make the firefighters more easily identifiable by the public. Another challenge was to coordinate the suit with the clothing worn beneath it.
For the first time women firefighters get to wear suits that are custom designed for them. As of now the suits come in 28 different sizes. Many a time, women firefighters were encouraged to discontinue from the service since the smallest of the gloves or footwear were too big and reduced their efficiency at work. Although women in service only account to just more than 3% of the total firefighters in Britain, the fact that a suit has been designed for pregnant firefighters, it is a major step in encouraging women to join the service.
Minority groups are also to benefit from the new design. Extras such as turbans and hijabs have been designed. In an official press release, Fire minister Sadiq Khan said: “The uniform now available shows that cultural beliefs are being recognized, as we seek to increase the representation of ethnic minorities within service.”
The challenge was also to bring in consistency of style. At present, firefighter uniforms vary across Britain. This adds to the confusion. The new design would create a national uniform of red and gray station clothing, and muted gold fire suits.
It is believed that firefighters spend only 10% of their time dealing with emergencies. The other 90% of the time they are gaining public trust. The new suit surely does help when dealing with emergencies, and with time it may also become a national identity that the public would be proud of.
The design, we feel, is the step towards addressing issues such as equality and diversity in work environments.
By Armeen Kapadia and Sanjay Basavaraju
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