Esra Akcan on Architecture, Justice, and the Gaza Conflict

Amid student protests advocating for Palestine, Esra Akcan, a professor at Cornell University, is finalizing her book titled 'Right-to-Heal: Architecture in Transitions After Conflicts and Disasters.' She emphasizes the importance of Critically Now!, a faculty-driven initiative established in spring 2017 within the architecture department, which tackles topics such as the US travel ban and the erosion of civil rights. This initiative aligns with the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 1968 student movements. In her seminar 'Justice : History : Architecture,' Akcan explores diverse concepts of justice, including discussions on forced migration linked to the Ottoman Empire's collapse, citing the 1923 League of Nations Population Exchange and the 1947 UN Partition Plan for Palestine, which resulted in the displacement of over seven million individuals. She also introduces the concept of 'resettler nationalism' and investigates post-apartheid peace-building efforts.