ALGERIAN NOSTALGIA

 For my independent study for the fall term I wanted to finish off this collection I have been working on with the help of the Rue Maghreb creative director Meriem, by getting all the products onto the new site. The process was not easy, but after a long year of hard work, it's paid off. The new collection will be out November 20th of 2020. This is how it went!

WORKING ON THE LOGO

Now, I would say the logo process was the hardest part of Rue Maghreb rebooting process. The first logo, which included the Maghreb door, was simple enough that anyone could recognize that it belonged to Rue Maghreb. I wanted to revamp the logo because I felt that I had rushed the first one, and I wasn't as content. I started off by doing some research on brands who are doing something similar to us. I referred to simple logo designs on Pinterest, and couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. I knew the main idea I wanted to get across was the way Rue Maghreb adds a twist to the traditional elements of the Maghreb region, and I wanted that factor to be recognized with the logo design.  I got opinions from many. My teacher who was working with me on my independent study last year, Meriem, and a couple of our brand ambassadors. While they did like the design, the main idea still wasn't getting across. Meriem and I ended up speaking with a couple of graphic designers, an stuck to KhadijahStudios who are located in Iraq. We had multiple meeting with them in which we were able to talk about the ideas we were trying to get across through one glance of the new logo. We wanted something catchy and professional. We wanted a new color palette that went along with the logo, while also incorporating these colors throughout our social media page. Khadijah was able to create a whole look for us, and a logo! After many meetings, this was the result! 

Rue Maghreb Logo. 2020. Rue Maghreb

MAKING IT OFFICIAL!

Although Rue Maghreb had started off as an independent study project, I knew there was much more potential. I knew I didn't want to just carry this on for a couple years, and put an end to all this hard work. The community we have been able to grow in just one year is amazing! I knew the potential of this brand, and I don't just see a clothing brand anymore. As I mentioned in my previous AP, I would eventually like to turn Rue Maghreb into a foundation some day to help the Maghreb people find job opportunities, educate young girls, and create more possibilities for businesses to thrive in Maghreb countries. To head in that direction, earlier this year, we finally signed off Rue Maghreb as an LLC! The moment was so surreal, and we are currently in the process of transforming this LLC into a B-corp which would have Rue Maghreb send a certain percentage of profits to a charitable organization. 

ALGERIAN NOSTALGIA

While we did launch the brand reboot on our social media page over the summer, we now reach presenting the new collection. Algerian Nostalgia is an opportunity for us as creatives to allow our customers escape to a virtual reality back to Algeria. Through this clothing line, we have mixed traditional elements of Algerian/Amazigh culture to a version that fits the context of a world that is constantly evolving. The line does not only connect Algerians to their homeland, but allows for members of the community to educate themselves as they go through the website. The site will work as an immersive experience for anyone who is visiting us for the first time! We are excited to have this line up, along with the new site, on November 20th! Make sure to check out ruemaghreb.com to see the site for yourself this Friday! 

Rue Maghreb. 2020. Algerian Nostalgia

Rue Maghreb. 2020. Algerian Nostalgia

Rue Maghreb. 2020. Algerian Nostalgia

Rue Maghreb. 2020. Algerian Nostalgia

Getting Diplomatic About Doughnut Economics

For our final unit of the fall term, Econ:Risking Value, we dove into the book Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth which takes a look into social/environmental economics. Her approach features the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and how the state of our economy is not combating these issues effectively. While some of her issues seem controversial, like no longer using GDP as a form of measuring a nation's economic growth, Raworth brings issues to the table that are worth considering as we approach the twenty-first century. The doughnut concept she developed touches societal conflicts from climate change to peace and justice which while it may seem abstract, make a huge impact on our economy as we know it. While going through the chapters in class and holding discussions of our interpretations, we were asked to conceptualize the eighth chapter of Doughnut Economics as if the book had continued. I decided to take a deeper look into diplomacy and the impacts that foreign economic deals can make on environmental/humanitarian issues we face as a society today. Take a look at my economic perspective of Doughnut Economics!

Diplomacy and Economics. NBE. 2020

My description of chapter eight

Let’s talk about globalization. Globalization affects the way our(referring to ‘our world’) nations work with one another. It’s worth noting that in a world of free trade, the thought of the accumulation of fossil fuels is out the window. This is the case because of the freedom to import and export almost anything on the market. Free trade, that is international commerce without tariffs or restrictions for other nations, can play a key role for nationalism for other countries to rely on one another for foreign goods. These free trade agreements can also help the diplomatic state of how countries work with one another to solve other issues that involve the UN, like humanitarian issues. With the international exchange being open, there is an increase in the use of transportation. While benefiting our economy, this puts a setback on ending global warming. We also have to consider the fact that economic agreements can go into effect with other countries in order to either slow down the use of fossil fuels or limit the use of tariffs. These economic agreements can either be a benefit or detriment to our environmental and humanitarian problems that we deal with today. Even environmental agreements like the Paris Climate Agreement puts a huge risk on the state of the economy in which it limits the use of transportation abroad. We can look into how protectionism, the promotion of domestic producers and products in a domestic market, can put a positive effect on the environment while also causing harm for foreigners when wanting to transport items abroad. It’s important to look into these agreements and foreign deals because they affect not only the way our nations choose to interact with one another, as allies or adversaries, but also makes us consider looking into the long term effects of our climate/social justice issues we are currently facing as a society.

Discussion 

Some nations have thought long and hard about the detrimental impacts that foreign trade agreements have on global climate change and social issues. For example, the United States working on an economic agreement with countries like Canada and Mexico called the “NAFTA agreement” which eliminates any trade restrictions or tariff blockades in order to establish free trade throughout North America. Trade restrictions do not include the risk of environmental restrictions. The Institute for Policy Studies stated, “NAFTA’s environmental protections should be strengthened if it is to serve as a model for future trade accords” which is entirely true. Let’s look into this a bit more.

If the current NAFTA agreement, for example, doesn’t address the environmental harm we are making along the way, our progression towards putting an end to global warming seems to only be taking a negative turn. It’s important to consider the stances of other nations on their environmental issues and how they make their nation’s economy function because getting them onto an agreement can only expand our economy’s growth in a way we haven’t seen before. Diplomacy and the state of the global economy go hand in hand.

Diplomatic relations hold potential for the power of international commerce. Globalization works in a way we have never seen it before. Kate Raworth mentions, “We need to move from economies that need to grow whether or not they make us thrive, to economies that make us thrive whether or not they grow.” If GDP hasn’t significantly changed for over the past decades, it may be due to tariff blockades that usually sprout out of the competitiveness of the market and end up taking a turn for countries not wanting to sign off on economic deals with their adversaries. The competitiveness that comes out of a buyer/seller market is the main reason some countries are in something called tariff wars.

When thinking about the influence that economic agreements have on future accords, it’s important to consider the context of the world we live in currently. ”Since 2000, 37 measures on biofuels have been notified by 20 WTO members in the context of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade,” according to the WTO. This data proves agreements countries make affect us in the long run. It’s not just a matter of nations, but the power the World Trade Organization holds when it comes to foreign trade.

These agreements of Tariffs and Trade are organized by the World Trade Organization. The WTO is in charge of holding a dispute settlement mechanism called the GATT. The way it works is one nation can file a dispute that they are facing with another country, the WTO approves it, and the nations are able to consult or come to an agreement that can make or break the economy of their country. The reason I bring this up is because this point of the GATT can not only influence diplomatic relations, but puts stress on issues like pollution, hunger, and business. While all the topics discussed in the book are completely relevant on the functionality of our economy in the future, it’s important that we focus on the main point which is coming together as a globe to make this change within one of the oldest systems, our economy. 

To conclude, I enjoyed getting Raworth's perspective of the potential our economy has. I was fortunate enough to take a summer course at the University of Chicago that dove into the topic of diplomacy and the way the world's economy functions, and I would say that sparked my interest in basing my project off this topic. It's pretty rare that people see the commonality in social issues today and how they effect our economic growth and potential, and I will say that Kate Raworth did a good job in pinpointing that issue. The book tapped on subjects I hadn't even thought of before, and motivated me on checking out work from other economists to get their perspective on how we can change our old concepts we hold for our economy. 

Citations:

1. Kate Raworth. “Want to Know How to Get beyond GDP? Start Here.” Kate Raworth, 19 May 2013, www.kateraworth.com/2012/07/01/want-to-know-how-to-get-beyond-gdp-start-here/. 

2.  “NAFTA and Environment.” Institute for Policy Studies, 7 May 2014, ips-dc.org/nafta_and_environment/.

3. “WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION.” WTO, www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/envir_e/envir_e.htm.

"I'm Rue Maghreb"

 For our final unit of Computer Science, we dove into using "if-statements" in python code. An If-statement can be used in the scenario of there being different answers a user could put in a code. We worked on our skills through trinket.io where we were able to work on some practice problems, and solve some "spot the error" python codes. As the world of AI software is constantly evolving and changing, we decided to take a look at some out there now. As we checked a "chatbot" out , it peaked out curiosity as coding students to create our own. For this AP, we were asked to design a chatbot that uses the concepts that we had discussed this entire term. I decided to develop a chatbot that works with my brand, Rue Maghreb, to educate others on the Maghreb region and its people. The bot can be a useful tool for my site that I am currently developing to be launched on November 20th! I am interested in using my coding on the welcome page to interact with my users as they enter a virtual reality of what it's like to live in the Maghreb! Check out my bot to learn more! 

Overall, I was content with the formatting of this AP. I thought it was much easier being able to recollect everything that we had learned throughout the term like using random functions, inequalities, Booleans, and more into a finished chatbot. I would say some concepts I struggled with a bit were the "El-if" statements due to formatting, including the random function. I wasn't so sure if the formatting was completely clear on the code, but the cool thing about trinket.io is that there is a sort of feedback provided if there is a wrong input! I ended up learning more from my mistakes at the end which made the rest of the code move a lot smoother. I am definitely going to use this chatbot for the introduction page of my new site on ruemaghreb,com! It's an effective chatbot that can create some form of connection with users.

The Meaning of Life in 1000 Words

For this unit, Photojournalism, we took a deep dive into the art of photography. Not just photography itself, but the way it's used to convey a message in journalism. We looked into different historical images that changed the way we as a society see the world today. From times of war to times of victory, photography has been a way for observers to visualize history in one simple picture. We also looked into the technical bits that goes into photography itself like aperture, focus, shutter speed, and the rule of thirds. For this AP, we were asked to sit down and simply have a conversation with someone about their interpretation of the meaning of life. Although it's quite a complex question, it was nice being able to hold a conversation with someone and reflect on life itself. Read my photojournalism piece below to see how my interview went!

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“What is the meaning of life?” This is the question that we have all pondered in our minds and leaves us stationary when asked. The question itself has many different meanings and interpretations to it, but it’s special being able to listen to the interpretations of others on this conceptual question. It was special for me to get the interpretation and perspective of my dear friend, Sohaib. Although he is far from me, Tangier, Morocco to be exact, I was able to set up a call with him to talk to our meanings of life earlier this week. His response had even left me feeling more inspired than ever to work towards the things I love.


“So you asked me what’s my meaning of life...I would say the meaning of life is to love what you do. Any contribution that you have made to this world should be because you were in love with the idea and thought it was the right thing to pursue.” As an economics major himself, he knows a thing or two about negotiating. It was interesting to get his perspective on intention. “If I know what I am doing for myself is going to benefit me in the long run, of course I’m going to do it,” he says. I asked, “What if the person you love is stopping you from doing what you want?” He simply responded with, “I don’t care” and continued his idea, “I know what I want in my life, and I am not having anyone stop me from what I have been working on for a while. If I end up making a decision that isn’t right, that’s my problem. I am my own person to blame. I would rather make a bad decision myself than have someone else make it for me. Why am I going to live my life dealing with the mistakes that someone else made for me?”


It hit me at that moment that I made decisions for myself that were influenced by others, even family. Getting the perspective of someone abroad, although we’re both Moroccan, was interesting. I will be a first generation college student , so many decisions regarding my career and education have been influenced by some members of my family. As Sohaib begins the next chapter of his life in university, he has started planning on making a possible move abroad for the benefit of his career and personal life. Thinking about his intention and doing what he loves is crucial at this time. It’s admirable knowing that he’s confident in the path that he is taking because he’s doing what he loves. His plan was not influenced by others, but himself. He won’t let anyone stop him from what he’s doing because he knows who it’s benefitting at the end, himself.



As Covid-19 cases are on the rise, virtual communication platforms have been the essential part of what has kept us all so connected during these pressing times. Sohaib and I managed to maintain a strong friendship during these times through platforms like FaceTime which makes us question how people could possibly communicate with one another beforehand. Taking advantage of these virtual platforms at a time like this has been essential to lead us to questions like these: “What is the meaning of life?” “Why are we here?” “What will life be like for us post-pandemic?” I’m sure everyone has questioned this some time during quarantine, but sometimes it’s nice to have the opportunity to sit down and reflect.

NBE. "Virtual Reality." 2020. Chicago. 

                                                         

This image captures a “virtual reality” for us all. It simply emulates at least one time that we ventured out to video chat during our quarantine or even talking to people abroad. Long conversations and friendships have come together through these platforms just like Sohaib and I. Although you can’t be physically face to face with the person, genuine questions spark up from them with the time you have taken out your day in order to talk to the person. It’s the intention that counts. Doing what you love comes with intention, and an app like FaceTime or WhatsApp can show the true intention of your friendship with someone. “Life’s too short to be making decisions for yourself that you don’t know why you’re doing it.” says Sohaib.


Technically speaking, when thinking about conveying “virtual reality” for others, I thought about the positions of the camera itself. I wanted someone to gain a connection with the photo rather than just seeing any other photo they’ve ever stumbled upon. The observer should be able to capture the reality of a video chat call. I captured the closest perspective that I could of Sohaib and I on FaceTime during our interview on the meaning of life. I wanted to make sure to not have a high contrast on the photo itself because it would be taking away from the main subject, us, meaning my aperture was high in order to have less light enter the camera hole. The focus of the photo was not as precise as I would have liked it to have been due to the reality of WIFI connection. Following the rule of thirds, I decided to fill in the frame rather than cutting out any part of the photo because I realized that if I had cut something out, I wouldn’t be keeping that bond that I want the observer to be feeling.


Overall, the conversation’s that I have been able to hold with Sohaib during this quarantine experience has allowed me to reflect on the purpose of this reality we are currently living in. Encountering the question of the meaning of life is never an easy question to answer, but it sure does give you the opportunity to consider the world we are living in, and our purpose. For Sohaib, his purpose is to love what he does with a set intention on accomplishing his aspirations, and inspire others the same way he inspired me.