As part of the events and conferences planned during the Career week at the university, the school community was honored to host Dr. Herve Matine, the Owner and Director of HM Studio on the 14th of March, 2018.
Dr. Herve Martine is the Iranian born owner of the independent, non-profit organization “Poster for Tomorrow” based in Paris, with the organizations goal to “encourage people, both in and outside the design community, to make posters to stimulate debate on issues that affect humanity”.
In his speech, Dr. Herve explained how the organization began after he became fed up with just working and earning money alone. “While on vacation, I got pregnant with an idea, which was to find a way to dedicate at least 10% of my life to others” he said. He got the idea for designers to draw attention to the suppression that people suffer from across the world, his idea soon grew into an international movement to campaign for the right to freedom of expression which was done in 2009.
The success of the Freedom of Expression exhibition soon gave rise to the idea of exhibitions for the “Abolition of the Death penalty in 2010, the promotion of Right to education done in 2011, the promotion of Gender Equality done in 2012 which said more opportunities for women meant opportunities for everyone. With his organization, he also Promoted Right to housing in 2013 saying that “everyone deserved a home” and also the right to Work without discrimination in 2014 was promoted. His organization has continued to promote rights and empower designers even up to today.
Dr. Herve pointed out that the success and importance of his projects and exhibitions is to show that there is a need for people to get together to do something positive. The best moment is now” he said, “One person is a start; a thousand is a movement that cannot be denied”.
By Jemima Atii
