Trafficking and Human Rights in Nepal: Community Perceptions and Policy and Program Responses

This report from the Population Council's Horizons program summarizes the policy analysis, documentation of current intervention models, and community-based study of trafficking in the context of an emerging HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nepal

Trafficking and human rights in Nepal: Community perceptions and policy and program responses

In recent years, millions of women and girls have been trafficked across national borders and within countries. The trafficking problem is particularly acute in Nepal, one of the least developed countries in the world, with 42 percent of its citizens living below the poverty line. An estimated 5,000 to 7,000 girls are trafficked from Nepal to India and other neighboring countries every year, primarily for prostitution, and 200,000 Nepali girls and women are currently working in the sex industry in India. The occurrence of trafficking in Nepal is generally attributed to widespread poverty, low status of girls and women, and social disparities rooted in ethnic and caste groupings. Women living in an environment of restricted rights, limited personal freedom, and few employment opportunities may decide that out-migration is their only hope for achieving economic independence and a higher standard of living. Those who are victimized by traffickers instead experience abuse, exploitation, and greater vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. This brief describes a recently completed operations research project undertaken in Nepal that recommends strengthening anti-trafficking interventions in the region and providing effective care and support to trafficked women and girls

Smells: olfactive dimension in designing textile architecture

Designing with non-visual attributes challenges ways of representation. This research explores methods for designing with invisible materiality within the research practice, as well as ways of representation through textiles when designing spaces. Exploring textiles and smells within a space, the research program investigates spatial interactions. This research focuses on designing embodied experiences using tangible materials as expressions of smells. Through the spatial installations and performances Sight of smell, Touch of smell, and Smell, space, and body movement, haptics were explored as one of the methods of interaction with smells through textiles. Through the sense of touch, this research also investigates ways of revealing, activating, and disseminating smells within a space. Smells were purposely added through the methods of dyeing, coating, and printing to the textile materials that did not inherently embody any smells, As a result, tactile surfaces create non-visual expressions of smell. Further ideas of research in this area would explore another perspective of designing with smells in spaces. As an example, by designing textiles being smell absorbers, dividers, and re ectors, could compliment the spatial concepts and deals with the already existing smells in a living environment. In this licentiate thesis thinking through the olfactive dimension to design textiles is not only novel for the textile design eld; but also, its proposal for application in the spatial design is quite unique, and o ers a new dimension for spatial design. Horizon 2020 MSCA IT

Touch of Smell

This publication describes a workshop-performance that was held during the conference.The workshop involved an improvised performance, with three scenes thatwere acted out by the participants. The props provided were smell-embedded objectssuch as a container filled with rotten garlic, a jar filled with freshly picked moss froma forest, and a cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Touch and body movement activatedthe smells in the space, and this was intended to take place using not just thehands but the movements of the whole body. For example, walking on an object mayrequire that the whole body balances, and can involve interacting with a material bydancing and jumping with it or carrying another object. The experiments conductedduring the workshop focused on embodied spatial interactions with smells

Smells: Olfactive dimension in designing textile architecture

A built space directs the movements in the space, as such a building is experienced in relation to body and movement. This text questions the role of smells in defining the space and movement through it in terms of spatial continuity. In a dialectic approach between the textiles and the smells, the materiality of textiles is transformative not only in its tangible and physical presence, but also in the language of textiles. Textiles as design materials in spatial design communicate through different sensory stimuli to create an aesthetic atmosphere. Such as creating soft boundaries for a space that define movement and transitions within it . When applying these textile concepts to smells, however, new meanings and forms emerge due to the experiential quality of smells that are invisible to the eyes but perceptible to the olfactory. The dynamic expressions of smells can be articulated through design variables such as patterns, layers, textures, rhythm, volume, fluidity, temporality, and boundaries. Smells could be understood as a design material and can been applied in many scales.Investigating textiles and architectural spaces as containers of smells, the design explorations examine the material as a matter and performance in relation to the body and space. While exploring olfactive interactions one focuses on tactile senses as beyond visualperception and representation. Through the sense of touch, triggered by bespoke textile objects, smells had been revealed, activated, and disseminated in a space. Performanceand movement as design methodsareused to investigate spatial continuity in relation to the smells. Through the improvisations of movement, created expressions of smells in a space bring in the conscious dynamic state of smells into being. Designing with non-visual attributes challenges traditional ways of perception andrepresentation in architecture and textile design. This research opens up the field of design within architecture, textiles and interaction design to explore further the dimension of smells firstly at a material level, nature and processes of the materials and expressions in relation to the inherent or added smells. Secondly, developing new and adapting existing methods for designing with the invisible materiality of smells. Thirdly, further investigations on the interactions with smell and body in space at different scales and including this sense in designing the digital platforms for human interactions is a proposal for new ways of living.ArcInTexET

On the Textility of Smell in Spatial Design

The ocular-centric approach predominant in the field of design, particularly textile and spatial design, focuses on visual aesthetics and visually mediated interactions. Whereas the non-visual materialities of a space, such as smells, are ignored in the design process, meaning that interior spaces with homogenously odourless environments lack interactions with the olfactory. However, multi-sensorial experiences are crucial to creating a holistic perception of an environment. The aim of this thesis is to investigate smell as a design material for spatial design. This research has been carried out using experimental design research methods, with the theoretical framework connecting smell as a design material to textiles and spatial and interaction design. Addition, modulation and subtraction of smells through textile surfaces and micro-climatic spatial zones have been investigated. Interactions with smells were explored through different modes of activation and dispersion of smells on two different scales; spatially near to body and far from body. The research findings show that atmospheric parameters play an important role in the detectability of smells, in that air flow carries smells and distributes them in a space. Humidity holds smell molecules in the air, and at higher temperatures smell molecules are extremely volatile and dynamic in their movements. Textiles have demonstrated to be good absorber of smells, and are breathable materials with regard to designing with plants and synthetic micro-encapsulated smells to create an olfactive dimension in spaces.These results have an implication for the design of spatial olfactive diversity and olfactory interactions, in that it is possible to disperse smells that are designed to transition from discrete to ambient, or vice versa. Interior textiles can be designed with the expressions of smells that add an olfactive dimension in addition to colours, patterns, and textures. The research presented in this thesis opens up for further interdisciplinary research with regard to developing the novel material systems proposed in this thesis – smell absorbers, dividers, and reflectors – which are responsive to existing smells and atmospheric parameters. Olfactory interactions have important applications from two perspectives: firstly, in relation to subjective and individual connections to people, places, and events; secondly, with regard to providing information about the near environment that is comprehended through the olfactory, in addition to being perceived by the other senses. Therefore, spatial olfactory interactions are essential to (re)connect human to the environment in which they live and work. These interactions in the real physical world are slow and analogue in nature, in comparison to fast digital lifestyles; smells can improve feelings of social connectedness, improving wellbeing

On the Textility of Smell in Spatial Design

The ocular-centric approach predominant in the field of design, particularly textile and spatial design, focuses on visual aesthetics and visually mediated interactions. Whereas the non-visual materialities of a space, such as smells, are ignored in the design process, meaning that interior spaces with homogenously odourless environments lack interactions with the olfactory. However, multi-sensorial experiences are crucial to creating a holistic perception of an environment. The aim of this thesis is to investigate smell as a design material for spatial design. This research has been carried out using experimental design research methods, with the theoretical framework connecting smell as a design material to textiles and spatial and interaction design. Addition, modulation and subtraction of smells through textile surfaces and micro-climatic spatial zones have been investigated. Interactions with smells were explored through different modes of activation and dispersion of smells on two different scales; spatially near to body and far from body. The research findings show that atmospheric parameters play an important role in the detectability of smells, in that air flow carries smells and distributes them in a space. Humidity holds smell molecules in the air, and at higher temperatures smell molecules are extremely volatile and dynamic in their movements. Textiles have demonstrated to be good absorber of smells, and are breathable materials with regard to designing with plants and synthetic micro-encapsulated smells to create an olfactive dimension in spaces.These results have an implication for the design of spatial olfactive diversity and olfactory interactions, in that it is possible to disperse smells that are designed to transition from discrete to ambient, or vice versa. Interior textiles can be designed with the expressions of smells that add an olfactive dimension in addition to colours, patterns, and textures. The research presented in this thesis opens up for further interdisciplinary research with regard to developing the novel material systems proposed in this thesis – smell absorbers, dividers, and reflectors – which are responsive to existing smells and atmospheric parameters. Olfactory interactions have important applications from two perspectives: firstly, in relation to subjective and individual connections to people, places, and events; secondly, with regard to providing information about the near environment that is comprehended through the olfactory, in addition to being perceived by the other senses. Therefore, spatial olfactory interactions are essential to (re)connect human to the environment in which they live and work. These interactions in the real physical world are slow and analogue in nature, in comparison to fast digital lifestyles; smells can improve feelings of social connectedness, improving wellbeing

Smells: Olfactive dimension in designing textile architecture

A built space directs the movements in the space, as such a building is experienced in relation to body and movement. This text questions the role of smells in defining the space and movement through it in terms of spatial continuity. In a dialectic approach between the textiles and the smells, the materiality of textiles is transformative not only in its tangible and physical presence, but also in the language of textiles. Textiles as design materials in spatial design communicate through different sensory stimuli to create an aesthetic atmosphere. Such as creating soft boundaries for a space that define movement and transitions within it . When applying these textile concepts to smells, however, new meanings and forms emerge due to the experiential quality of smells that are invisible to the eyes but perceptible to the olfactory. The dynamic expressions of smells can be articulated through design variables such as patterns, layers, textures, rhythm, volume, fluidity, temporality, and boundaries. Smells could be understood as a design material and can been applied in many scales.Investigating textiles and architectural spaces as containers of smells, the design explorations examine the material as a matter and performance in relation to the body and space. While exploring olfactive interactions one focuses on tactile senses as beyond visualperception and representation. Through the sense of touch, triggered by bespoke textile objects, smells had been revealed, activated, and disseminated in a space. Performanceand movement as design methodsareused to investigate spatial continuity in relation to the smells. Through the improvisations of movement, created expressions of smells in a space bring in the conscious dynamic state of smells into being. Designing with non-visual attributes challenges traditional ways of perception andrepresentation in architecture and textile design. This research opens up the field of design within architecture, textiles and interaction design to explore further the dimension of smells firstly at a material level, nature and processes of the materials and expressions in relation to the inherent or added smells. Secondly, developing new and adapting existing methods for designing with the invisible materiality of smells. Thirdly, further investigations on the interactions with smell and body in space at different scales and including this sense in designing the digital platforms for human interactions is a proposal for new ways of living.ArcInTexET

Negotiating shifting smellscapes in everyday life

Given the cultural conditioning of the senses, the smellscapes of everyday life (in homes, neighbourhoods, workplaces and cities) play an important part ineveryday experiences, emotions and encounters. Increased global mobility and climate change mean that unfamiliar smells are met more frequently, integrating with and altering the taken for granted smellscapes of our lives. How do people of different cultures negotiate unfamiliar smells in a variety of settings? What emotions do scents 'in and out of place' evoke? What memories, knowledge and moral judgements are used to understand smells? What vocabulary is used to describe these experiences? Everyday materialities are visible and invisible. Our visible research artefact (the charm bracelet) produces invisible research artefacts (the smells). Controlled remotely by an app, the smells enter different spaces and social contexts, at different times, for different durations. The object's mobility is integral to the question which it poses