ABSTRACT
In a world facing the pressing challenges of climate change and social justice, the practice of tangible making takes on a new significance. While the Western notion of making is often associated with high-tech makerspaces and advanced fabrication tools, there is a need to examine and embrace the diverse making practices of the Global South. This chapter explores the concept of Critical Jugaad to understand and embrace marginalized-making practices from the Global South. The term Jugaad refers to resourceful making in resource-scarce conditions prevalent in everyday practices of the Global South. The author presents examples such as recycled saree blankets from South Asia and Jua-Kali workshops in Kenya to demonstrate the importance of sustainable design practices rooted in local materials, resourcefulness, ingenuity, and skills. The article highlights the value of critical-making practices in the Global South, which embody resilience, survival, and resistance. By recognizing and valuing these practices, we can broaden our understanding of sustainable design and explore new avenues for collective futures, prioritizing resilience and an ecologically and socially just future. This chapter also addresses that the extractive practices for Western trade could undermine the true essence and sustainability, stripping away their cultural significance and devaluing their intrinsic meaning. True sustainability means recognizing and respecting the interplay between these practices, their sociocultural ecosystems, and local communities, fostering equitable relationships that empower and preserve them within their original contexts.
