Stories from April, 2009
Uruguay: One Blog Per Child
The first two years of Project Ceibal have been characterized by implementation and incubation. The laptops have been deployed to schools, manuals have been created, tech savvy volunteer groups have been formed, wireless internet connections have been established, teachers have slowly learned how to implement the laptops into their curricula and classrooms, and, as Rezwan has covered previously, a community of open source programmers have developed educational applications for the laptops including a new customized blogging platform.
Convergentes: A Community Despite The Differences
It is great to see Convergentes resuming its activities with new vigor. Convergentes, a part of the Rising Voices grantee HiperBarrio project, is a creative community of citizen journalists of La Loma in Medellín, Colombia.
Fight Continues Between Politicians and Harm Reduction Activists
A few weeks ago the City Council of Sebastopol, Ukraine, banned the implementation of methadone substitution therapy programs. During the last two weeks two other Ukrainian cities have discussed also banning these programs. In response, organizations advocating for the needs of those with drug addictions have produced a public awareness video.
Nomad Green: Creating Environmental Awareness Using Citizen Media
The Rising Voices grantee 'Nomad Green', in collaboration with the Mongolian and Tibetan Foundation and the Mongolian Green Party, will train Mongolian citizens how to use citizen media. They idea is that they will write about their country concentrating on the environmental crisis and create awareness. The participants will create a network and community of environmentalists sharing and spreading information about related threats, solutions, and opportunities.
Lena's Story: Climbing Up From The Bottom
The Drop-In Center's Web newsletter "Motilek" recently published a story of a young woman named Lena, who was released from a correctional facility a few months ago and is trying to break her drug habit and change her life.
FOKO: Remembering Baby Kamba
We start today with a sad news. Remember baby Kamba? A determined 18-year-old blogger and member of Rising Voices grantee FOKO Madagascar with the help of his fellow Malagasy bloggers raised funds for one year old baby Kamba's operation and he recovered from his facial disfigurement caused by a rare disease. A couple of weeks ago we got this sad news from Avylavitra that baby Kamba suddenly fell ill and has died after he was taken to a hospital. Read also updates of other activities of FOKO Madagascar in this week's feature.
Giving a Voice To The Women Activists In Yemen
The new Rising Voices grantee from Yemen "Empowerment of Women Activists in Media Techniques" will organize new media training courses for female politicians, activists, and human right workers. The trainings will give the targeted community the ability to use Internet in order to publish their point of views, documenting their activities and will give them the space to voice their opinions about issues they are fighting for. Learn more about the leader of the project Ghaida'a Al Absi, her work and her goals.
Video Interview with Ghaidaa al-Absi
While at a conference in Germany about new media activism in the Middle East, Ghaidaa al-Absi sat down with Rezwan and Sami Ben Gharbia to discuss her vision for the Yemen-based Rising Voices grantee project "Empowerment of Women Activists in Media Techniques".
Kazakhstan: Pilot Substitution Therapy Projects Launched
Ukrainian HIV/AIDS public awareness Web site “ZAPYTAY,” which was developed and is maintained by Rising Voices grantee Drop-In Center, has published an article about a pilot harm reduction project in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh Internet community has mixed feelings about implementing such substitution therapy programs in their country.
REPACTED: Budding Bloggers In Training
Faith Muriuki got her first brush with blogging thanks to a recent training session hosted by REPACTED. Here she shares her insights on the session, its challenges and successes.
