We are empowering young people in the management of ICT in order to promote and make visible the Nahuat language and culture. Through training workshops and alternative media, young people will learn to do interviews, videos and audios in order to document the nahuat culture. It is hoped that these young people will make up a team of young journalists who regularly motivate other young people and the local community to appreciate their culture, to reclaim the Nahuat history, and to highlight a group rarely represented in the media.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOroiga76RQ [1]
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
San Salvador
Describe the specific community with whom you will be working.
The team is a group of young people who, through previous training will be provided with tools to help them achieve Nahuat language broadcasts in the media. Currently the education system does not promote the importance of language and the need for the formation of identity and culture in our country. Because of this and other factors, youth in El Salvador don't know about their culture and are apathetic with regard to the lack of Nahuat speakers, and language and culture resources. There are few people who promote it . These people are a sector of population marginalized by acculturation and alienation in a culture that is not their own, therefore, it is the youth who are responsible to revive their culture.
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
The communications team will create print media articles and glossaries on the Nahuat language, which will explore the origins and development of the Salvadoran culture. Each written paper will be presented showing a section, a legend or story completely in Nahuat. These articles will be written and designed to attract the attention of young people, who are the intended audience. The team also will make videos of interviews with local Nahuat groups, and speakers. Videos will also promote the language and culture, as they will be regularly shown where the language is still spoken.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established that will contribute to the success of the project.
Salvadoran National Indigenous Coordinating Council and Group Tzuntecum Ejecat / Head of Wind, both organizations work with Nahuat Populations in different parts of the country. Personally I know several members of each group and have communicated our desire to work together with them if we get this proyect funding.
There are many people that could benefit from this project in addition to the Nahuat speakers, including the Salvadoran young people.
How many participants do you think will be involved in your project?
30 participants
We will create workshops for youth with youth participants and inclusive methodologies which teach individuals to use audiovisual equipment, social networks and how to write articles for youth print media. Each training session will produce an audiovisual or written media product to be presented in the community and schools through social networks, in order to generate the active participation of young people in each training area.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
Experience and knowledge in work with young people and the promotion of culture as an alternative to and prevention of violence in our country. As a result of this work, we know that among youth, organization is the greatest strength of the projects aimed at empowering and building the capacity of young people. Also we have experience in the area of youth communications, print media, youth development of alternative media, and know how to maintain and update current news and publications on social networks, which has a greater impact on the lives of young people.
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
The workshops will be taught in a computer classroom within a youth center, called “Cal Pipil,” which has Internet connection and five computers in good condition. “The Kolectivo,” is the name of the team that produces the digital magazine and social networks which have been supported since its inception in October 2012. The youth center is a fundamental part of the development of adolescents and youth in the neighborhood.
What is your current relationship with the community with whom you plan to work? What makes you the most appropriate individual or organization to implement this project?
We have a relationship with many young people who have participated in other initiatives related to communications, promotion of culture and ICT's. Many young people ignore or are indifferent to the work done by youth. In addition, we also have contacts with Nahuat speakers to develop the project. The youth organization already has a certain name or reputation locally for their youth work, which in some way facilitates the implementation of this project.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
One challenge is that the youth will need to take responsibility for this project rapidly in order to implement it. This will be addressed by announcing in the very first session the need to identify opportunities in the media for youth to promote the traditional Salvadoran cultural identity. A second challenge will be to generate interest in this sector of the population which has not been very visible in the media. In order for the information to be seen by youth, it must be documented in audiovisual format or on social media. This is what will attract their attention, using creativity, and innovative images and digital designs.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
The project's impact will be measured through the active participation and leadership of the youth, the local interest, and the impact noted through social networks.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2013?
Each workshop will be divided into 2 themes:
1) The Saturdays in May, 2013 will be dedicated to the themes of youth leadership and internet techniques.
2) The Saturdays in June will be dedicated to how to generate local interest and use of social networks.
3) The Saturdays in July will focus on the traditional Salvadoran culture and Nahuat language.
4) The Saturdays in August will teach tools and techniques for editing audio and video.
In each of the scheduled workshops, participants will conduct interviews with Nahuat speakers.
In September we will hold a Youth Forum entitled “Cultivating the Nahuat language,” coordinated by the communications team. Students from local public institutions will be invited to participate. The debate will be announced on the social networks.
Detail a specific budget of up to $4,000 USD for operating costs.
Total cost of all workshops: $ 1,600
Internet access: $ 100
Purchase of a camera: $ 480
Transport: $ 400
Youth Forum: $ 1000
Food: $ 200
Supplies and Materials: $ 200
TOTAL COST OF PROJECT: $ 3,980
Besides the microgrant funding, what other resources and support are you seeking for your project to ensure its success?
The best support that Rising Voices can provide is to promote youth media efforts within local communities, in general, and our project in specific with Rising Voices contacts. Our success will be assured through the creation of a network of youth communicators who promote culture and local communities which are marginalized.
Our project will have greater impact among local youth if they observe other initiatives that have had success in other countries. Rising Voices could be a mediator of this type of youth interaction.
Contact name
Josue Daniel Portillo Fabian
Organization
Cal Pipil Youth Center