MemoRim is about regrouping, documenting and making electronically available the culture, traditions, languages, life style… of old Mauritanian society, By contacting and working with local communities in 4 corners of Mauritania where these cultures and practices are still found and taking from them all material or spiritual related things in form of Pictures audios and videos.Regrouping as much as possible of this culture .When the pages of MemoRIM launch and the content becomes available organized and deeply reviewed, we have a database or a general reference and memory for this society.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Nouakchott
Describe the specific community with whom you will be working.
The project will visit local communities in different country regions, the project is going to register and record with the experts in these communities and the persons who are considered as references and also is going to document the daily life of these communities and make of all this the main resources of contents. These communities culture and life style is culture and identity of Mauritanian society, that culture and languages which are not written documented and which are about to be disappeared after years of neglect. The target population to be used as resources and references doesn’t know many things about internet and computer, the point is to document that culture, life style that they are living and oral history, share it with the followed generations.
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
An official website, blog and interactive web pages (Facebook, Twitter, Flicker, Youtube…) the content will be photos, videos, audios, stories, articles… and will be about music, language, local literature, transcripts, dance, Handicraft…….storytelling will be main part of the content.
When the good quantity of content become available, the work will continue to develop and add to this quantity always. The pages also will be open for comments, suggestions and the project will receive always information and subjects from readers. After the launch of the project, it will be open for all participants to suggest purpose and discuss.
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.
I have connected some people that I think they can contribute in favor the success of the project, I have contacted some academic persons interested in culture and society, I have also and till now am coordinating with some youth people in the target communities to find away to access to some old families where a huge part of material cultural and social heritage can be found. The most important is persons with whom I want to work on the storytelling and witness issues, and I have got promises and reach an important part of them. DACC organization can help by using its contact in the cultural and civil society field.About partnership, I didn’t yet contact any, but I have prepared a short list of expected partners ,minister of culture, UNESCO..DACC and CC Mauritania are confirmed partners
How many participants do you think will be involved in your project?
20 persons are expected to be trained on different subjects and tools related to the project, from this number 6 to 10 will be selected on the base of their engagement during training period and their view to cover and contribute to the success and activities of the project, selected as envoys of the project to different place and missions will be divided between them project also will create a way to assure volunteers from local communities who are excited for by idea. Others are requested to be engaged and help by the way they see it is conveyable for them and useful for the project.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
When training participants, I will focus on:
– The use of new media tools
– The way of deal with a storyteller.
– Photography and video basis
As project manager, I am professional photographer and calligrapher, I have worked in the field of culture for about 5 years attending meetings, workshops… last one was about culture and diversity, cultural policies in the world. I am Writer, blogger very associated with new media tools. I am engaged with several local and international programs and cultural development communities.I use 4 languages, trained on cultural project management with YFC in cooperation with TakingITglobal,I manage DRG, founder of CC Mauritania, graduated in Applied Maths, graduated in language studies, preparing my high studies now in the field of Media communication
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
For the workshops, I am in need for projector, computers, internet with good speed… The workshop will be hold in a conference or meeting room, that me and DACC will work with networks, official administrations and others to assure, at this time I think in the training room at National network of Mauritanian NGOs, it will be prepared by DACC to be able to receive the workshop (about 5 computers, USB Modem, Projector, papers, coffee break)
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?
I have traveled around the country; have good information and relations in the cultural sector especially. DACC also includes members from different regions in Mauritania. At official level as cultural operator I have represented Mauritania in different regional and international events and I have good contact in the field. In addition to the role that DACC will play my experience and skills in the field. (part of the answer of last question can be used here).
In the future, I plan to organize periodic events and competitions in favor to develop and share these resources. The project will keep working with these communities and organizing activities.
MemoRIM will be developed to be the main memory of Mauritanian culture and history.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
From the challenges, I can mention that, it is very difficult to use some old cultural and traditional things which are with some old traditional families and keep them away from anyone.At official level, the cooperation is not always as expected because of the issue of corruption and some other things in our administration.
Also the issue of copyright, may be something that their owners don’t want it to be available CC.I am coordinating at a level that I want youth to be persuaded and confident, and they will be charged to persuade their families and communities to react positively with project, In what concerning legality and security, The project will work legally with registration.
All documents will be published CC, just these that their owners don’t want that, will deal with them.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
About participants, I evaluate on the base by their activities and their reactions with the resources that the project will provide on line, they will be added to all project pages. How they will be found, discussing , commenting and sharing on these pages, and how they will work and share the project activities and goals with their local communities.
When I arrive to create all pages with that immense of document which showing the diversity, the culture and the cultural traditional richness of these communities, and when these pages become considered as reference and resources to all what concerning the culture, life and history of Mauritanian society with its local communities, and when I arrive to organize periodic activities in different regions of Mauritania.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2013?
May – June : Launch of Facebook, twitter, Flicker, Youtube pages, and continuation of online researches and coordination.
August : Workshops
September : Travel to the target communities
28 November (National day ): Official launch of website
These dates can be a subject of change, for example, workshops and travels can be postponed to next year, because of local weather and nature, on the base of some local characteristics.
Detail a specific budget of up to $4,000 USD for operating costs.
- Materials
Camera Pro 716 USD
Camera perso 166 USD
Audio recorder 130
Laptop 500
Projector 266
– Website and pages 332
-workshops (3 workshops) 200
-Travel
to old cities 335
To the east of Mauritania 167
To the north 165
General coordination 200
Besides the microgrant funding, what other resources and support are you seeking for your project to ensure its success?
Letter of recommendation for the project can help it in its contact with different sectors.
– publishing links and updates of the project
Contact name
Abdellahi AHMED MAHMOUD
Organization
Dialogue Association for Culture and Creativity