To train young people from the Chiquitanos to be local reporters and share through radio and Blogs, their culture, traditions, and daily activities which relate also to the national situation. The project aims at answering the need for indigenous voices to be heard and the need to access communication mediums that are global in scope. We will hold work shops aimed at creating technical skills, and we will also promote communication strategies aimed at creating awareness for their specific identity and respect for their rights.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
San Ignacio de Velasco
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
The cultural richness of the traditions and life experiences of the Chiquitano people are very valuable, and deserve to be passed on to today's generation, to future generations and to other cultures. Furthermore their voice needs to be heard and become part of the global communication community. However, indigenous populations have limited access to communication media, because they live in rural areas. Some do not have access to electricity and the radio is the most accessible communication medium. Everyone there owns a battery operated radio. For this reason, the leaders going through the training, will format their narratives in 20 minute broadcasts. These radio programs will also be copied on CDs to be distributed and will also be uploaded on the internet to be freely downloadable.
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
The Asociación de Cabildos Indígenas de San Ignacio de Velasco, ACISIV [The Association of the Indigenous Council of San Ignacio of Velasco, ACISIV]. This is the organization that groups the indigenous communities of the area and the chiefs of each indigenous council of the local communities.
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
20 minute long programs with interviews to older persons of the community, who will relate stories of the community. The authorities or chiefs will also inform on the main activities and will share their thoughts on their future as a people group. This information will be aired through local and national radio (on AM wave-length). It will also be published on the Blog that executes this project.
Also, in the context of day-to-day stories, there will be room to share the lives of women of the Chiquitanas who have become part of the indigenous movement, who are fighting for their rights and who are searching for means to support their local community.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established or plan to establish that will contribute to the success of the project.
FORMASOL, (Spanish acronym for “charitable training”) is a non-governmental organization specialized in communication projects for development. It employs communication professionals. It provides popular (accessible) education by training (work-shops) and produces printed materials and radio broadcasts. It operates among the indigenous communities of the Santa Cruz district of Bolivia.
One of the education areas is the training on radio production. FORMASOL is an active member of the Red de Participación Ciudadana y control Social [The Network for Citizenship Participation and Social Control], RED PCCS, which is an umbrella organization that will support the project on events of a regional or national scope. As of the 2013 administration, is also a joint coordinator for the Red PCCS.
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
15 indigenous leaders (both men and women). These will in turn carry out the training in their communities. These leaders will be selected by their own organization. The participation of this quorum is guaranteed, since there is already a small group of leaders currently being trained for leadership and oratory skills. And we want to follow-up this training by providing practical work-shops on how to operate recording equipment and how to edit programs for radio broadcasts.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
The training will focus on creating interviews and stories from the local community in a journalistic (reporter-like) fashion. We want the broadcasts to be as simple and as didactic as possible. Further the training will focus on how to record audio and how to put together a broadcast. How to edit interviews and other audios. We will also teach basic computing skills and how to use editing software such as Adobe Audition 1.5. We have written manuals on how to use the editing software to prepare radio broadcasts.
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
The equipment at our disposal is the following:
– 16 channel mixing desk (TASCAM, model M-2600 MKII)
– Amplifier TASCAM model PS – 2600 MKII
– Double Cassette Deck TEAC model W-416
– Microphones SHURE model SM-58
Furthermore, FORMASOL has a 3 sq meter recording studio and we also have editing software (Adobe Audition 1.5). We have an ADSL internet connection to publish the stories on the Blog and to upload the audios on social networks on behalf of the indigenous communities.
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?
FORMASOL is currently carrying out the project: “Self-determination and Search for a Complete Life in the Chiquitana and Guaraní Communities”. Many of the leaders that are in training have time at their disposal and they are desirous to complete this project. Furthermore we enjoy a good relation with the indigenous organization: ACISIV who will authorize us to enter the communities to interview and collect information.
Our technical personnel have the experience necessary to execute this project. They also have interest and empathy to carry out the project, which they see will be beneficial to publish abroad the voices and experiences of the Chiquitana people. The Chiquitanos are fighting daily to enter the global communication era while at the same time keeping their traditions alive.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
The main specific challenge is to create an environment whereby the indigenous leaders and local communicators can design and produce their radio programs. We want an environment where they can tell their and their community life-stories using the most adequate tools while fulfilling the goals of the project. In this respect we will focus on creating a customized methodology before holding the work-shops. We will also customize the materials and manuals for the communicators. We aim at making the information shared with them (from the written material) easily understandable.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
The impact will be assessed as follows:
1. Skills developed or increased in radio production and in the use of the technology and equipment among the indigenous communicators that have participated in the training.
2. Number of CD copies with the local stories and radio broadcasts distributed to other indigenous communities, to the municipal authorities and to the Ministry of Culture of the region.
3. Broadcasts of the promos of the radio programs through our own Blog and through some social networks.
4. Cultural rescue of the uses and traditions of the communities through our surveys and follow-up visits in the communities.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
May:
Preparation of the work-shop and materials
Gathering and selection of the indigenous communicators (to complete a group of 15 participants).
June:
1st work-shop (theoretical and practical)
Second half of June: gather information and interviews in the communities
July:
Selection of the information gathered in the communities
Take advantage of the festivities connected with the anniversary of the people, to gather general interviews with the authorities
August/September:
2nd work-shop focusing on the creation of a radio broadcast
Recording and editing community stories
October/November:
Coordination meeting with the leaders of ACISIV to evaluate the radio broadcasts created.
Weekly broadcast of the local community stories through the Santa Cruz Radio, on AM wave-length.
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
Budget in US Dollars
7 audio digital recorders 700
Transportation to the communities 550
Lodging 350
Written material for the training 200
Food 200
Coordination related expenses 100
Costs related to airing the radio the broadcasts 400
Total 2500
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
It would be very beneficial if we could learn about other social networks and other technical digital mechanisms used to promote the audio of Rising Voices, which would allow us to tell these stories in other parts of the world. Furthermore it would help us to receive technical advice t on how to digitize the printed material and advice on the design and management of websites.
Contact name
Maura Carola Tangara Cuba
Organization
FORMASOL
