Addressing the two issues confronting youth empowerment, i.e. under representation of youth in development affairs and high rate of unemployment; we propose to redefine youth participation in planning the future of Indian cities by creating a grassroots-driven process that inspires youth to undertake social entrepreneurship roles in urban areas such as in the Union Territory of Pondicherry.
The idea is to create an online social innovation platform that has its roots in networking, sound advocacy and active participation principles. Training and workshops will be deployed to build capacities
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Pondicherry
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
Specifically, we would be working with predominantly four different groups.
1. Disadvantaged youth at rural vocational training centers in the region
2. Young professionals that are ‘tech-savvy’ and can contribute their expertise to ideate and implement supporting mechanisms
3. Young entrepreneurs in the region
4. Young teachers at experimental schools. We wish to introduce the concept of “Transforming Pondicherry” as co-curricular interactive exercises for high school students.
We acknowledge that the internet familiarity of the target community varies in degrees, and it is this respect that one of the goals of our proposal is to train disadvantaged youth, with a special emphasis on women, in developing basic internet networking and research skills for voicing loud opinions
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
Bankim Kalra : Urban Planner – Urban Designer – Strategy Analyst
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/viewid=5650086&locale=en_US&trk=tyah&trkInfo=tarId%3A1396009684534%2Ctas%3Abankim%20kalra%2Cidx%3A1-1-1
Ojas Vyas : Architect – Urbanophile, Project Coordinator http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=247669987&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic
Azzhagappan Mani : ICT Programmer
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=78079797&locale=en_US&trk=tyah&trkInfo=tarId%3A1396009898022%2Ctas%3Aazha%2Cidx%3A2-1-2
Ankush Samant : ICT Programming Mentor
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/viewid=46090256&locale=en_US&trk=tyah&trkInfo=tarId%3A1396505754050%2Ctas%3Aankus%2Cidx%3A2-1-2
Vanaja R. – Logistic support
Vanaja, a former Vocational Training Student
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
An online platform that enables young minds to initiate discussions & forums- allow to pose a challenge, allow networking with interest groups and individuals to ideate and discuss solutions, have inbuilt surveying mechanisms that could easily reach out to larger populace to know the sentiment, have inbuilt survey analyzing mechanisms for informed decision making and effective conversations. Micro Competitions: we intend to trigger ideation and incremental online participation by launching online micro competitions.
Templates of business plans that support integration of technological applications with community building, for aspiring entrepreneurs to take it up. Mobile applications as a key medium to ease base surveys, research & networking.
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.
We have established a strong working relationship with a successful NGO – INTACH Pondicherry – Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage http://www.intachpondicherry.org/ -
INTACH team have proved to be incredible change makers in the city of Pondicherry. In the last two decades, they have succeeded in reviving and transforming several areas of the city back to the lost grandeur of its yester years.
For the initial phase of the project, we aim to establish close ties with alternative learning centers that empower youth such as:
– Auroville Institute of Applied Technology (Vocational training institute) http://www.aiat.org.in/
– Sri Aurobindo International Center of Education http://sriaurobindoashram.org/ashram/saice/
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
As we see this as an initiative that would grow incrementally over time, we target to reach out to a minimum of 80-100 young enthusiasts in this year for training, of which we expect a minimum of 10 emerging out as change makers. We would like to highlight once again the deficit in capacities in the region to get involved in urban growth issues and therefore are unable participate effectively. We wish to bridge this deficit slowly steadily and grow over time.
We believe the sheer value in being empowered would sustain active participation and engagement. Including emerging change makers as a part of our core team and long term decision making process itself would sustain participation
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
For effective online youth participation to address urban problems, one needs to be equipped with some basic skills, such as identifying and having a global understanding of the local problem, technical abilities to simulate proposals (2D & 3D) and have the ability to effectively communicate one’s idea.
Training to create 2D Simulations: Adobe Photoshop and AutoCAD
Training to generate 3D models: Sketch UP Pro
Training to maintain databases: MS Excel
Training to read maps
Training to be able to do mapping : Arc GIS
Training to get involved : Blogging, Using Social Media, Mobile Applications etc
Our overall training methods would be through various other mediums in the form of presentations, documentaries and short films, and other visually stimulating media
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
We have the following infrastructure in place:
2 PCs & three laptops
BSNL Connection with 4.1 Mbps
50sqm conference room backed with audio visual projecting equipment
80sqm open terrace space for interactive gatherings and training programs
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 see ourselves as part of the community. We are a team of young enthusiastic individuals, between the age slot 25-35.Our engagement with the community thus begins from home!We do not see any other initiative in the city that works towards inspiring young minds in leading change within the urban setting. We see it as paramount to engage and empower the youth community to create a resilient and progressive city. Seeing ourselves as young change makers,we believe that we would be the most appropriate collective blend to take this task up, because we are already engaged in providing cutting edge urban solutions as consultants as well as providing professional ICT interfaces. We intend to kick start this long term relationship that targets to engage a substantial number of young change makers
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
We do not see many challenges, however we anticipate some specific hurdles on the way:
- Change demands patience and perseverance, especially when it involves multiple stakeholders, thus one who was enthusiastic in the beginning may choose to back off midway owing to the long process
– Funding for unanticipated expenses might turn around spontaneous initiatives
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
We would evaluate our success based on
– Leveraging funds from the local government to support the long-term sustainability of our initiative
– Succeeding in convincing the local government to deliver based on the youth led advocacy campaigns
– The number of volunteers that we are able to recruit
– The number of start-ups that our initiative enables
– The number of institutional support that we are able to gain
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
June – Mid July :Organizing a core group constituting not more than 5 young enthusiastic people together to be able to kick start the process. This period will ideate over —
-Outline the technological mediums and Strategies
Mid July – Mid September: Create effective and strong online media presence for easy participation
Mid September – Mid November : Conducting theme based micro – competitions to attract participation allowing cross- ideation on online platforms
Mid November – Mid January: organize youth groups based on areas of interest
– provide suitable platform and networking to the winners of our micro competitions to follow up on their projects as live ventures
Mid January’15 – Mid April’15 :hold an internship to engage emerging change makers in creating specific task based online databases and forums
*This estimated schedule is subject to alterations depending upon the enthusiasm and youth led initiatives that that emerge unexpectedly during the process.
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
Workshops and Training: $500
Micro Competitions: $300
Two computers: $500
Campaigning / outreach expenses : $300
Coordinators’ Expenses: $250
Resource Centre (Rent, Administration, etc.): $400
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
- We would expect Rising Voices to get us in contact with other national & international youth groups working on similar projects for us to better evaluate our methods and improve along the way.
– We would also request Rising Voices to share their experiences in citizen media undertakings and of previous grantees
Contact name
Ojas Vyas
Organization
Urban Networks