Papuans traditionally consume sago, bananas, and a variety of tuber, all part of their staple food. However, the traditional staple food is threatened by homogenization of food programs or the rice program. People have changed from a variety of food producers to become consumers of rice. As a result, food security is threatened. An effective strategy would be to visualize the erosion of the local food systems in the form of short films. They will also be trained to produce films themselves and to present the results to local officials. The films will also be uploaded in various social media.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Sorong
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
Since the beginning of this project we have made plans with local communities, including young people who will represent the voice of Papuans. The location will be selected villages who are undergoing a transition from local food cultivation to rice and villages that have managed to retain traditional food staples. In the villages selected, radio is the main source of information and villagers are not familiar with computers and the internet. Only a few of them are able to operate a computer with access to social media. Despite living in an area with no mobile phone signal, many of the people in the village own smart phones. They use them as music players and to take pictures. To take advantage of this we will invite people to use their smart phones as an audio-visual recording device.
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
Project team:
– The Papuan Voice Members: Frangky Making (FB account: FX Making), Agus Kalalu (FB account: Agus Kalalu), Fransina Mayor (FB account: Ina Mayor).
– Human Right and Gender Consultant, Translator: Dewi Ratnawulan (FB account: Dewi Ratnawulan)
– Engage Media, Ade Tanesia (FB account Ade Aryana Uli Pandjaitan)
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
Media that will be created include short films of 5-7 minutes duration. Communities will be trained to use recording media (smartphones and camcorders) so that they are able to document by themselves. The filming location will be in two villages namely Kampung Malaumkarta in Sorong Regency and Waipele in Raja Ampat Regency. The themes and outline include:
– Changes in eating culture of the Papuans. Why, since when, what has been the impact?
– Is it possible to have an independent community food system? Case study in Waipele village
– Inclusion of music videos featuring songs in native language and Indonesian sung by indigenous people. Participant will be women and children from the village. The song themes chosen will be about sago forests, lands, nature and culture of Papua.
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.
• Distribution strategies (together with Engage Media- Jakarta)
• Public Screenings (Community Screenings, Home-based screenings, local food festivals with Papua Women Network, Forum Kerjasama LSM Papua/ Papua NGO Forum (Foker)
• Tape/disc duplication and distribution (self-distribution, via networks)
• Private Screenings : Direct to decision makers
• Broadcast media: radio news, Local TV news and documentary,
• Internet and wireless (websites, live streaming, facebook)
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
A total of 6 participants will be trained including men and women. Once the project is completed they will join with in the Papuan Voices organisation, and continue the process of documenting the problems and aspirations of the Papuan people in their own communities and in neighbouring villages. The results of this documentation will then be submitted to an editor in Sorong to be edited and published on a website and in social media.
Currently, there are many local and national television media that have journalism citizen rubric. The Papuan Voices will work to incorporate the results of its coverage to these rubrics.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
Tools used will mainly be smart phones with a video camera facility. With smart phone technology participants can record a variety of events and issues in the village, never before exposed in public media. Previously, BELANTARA has made the AVI documentation training which includes script writing, recoding using video camera and smart phones, and editing using a computer. The alumni of that training are young Papuans who are now members of the Papuan Voices (see www.papuanwoices.net ). Using their experience and skills from the training, they will facilitate and assist in the project.
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
Equipment to be used are:
6 pieces Smart phone
3 pieces of digital camcorders
3 pieces of computer
3 pieces USB flash modem (to be used in Sorong)
To ensure fast and high quality uploading, the internet facilities used will be through Engage Media in Jakarta/Yogyakarta
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?
BELANTARA together with indigenous Papuan in the Malaumkarta village have worked to implement Community Based Forest Management. Meanwhile, in Waipele village, BELANTARA is facilitating the development of studio learning and programs to help eradicate illiteracy. The plan is to have BELANTARA work in two villages until 2015 to facilitate local people, including village officials and youth, to be able develop programs in their own communities.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
In April and July 2014, Indonesia will hold the legislative and presidential elections, which most likely will leave after the conflicts in society because of the differences in political preferences.
We will conduct initial talks with traditional leaders and village leaders to clarify that our program is not related to any political party and share the long term objectives of the project with the communities.
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 will be deemed successful if:
• At least 3 Short films / video clips are produced around the theme of local food production by the participants. At least 6 people (individually or in teams).
• The films are published to the general public and receive a positive response. It can be measured by number of hits, likes, downloads, and comments in social media / blog / web that reach at least 500 hits.
• To inspire other parties such as the local leaders, local policy makers and other organisation to support the campaign. At least three film screening and followed by discussion at each category.
• Create positive reviews in the media after the release at the local radio, local TV, local print media and blog.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
1st – 5th of August 2014: preparation, schedule meetings, and contact the parties involved in the project, and hold an initial meeting in the village to explain the objectives and purpose of the project. In this stage the community will appoint 10 local people (each village 3-4 people, including women) who will participate in the training.
12th -22nd of August 2014: training on film making and script writing in the villages.
15th of August – 10th of September 2014: mentoring film production in the villages, and editing in Sorong.
25th of August– 15th of September 2014: English translation and preparation of subtitles. Note: If the video is made in local language, Indonesian translation and subtitles will be needed.
20th of September 2014: Film launch and distribution in social media (you tube, websites / blogs, facebook), to the smart phones using Bluetooth and MMS, and copy to VCD format.
10th of October 2014: monitoring the results and writing reports
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
Preparation meeting at village level : USD 55
Travel cost : USD 436
Workshop script writing, shooting and editing : USD 825
Internet : USD 118
Coordinator Salary : USD 273
Trainers and resource person salary : USD 545
Translation : USD 136
TOTAL : USD 2,389
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
• Share the expertises information and references on short video/film
• Distribution support amongst Raising Voices networks
Contact name
Danarti Wulandari
Organization
Belantara Papua
