We were invited by the Under-graduate Social Work Dept of St Joseph's College to deliver a guest lecture on Communication for Social Change in the context of FOSS in the field of social empowerment.

Most students were hearing about FOSS for the first time and were quite interested to know more. The vital role that FOSS plays technically in the field of social empowerment is one that can never be over looked. Delivering the talk uncovered the bridge between the academic and professional worlds for the students as well as for us.

The interactions during the class were also good. Time was a constraint, but we hope to have more FOSS related programmes in the department.

Special thanks to Mr D Kiran Jeevan, lecturer at the Social Work Department.

We had gone to deliver a talk on FOSS at St Joseph's Post Graduate and Research Centre to the Communications Dept. The talk was for two hours and it drew a lot of interaction from the students. 43 students of Communication attended the talk.

Most of the time went into answering various doubts of the students related with the application and utility of FOSS. As a result we were able to give a generic over view of FOSS only. However the Communication Dept invited us to do a few workshops of FOSS editing tools for the students. We also had a brief demo on Ubuntu.

We distributed FOSS application cds and dvds towards the end of the talk. The experience was fantastic, as the vibrant interaction of the students facilitated the talk to give more information. Looking forward to a fruitful journey of FOSS in other such institutions of higher education. St Joseph's Post Graduate and Research Centre was a good booster!

Special thanks to the HOD of the Communication Dept for inviting us for the talk and the students for being active participants.

Srinivas H.N  from Mahiti Infotech

Srinivas H.N of Mahiti took a 2 hour session on the basics of python programming at Reva engineering college, kogilu road, yelahanka .

Around 50 students and faculty attended the session and very eager to learn about the language and its comparisons to Java and C++ .Students asked questions like 'How to define a class in python' to 'garbage collection'.

The principal and HOD of Computer Science have shown interest in a more advanced lab session for the students soon.

Announcing ICT workshop for non-profits in Himachal Pradesh Sept 6-8

More details and application forms are at http://convene.mahiti.org/apply

Hosted by Impulse NGO Network our last workshop in Shillong had 21 participants. This was a single day workshop, so we had to make the programme as brief and crisp as possible. Giving extra attention to the introduction and expectations round enabled us to chalk out a suitable agenda for the workshop.

We began with a brief introduction to citizen journalism that covered:

• necessity of citizen journalism

• what is citizen journalism

Following this was a session on new media and publishing :

• getting to know new media and its relevance in citizen journalism

  • discourse with the participants

Our last session was a brief on audio and video editing. Due to lack of time we could not have a hands on session. Instead the question-and-answer round sparked some important reflections. We also distributed free-and-open-source software.

This last workshop brought new comprehension of citizen journalism, even for the facilitators from Mahiti and Convene.

From July 26 to 27, 2010 we had 22 participants from voluntary organisations that work with various issues in the remote regions of Tripura. We were hosted by Voluntary Health Association, Tripura. Being a significantly poor region of the North-East, the vibrancy and dedication of our participants must be noted at the outset.

As usual, we began with screening of a few video clips on citizen journalism. Following this we briefly did a round of introductions and expectation setting for the workshop.

Day one was to clear doubts and gain a broad idea about citizen journalism, we began the workshop by asking for reflections from the respective fields of work of our participants. This increased discussion time at the beginning  lead to greater interaction throughout both days. We began with a brief introduction to citizen journalism that covered:

• necessity of citizen journalism

• what is citizen journalism

Following this was a session on new media and publishing :

• getting to know new media

  • group activity and discourse

• how to report stories

We developed a relationship with the participants, allowing for better discussions about citizen journalism and its relevance in their fields of work.

Day two began with a brief round of sharing our reflections of the previous day's sessions, which allowed a nice flow in to the sessions for the day:

• blogging

  • how to create a blog

  • writing blog entries

  • upload pictures/audio/video

  • publishing

  • networking

• image editing – GIMP

• audio

  • production

    • audio recording

  • editing – Audacity

• video

  • how to use a camera

    • basics of how to use the camera

    • composing a frame

    • shooting an interview

  • editing – Kino

The discussions we had provided suggestions to the participants on how the tools could be used in their work.

We distributed free-and-open-source applications to the participants to conclude the workshop. It was a remarkable experience so far in our journey through the North-East. An experience indeed that was a milestone in our journey with citizen journalism.

Hosted by Grassroot Development Network and Mizo Zirlai Pawl General Headquarters (Mizo Students Association) we began our workshop at the Information and Public Relations Conference Hall at Aizwal Mizoram. We had 55 participants, mostly post-graduate students, some voluntary organisations and a few journalists. The workshop was held July 23rd and 24th, 2010.

The workshop had a formal inauguration with a few dignitaries who spoke and welcomed the participants. The workshop then began with the screening of a few clips on citizen journalism.

Day one, as always, started with a general introduction to citizen journalism to clear any doubts the participants had.We covered:

• necessity of citizen journalism

• what is citizen journalism

Following this was a session on new media and publishing :

• getting to know new media

  • group activity and discourse

• how to report stories

  • preparing news stories group activity

Day two dealt with the tools used for citizen journalism. The session taken included the following:

• blogging

  • how to create a blog

  • writing a blog entry

  • uploading pictures/audio/video

  • publishing

  • networking

• image editing – GIMP

• audio

  • production

    • audio recording

  • editing – Audacity

• video

  • how to use a camera

    • basics of how to use the camera

    • composing a frame

    • shooting an interview

  • editing – Kino

The session were great, with the participants able to quickly pick-up the various software. Following the session was a closing ceremony organised by the hosts to formally distribute certificates to the participants. We distributed free and open source applications thereafter.

All-in-all, participants were very receptive to the concepts of citizen journalism and helped the experience be enriching also to us.

Our workshop at Itanagar was held July 19th to 20th, 2010 at the JNK Public School. It was hosted by Centre for Cultural Research and Documentation. The 21 participants were post-graduate and undergraduate students, researchers, social workers and government employees.

We began the session with a screening of short films on citizen journalism. Following this we had a quick round of introductions in the form of an ice breaker. And to help us refine our agenda further we had a sharing of what was expected from the workshop by the participants. We had theory of citizen journalism on the first day and practicals on the second day.

Day one helped in clearing doubts and gain a fair idea about citizen journalism. We began with a brief introduction to citizen journalism that covered:

• necessity of citizen journalism

• what is citizen journalism

• how to report stories

  • preparing news stories

Following this was a session on new media and publishing:

• getting to know new media

  • group activity and discourse (in particular citizen journalism in the spectrum of new media)

The group activity helped significantly in getting an idea about citizen journalism and new media.

Day two as promised dealt with the probable practical tools used for citizen journalism. The session taken included the following:

• blogging

  • how to create a blog

  • writing blog entries

  • uploading pictures/audio/video

  • publishing

  • networking through blogs

• image editing – GIMP

• audio

  • production

    • audio recording

  • editing – Audacity

• video

  • how to use a camera

    • basics of how to use the camera

    • composing a frame

    • shooting an interview

  • editing – Kino

The hands-on sessions started before lunch and extended until the end of the workshop. All participants used the time to practice and also clarify any doubts they had. At the end of the workshop we distributed free-and-open-source applications.

The experience for us at Itanagar was memorable because of the enthusiasm of the participants who came from different sectors. The interactions here were timely and good food for thought.

Press:

Citizen journalism and new media

ITANAGAR, July 19: The two-day workshop on citizen journalism and new media hosted by Centre for Cultural Research and Documentation, organized by Foundation for People Empowerment and supported by Panos South Asia began at JNK Memorial Public School today.

On the opening day today, resource persons highlighted about citizen journalism, its aspect and need in the present day context.

The practical session of the workshop will be held in the second day.

Students, Medias, NGO and government employees are taking part in the workshop.

http://www.arunachaltimes.com/jul%2020%20.html#Citizen

A 3-day ICT workshop for Vibha partners was organized in Pune, Maharashtra from July 16th to 18th at the J.P. Naik Education Centre and attended by 14 participants from around Mumbai and Pune.

We started with an introduction and agenda discussion to gauge participant expectations from the workshop. On the first day we talked about the free software philosophy, then moved on to Google Apps and spent most of the afternoon demonstrating Google Apps and creating and sharing documents collaboratively. This was a complete hands-on session. In the late afternoon, we moved on to OpenOffice and explained its similarities to the Microsoft Office Suite, everyone was eager to learn more about this free software suite.

The second day was focused on blogging and Wikipedia.We helped many participants to create their own blogs and explained the possible uses for blogs and wikis. Wikibooks was something everyone liked since they were from the education sector. Audacity (audio editing software) was demonstrated in the evening through a hands-on session.

The final day, we talked about and worked with participants on GIMP (image editing) followed by Kino (video editing). The last session of the day was on the Ubuntu operation system, including how to install and use it. We also installed it on some of the participants laptops. Before closing the sessions, we answered any questions participants had.

CDs and t-shirts were distributed to everyone at the end of the event, and a follow-up workshop is planned in future.

At St Joseph's College, Jakhama our workshop was held on July 16 and 17. A total of 24 participants from educational, religious and social development sector. Many of the participants were students, adding their vibrant enthusiasm to the event.

The workshop began with a screening of a film based on citizen journalism. Following this we had a quick round of introductions in the form of an ice breaker. Hearing the expectations of the participants thereafter helped us refine our agenda for the workshop. We decided to have theory of citizen journalism on the first day and practicals on the second day.

Day one was planned to clear doubts and give a fair idea about citizen journalism. We began with a brief introduction to citizen journalism that covered:

• necessity of citizen journalism

• what is citizen journalism

• how to report stories

  • preparing news stories

Following this was a session on new media and publishing :

• getting to know new media

  • group activity and discourse

• jest on blogging

The session post lunch entertained a good discourse on getting to understand citizen journalism and new media.

Day two, as promised, dealt with practical tools used for citizen journalism. The session taken included the following:

• blogging

  • how to create a blog
    

  • how to write an article

  • uploading pictures/audio/video

  • publishing

  • networking

• image editing – GIMP

• audio

  • production

    • audio recording

  • editing – Audacity

• video

  • how to use a camera

    • composing a frame

    • shooting an interview

  • editing – Kino

We also had an online video call regarding online activism with an activist from Mumbai, with who the participants were able to interact. It proved to be very useful and enabled the participants to have a better understanding of citizen journalism and online activism.

A hands on session was conducted thereafter and we concluded the workshop by handing out free-and-open-source-software.

The vibrancy of the participants added on to the quality of the workshop. It was yet again a different and a great learning experience for us.

Press: http://www.cathnewsindia.com/2010/07/20/church-gives-students-a-taste-of-new-media/

This month, we're spending a lot of time in the North-East of India conducting Citizen Journalism workshops. We started this tour in Dimapur, Nagaland and partnered with with the Foundation for People Empowerment and Panos South Asia. Around 30 people from the NGO, religious and defence sectors attended the workshop.

The session began with screening a few videos based on Citizen Journalism. Following this a brief introduction to Citizen Journalism was given covering:

• necessity of Citizen Journalism

• what is Citizen Journalism

Following this a session on reporting and publishing was given on

• how to report stories

  • preparing news stories

• connecting to the internet

• creating blogs

Due to time constraints two interactive sessions were held for the participants to gain some practical knowledge on citizen journalism and citizen journalism reporting. A number of queries pertaining to the practice of citizen journalism led to healthy discussions. We also distributed portable software applications.

 The workshop was a great experience for us.

Press:

Adding on to the learning curve of Convene was the recently held ICT workshop in Jaipur. Most organisations present were dealing directly with disabilities and special education and choicest services to deprived children. And at this juncture of our journey, we feel quite enriched and humbled to facilitate the learning of our participants. This was yet another moment where we saw technology cut through various barriers making information available to those who searched. We could only learn more in the process to make our workshop modules even stronger and efficient.

The Workshop

The workshop had eleven participants from four organisations. Three organisations from Rajasthan and one from New Delhi.

Day one:

• Ice-breaker

• Spectrogram

• Expectations of the workshop from the participants

• Collective participatory agenda setting

• Sessions (theoretical and hands-on):

  • Firefox add-ons

  • OpenOffice

Day two:

• Ice-breaker

• Sessions (theoretical and hands-on):

• Creative Commons

• Wikipedia

• Google Apps

• GIMP

• Break-out session:

  • Exercise on applying Creative Commons, Wikipedia and Google Apps in fields of their organisations.

Day three:

• Ice-breaker

• Sessions (theoretical and hands-on):

• Blogging

• Twitter

• Audacity

• Kino

• Ubuntu

• Ubuntu installation

• Open Disc/Migration

• Feedback session

Visits

Prayas

We visited Prayas (Jaipur), an organisation dedicated to the uplifting of the mentally challenged, physically disabled and socially deprived children. Through three centres around Jaipur they serve close to 500 children through different programmes.

What we did there:

• Feasibility study of the organisation's migration towards Open Source

• Finding additional requirements and probable possibilities for the workshop to strengthen our syllabi for future workshops

• Tour of the organisation

WASCO

• On a post workshop visit we also went to WASCO (a NABARD funded organisation dealing with watershed management) to fix their internet connectivity.

Perhaps one of those days when the weather in Chennai is friendly and not all that harsh especially for those from outside city. Well, it was a one of a kind of climate that facilitated the ambience at our workshop in Chennai. We had a favourable blend of 24 participants from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu who worked at various levels in the formal and non-formal education sector.

The levels of participation was significant despite the workshop being conducted almost simultaneously in three languages. The time spent was well utilised by both the participants and the facilitators. Challenges posed in their respective fields of work were fairly discussed, that lead to certain sessions being dedicated to their requirements. Towards end of the workshop an air of satisfaction did prevail. Indeed yet another humbling and enriching experience.

Foundation for People Empowerment,(Guwahati) in association with Mahiti (Bangalore) are organising a series of workshops on Citizen Journalism in the Northeast between July 15-27, 2010.

Citizen Journalism is an extremely important tool that  has enabled the populous to play 'the gate keeper of democracy'. Citizen Journalism with its robust, random and unconventional style of reporting has gained significant attention in the eye of the mainstream media. The dawn of new media has facilitated the growth and spread of Citizen Journalism through the powerful use of the internet and simple mass media gadgets.

This is an event for professionals actively working with marginalised communities having experience in advocacy, campaigning, and having regional or international networks. The workshop participants would be advocates, technology specialists, designers and strategists who have used OR PLAN TO USE technological tools and tactics in their campaigns. They need not be experts but need to have an aptitude for the use of technological tools and basic computer usage skills, along with a track record of active involvement in rights advocacy initiatives. Participants whose work centres on the gathering, dissemination and design of information
would benefit immensely.

Objective of the workshop: Introduction and hands on experience of new media tools to grass root activists.

Participant's eligibility
(1)   Communication skills in English
(2)   Basic computer operation skills: Internet, email, word processing, etc.
(3)   All participants must be available throughout the event.

The break up of the dates and venues follow below;
15-July: Dimapur, Nagaland
16-17 July: Jakhama, Nagaland
19-20 July: Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh
23-24 July: Aizawl, Mizoram
27-July: Agartala, Tripura


Please note:
- Venue and date: Workshop venue will be informed to the participants
by email and Phone/SMS.
- Selection: Due to limited resources, only selected candidates will
be invited to the workshop.
- There will be no travel or accommodation allowances provided to the
participants.
- Food will provided at the venue.

For details, please contact:
Babul Gogoi
Phone:  +91-9613222362, +91-9868182079
Email: training@fpe.net.in
Website: www.fpe.net.in

Mahiti participated in this year's Majja Run & Costume competition!

On May 23rd, thousands of Bangaloreans came out to the Sunfeast Marathon with the noble cause of raising funds for charity. The Mahiti team participated in the costume competition with the theme of Free and Open Source Software.

There were five categories of race:

WORLD 10K (10 km), OPEN 10K RUN (10 km), MAJJA RUN(5.7 km), Sr. Citizens’ Run (4 km) and Wheelchair Event.

Mahiti team participated in Majja Run scheduled to begin at 9:00am in Kanteerva stadium. We reached there at 8:00 am to make sure to get a good place, with four people wearing Free and Open Source Software mascot themed costumes. Before the start of run we had an opportunity to talk to the media about our choice in costumes, who we are and why we were supporting the Sunfeast Marathon. We described the meaning of Convene and Free and Open Source Software.

 At around 9:00 we started the run, with the weather well-suited for such a day. It was great to see how enthusiastic everyone was about running for a social cause. As the name Majja (Fun) implies, it was full of enjoyment and fun! There was no sign of tiredness on any face as we were greeted by Bangaloreans lining the streets while we were on our way. We completed the race around 11:00 am and though it was over, people were still energetic because of how much we enjoyed ourselves. It was a nice experience, especially given the positive impact that we all contributed to.