The Ethnos Project

Call for Papers Conference Theme: Into the Future: Themes, insights and agendas for ICT4D research and practice Ocho Rios Jamaica,  19-22 May, 2013 Submission Deadline :November 23, 2012 The International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) invites you to the 12th International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries. The conference will be held [...]

In February 2012, 35 youth from regional Australia set out to improve regional Australia for young people at the Heywire Regional Youth Summit in Canberra. Nine groups were formed, with the aim to have a specific issue addressed. The Indigenous Heritage and Education group members are Lance Ashley from Hodgson Downs, NT, Timmy Watson from [...]

This post is about a project that hasn’t quite finished incubating, but looks very interesting from the perspective of community memory, cultural mapping, and land use consultation. What follows is cobbled together from different sources… The Dreamcatcher Informatics project In 2009-2010, the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sport recommended the Dreamcatcher Informatics project (under [...]

Call for Papers International Journal of Information Technology and Management (IJITM) has issued a call for papers for a special issue on “Technology Design for ICT4D Initiatives: Challenges and Opportunities”. Guest Editors: Saqib Saeed (Bahria University, Pakistan) and Christopher G. Reddick (University of Texas at San Antonio, USA). Information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) is an [...]

A paper by Amit Basole, University of Massachusetts (2006) Abstract This paper attempts to address the issue of virtualizability of lokavidya. Lokavidya has been conceptualized as the vidya (value-laden knowledge) possessed by the farmers, artisans, women and tribal societies the world over and as being inseparable from their world-view and value system. Lokavidya has also [...]

Call for Proposals Conference organised by the Africa Media Centre Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI). Date: 15 June 2012 Venue: University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London, W1B 2UW In Africa, as in many societies, new technologies increasingly play a prominent role in the production and exchange of information. In spite of their limited [...]

Below are four playlists from UNESCO’s YouTube account. Each playlist includes a selection of Intangible Cultural Heritage videos from around the world. Grab a cup of tea, play hooky, and enjoy!

This video documentary and the paper below were created by Daniel C. Hottle in fulfillment of requirements for his Masters degree in Digital Storytelling from Ball State University. From the BSU Digital Storytelling website: “This action research study examines the roles emerging digital technologies play in the cultural preservation efforts of indigenous Australians. It illustrates [...]

A talk to DFID by Dr. Mark Graham of the Oxford Internet Institute The Internet and other new technologies have put information at the centre of the global economy. It is therefore important to understand who produces and reproduces this information, who has access, and who and where are represented by information in our contemporary [...]

A Mobile4D Application Generator and Implementation Initiative Mobile phones and smart applications have become an important if not the key factor in many current development initiatives. One of the main questions remaining is: Which are the key “killer” applications that make a real difference for personal and community development, provide real solutions and benefits, add [...]

ACM DEV 2013 3rd Symposium on Computing for Development Co-located with COMSNETS January 11-12, 2013 Bangalore, India http://dev2013.org/ Important Dates Submissions due: September 7, 2012 (11:59pm UTC) – firm deadline Author notification: October 26, 2012 Camera-ready: December 7, 2012 Conference: January 11-12, 2013 DEV 2013 provides an international forum for research in the design and [...]

A book by Andrew Shea. Foreword by William Drenttel | Illustrations by Ellen Lupton Available now | Paperback, 160 pages, 146 color illustrations About the Book From the back cover: “Some call it design for the greater good. Others call it social design. Whatever you call it, it’s clear that an altruistic impulse is on [...]

A publication of the United Nations Development Programme (2012) I haven’t focused many blog posts here on mobile technologies for development – which is odd considering my interest in them. Over the last few years, I have worked as web developer and consultant for several mobile-oriented efforts (see below) and continue to keep my ear [...]

Last year and two weeks ago, I posted papers by folks affiliated with the eThekwini Municipal Library in Durban, South Africa. The Library is home to The Ulwazi Programme, an exciting initiative I’d like to introduce in full in this post. The Ulwazi Programme is several things: a collection of technologies, social initiatives and research [...]

An article by Jane Lydon, Monash University (2010) Abstract This paper considers the intersection of Aboriginal traditions surrounding photography and the use of new technologies as both a research tool and a community resource. Over recent decades Australian cultural institutions have radically altered their management of photographic archives in response to changing political and intellectual [...]

A paper by Udo Richard Averweg and Elizabeth Hester Greyling, eThekwini Municipal Library, Durban (2010) Abstract Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are the basis for social appropriation in local communities. ICTs hold significant potential for positive benefits for local communities to deal with ‘digital’ connectivity and global knowledge contexts. With the digitalisation of knowledge, including [...]

A paper presentation by Jane Anderson (2005) Presentation (requires QuickTime) Abstract Last year, a friend of mine from a remote community in Arnhem Land, in northern Australia, came down to Canberra to look through various collections that pertained to his community and his clan, the Gupapyngu people. (The trip takes a day and a half [...]

A chapter by Kathryn Toure, Mamadou Lamine Diarra, Thierry Karsenti, Salomon Tchaméni-Ngamo (2008) Abstract Many academic and popular writers have warned that the internet could be another form of cultural imperialism used by corporate-led western powers to force feed western values and worldviews to the rest of the world, similar to how Western education was [...]

Full Title: Information and Communication Technologies, Knowledge Management and Indigenous Knowledge: Implications to Livelihood of Communities in Ethiopia A paper by Lishan Adam (2007) Introduction This brief paper discusses the role of information and communication technologies in gathering, storing and disseminating indigenous knowledge, the various community-based structures to be used in order to safeguard and [...]

Nurturing the oral heritage of minority cultures in a digital world The following text is from the Living Cultural Storybases website: http://storybases.org/ Misson LCS seeks to nurture the oral heritage of minority cultures by developing respectful methodologies accompanied by appropriate technological solutions. We aim to enable indigenous communities to share and celebrate their traditional stories, poems [...]

Ogoki Learning Systems Inc. is releasing their App code for free The following text is from the Ogoki Learning Systems Inc. website: Would you like your own Aboriginal language app for the iPad, iPhone or Touch? Your language app can look like Ojibway – People and Language iPhone app Build your own iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch Language [...]

An article by Katarina Soukup, Igloolik Isuma Productions (2006) When the time came a few years ago to find an Inuktitut term for the word ”Internet,” Nunavut’s former Official Languages Commissioner, Eva Aariak, chose ikiaqqivik, or ”traveling through layers” (Minogue, 2005, n.p.). The word comes from the concept describing what a shaman does when asked to find out about living or deceased relatives or [...]

A paper by Angelina Russo and Jerry Watkins, Queensland University of Technology (2005) Abstract Digital Cultural Communication (DCC) is a new field of research and design which seeks to build a co­creative relationship between the cultural institution and the community by using new media to produce audience­focused cultural interactive experiences (Russo and Watkins 2005). By [...]

A paper by Deb Stumm and Christine Sayer, State Library of Queensland (2008) Abstract In the vast state of Queensland, the ability to create and share stories about people, places, landscapes and ecology using digital technology and the World Wide Web bridges distance and difference. The sharing of stories is the key concept around which [...]

A paper by Charlotte A. Harris and Roger W. Harris (2011) Abstract The global digital divide threatens to exclude millions of people from the potential benefits of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), especially computers and the Internet. Many of these people live in rural, isolated and remote places of developing countries and are unlikely to [...]

A paper by Maja van der Velden, University of Oslo (2005) Abstract The diversity of knowledge is crucial for finding credible and sustainable alternatives for living together. Yet, a preoccupation with content and connectivity obscures the role of information technology in making invisible different ways of knowing and other logics and experiences. How to deal [...]

When: Wednesday, 5th September 2012 at 9am - 4pm Thursday, 6th September Where: University of Agder (UiA), Kristiansand, Norway The 7th Annual Symposium of the International Network for Postgraduate Students in the area of ICT4D (IPID) will be held 5-6 September, 2012 at University of Agder (UiA), Kristiansand, Norway. IPID is a network of postgraduate students doing research in ICT4D and operates through [...]

An article by Krista Donaldson (2008) I was forwarded a copy of this article a few years ago by a colleague – and just thought of it again recently. Thankfully, I was able to find a link to it from Dr. Donaldson’s Stanford website. Excerpt There are thoughtful debates on “design and development” versus “design [...]

This post contains abstracts and links to a selection of papers written about Indigenous Knowledge and Resource Management in Northern Australia (IKRMNA). From their website: IKRMNA was a three year 2003-2006 ARC Linkage Project to support and develop Indigenous databases that maintain and enhance the strength of local languages, cultures and environments in Northern Australia. [...]

A doctoral dissertation by Te Taka Keegan, University of Waikato (2007) Abstract The research described in this thesis examines indigenous language usage in a digital library environment that has been accessed via the Internet. By examining discretionary use of the Māori Niupepa and Hawaiian Nūpepa digital libraries this research investigates how indigenous languages were used [...]

This post is a Jane Hunter trifecta. Dr. Hunter is currently a Professorial Research Fellow & Leader of the eResearch Lab at The University of Queensland’s School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. Software Tools for Indigenous Knowledge Management (2002) by Jane Hunter, Bevan Koopman, Jane Sledge Indigenous communities are beginning to realize the potential [...]

A presentation written by Penny Carnaby and delivered by Sue Sutherland (Milan, Italy 2009) Abstract While the complex issues concerning the protection and preservation of digital assets are better understood by the information professions, there is still much thinking required about the preservation and protection of the new wave of citizen-created content. Traditionally information professionals [...]

An article by Nicholas Nakata (2007) Abstract The intersection of public institutions managing large amounts of information and knowledge and new information and communication technologies has brought forward exciting and innovative changes to the ways information and knowledge have been traditionally managed. This paper provides a brief snapshot of some of the key issues facing [...]

Call for Proposals From the GHTC website: Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC) 2012 is the IEEE flagship annual conference designed to gather together scientists, engineers, technology professionals, academics, foundations, government and non-government organizations, and individuals engaged in humanitarian work to discuss and develop solutions for present and future humanitarian needs. An international conference, we anticipate [...]

An international conference 26-28 September 2012, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada From the UNESCO website: UNESCO proposes to organize an international conference from 26 to 28 September 2012 in Vancouver (BC) Canada, to explore the main issues affecting the preservation of digital documentary heritage, in order to develop strategies that will contribute to greater protection of [...]

Back in 2008, while studying at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, had the honor of serving as the Master of Ceremonies for the inaugural Global Interaction in Design Conference (GLIDE’08). Founded by my friend and mentor Audrey Bennett, Associate Professor in the Department of Language, Literature, and Communication at RPI, GLIDE is gearing up for its [...]

I just learned about this project from an @IsumaTV tweet that points to a post on Stacey Aglok’s Puhitaq blog. Ilinniarnaqsivuq / Time for School From the concept document presented below: Time For School/Ilihaqta (working title) is an interactive storybook/game and learning application designed for Inuit children aged 3-7. Select from Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun and English, [...]

About the Journal The International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT) is an e-journal that provides free and open access to all of its content. It aims to strengthen links between research and practice in ICT in education and development in hitherto less developed parts of the world, e.g., in [...]

A paper by Arvind Ranganathan, Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, India (2005). Abstract Existing ICT implementation are largely top-down in their information flow: from experts to target groups. Merely incorporating indigenous knowledge within this structure places it at a considerable disadvantage. A wealth of knowledge is already available within the developing world, particularly with regard [...]

Updates 12/30/11: Added Archon, Kete, and Open Exhibits. 5/12/12: Added DAITSS, DPSP, HOPPLA, and RODA. In honor of the new year, I thought I’d offer a list of (now 27) free and open source digital curation, asset management & community archiving systems that may be of interest to communities (Indigenous or not) seeking to sustain [...]

The other day, I found an IDRC report about the Asháninka and their use of the Internet dating back to 2000. Coincidentally, the Atlantic just ran a post about the Asháninka based on some photos and text released by Survival International. I have cobbled various bits together below with the intention of introducing the Asháninka [...]

A paper by Laurel Evelyn Dyson and Jim Underwood (2005) Abstract This paper explores the ways in which Indigenous people around the world are participating in the World Wide Web, through establishing their own websites or accessing services via the Web. Indigenous websites are remarkably diverse: in addition to those representing Indigenous organizations and promoting [...]

What is Miromaa? From the Miromaa website: Miromaa is a program which we [Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association, Inc. (ACRA)] have developed to aid in language preservation, reclamation and dissemination work, it is a easy to use, user friendly database to help you gather, organise, analyse and produce outcomes for your language work. The program enforces [...]

Dr. Scott Heyes (Assistant Professor at the University of Canberra) presented this paper at the Indigenous Knowledge and Technology Conference (IKTC 2011) in Namibia on 2-4 November. Dr. Heyes is a Cultural Geographer and Landscape Architect who has worked on some very interesting projects. About Scott Heyes >> Abstract Inuit storytelling in the Ungava Bay [...]

The Number in My Pocket: The Power of Mobile Technology for the Exchange of Indigenous Knowledge Betsie Greyling (with Ulwazi) and Niall McNulty presented a poster by this name at the The Third International m-libraries Conference (11-13 May 2011) in Brisbane, Australia. The poster outlines the Ulwazi Programme’s plans for developing a system to collect [...]

This collection of press releases, articles, and presentation slides tells the ongoing story of the Maasai of Laikipya and their use of technology to preserve and sustain their cultural heritage starting in 2006 to now. Pilot Project with the Maasai Community WIPO Press Release Geneva, May 20, 2008 PR/2008/553 The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) [...]

A paper by Melissa R. Ho, Thomas N. Smyth, Matthew Kam, and Andy Dearden (2009) Abstract Recent years have seen a burgeoning interest in research into the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the context of developing regions, particularly into how such ICTs might be appropriately designed to meet the unique user and [...]

Welcome to Ara Irititja Visit the Ara Irititja project website >> From the Ara Irititja website: “Ara Irititja means ‘stories from a long time ago’ in the language of Anangu (Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people) of Central Australia. The aim of Ara Irititja is to bring back home materials of cultural and historical significance to Anangu. [...]

A kind fellow by the name of Jeremy just sent me a message letting me know that the link to the Digital Songlines page listed in the Ethnos Project Resources Database was down. After looking around a bit online, I have learned why: the group that created the project is sadly no longer in existence. [...]

A paper by Professor Tania M. Ka‘ai and Professor John C. Moorfield (2011) Introduction Māori are the indigenous people of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Māori is one of three official languages of the country, but is not compulsory in schools. Only 4% of Aotearoa/NewZealand’s total population of around 4 million can speak Māori and only 23% of [...]