Imagining in the clouds of africa

For those of you who missed Szavannahs speach, here you go.... you can almost pretend you were there ;)


OpenCafe Talk

SLIDE 1. OpenCafe Intro

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Greetings all - I am Szavanna - ( or just Sza :)I am going to tell you about a small African project called the Opencafe. I built a small cafe here - to give you an idea what I am going to talk about so please look around here in our OpenCafe – the info on the walls and everything else in the cafe will explain about the projects we have been busy with.

I will will also show you slides to my right – please read them as we go along.

The cafe started back in 2001 and since then we have taken part in many different open source and open content initiatives ( both offline and online) and we also experimented with all types of fun projects along the way.

Just to give you a quick idea : the cafe runs on Ubuntu Linux, the open source operating system, you can also get your own copy of Ubuntu at the cafe. We have taken part in science projects, art initiatives, we have taught computer skills to help manage local NGOs, we have also built a solar oven, did some jamming and firedancing too ...
and since the beginning of 2008 the OpenCafe is around in Second Life as well ...
- mainly as the building school called OpenBuilding - that provides free building classes and building materials to all those new to building.

I will tell you more about this school later on.

Just like Junivers's lyrics and John Lennon's Imagine suggests - the Imagine festival is about awareness, about freedom to grow and learn new things, create the type of world we want live in.

The OpenCafe has been such a project - it helped me learn new things and grow in many ways - and I will try to explain what I mean by this exactly.

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SLIDE 2 - BUILDING OPEN COMMUNITIES

Looking back after having done various online and offline projects - I find that the word "open" in the name OpenCafe has meant so many different things ) those that have been using these open technologies will probably know exactly what I am trying to say:
- opensource software - open source project culture- open content – content that is open for all to use, modify and share ( tutorials, lesson plans, poetry, music, videos, and more published under open licenses )-innovation-improvisation- cultural fusion - be open to share about your culture and ready to get to know others- as in jazz - freely evolving and accepting change as a natural part of the projects

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SLIDE 3 - UBUNTU

> Meaning of Ubuntu
Ubuntu is an important word in the cafe - not only because we are using Ubuntu Linux to run the internet cafe but also because we try to base all that we do - on the African concept of Ubuntu.

Talking about Ubuntu ( both the operating system or the African concept ) I feel is not the real thing – better do it :)
- but I will try to explain a bit what the concept means to many here in Africa.
Some words that people mention when talking about Ubuntu :

> Sharing

> Respect

> Helpfulness

> Care

> Trust

> Unselfishness

> Community

The short definition many mention is : “I am because we are”.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu's definition of Ubuntu is :

“A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed. “

I am going to ask you to watch a short 2 minute video in which Nelson Mandela explains about Ubuntu. This video is included in all copies of Ubuntu Linux – that is how I discovered it.

The link to the video is :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODQ4WiDsEBQ

I will type his words here – since the video is not very good quality – please read if you have problems understanding his words :

" In the old days, a traveler who stopped at a village, he didn't have to ask for food or for water. Once he stopped - The people gave him food and entertained him.That is one aspect of Ubuntu - but it would have various aspects.

Ubuntu doesn't mean that people should not enrich themselves, the question therefore is - are you going to do so in order to enable the community around you to be able to improve.
These are the important things in life and if we have done this - we have done something very important which will be appreciated."
Did you all manage to see the video?

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SLIDE 4 - WHAT IS THE OPENCAFE

> A small open source internet cafe> A small neighborhood project> Experimental place for testing open tools> A place for discussions> A way of life> Online and Offline
Project culture.Through setting up and running the cafe we learned about the process open source projects are run by and started using those ideas in everything else we did.
This meant that we shared most materials we worked with -with everyone else, it meant that we often created an online space for the project as well – and started working with others around the world on ideas.

It also became part of the process to regularly review results and looked at everything as a work in progress – there is always room for improvement.
Let's have a look at some of the projects we have been involved in so that you can get a better idea about the type of projects we like to work on.

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SLIDE 5 - PROJECT 1 - FREEDOM TOASTER

The OpenCafe was one of the first 5 locations that received a toaster in South Africa in 2005 - from the Shuttleworth Foundation.
Freedom Toasters are conveniently located, self-contained, computer-based, 'Bring 'n Burn' facilities.

Like vending machines, Freedom Toasters are preloaded to dispense free digital products, including software, photography, music and literature.
The Freedom Toaster project began as a means of overcoming the difficulty in getting Linux and Open Source software - since connections in Africa are many times poor quality and most still have no Internet access at all.

The cafe was a good location for the toaster
- since it is also important to have someone nearby to explain a bit about the software and other material available through the toaster
- and in the cafe people could also test Linux before they made their own copies.

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SLIDE 6 - PROJECT 2 - SUPPORTING ARTISTS
The cafe has been supporting local artist for a few years - this support includes any help the artist needs while he/she is busy using computers, or the NET to make their art works digitally available.
Support might range from just scanning in paintings to setting up a blog or site or even help publish a book.
We have also worked with a few artists from different African countries and from the US.

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SLIDE 7 - PROJECT 3 - BEAUTIFUL AFRICA BLOG

The Beautiful Africa blog carnival project was running for a year with the help of 3 bloggers living in Africa - Esther in Niger, Loomnie in Nigeria and me - we searched the NET for interesting posts about Africa and once a month we posted a collection that included stories, poetry, music - it's a nice blog to visit - and is still available at :
http://belleafrique.blogspot.com/.

I am going to tell you about this fun project a little later.

These are just a few of the many things the cafe was involved in - at the moment in RL we are working with a group of local singers - and teach them how to use Facebook, Myspace and create their own website to market themselves.

SLIDE 8 - OpenCafe in SL***************************

Second Life seemed very interesting from the beginning from the "opencafe point of view :)
and I decided to see how I could make it part of the OpenCafe's projects.
I was given free space at the Non Profit Commons to introduce my little initiative and so the cafe's second life has started in early 2008.

I have realised that SL is a great community to experiment with these open concepts
- so after spending some time learning teaching - I was able to open the OpenBuilding school on Illinois State University's Geo Island - where we have free classes - all training materials are free as well.

The school is firstly there to teach basic building skills.

Apart from this - we also focus on introducing builders to African traditions - since our classbuilds are often inspired by African topics- and during class - we spend time telling students about the story behind each build.

You can buy some of these step by step tutorials for 0L - they are right next to me here in the festival's OpenCafe build.

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