NPDD/Baobáxia/ISOC Community Grants 2013

14 Project Summary

Please write a brief summary of your Project, indicating why the Project is important,
whom will benefit, what need is being addressed, how your project is going to address
it and how it relates to the Internet Society Strategic objectives.

Project Baobáxia deals with the idealization, development and implementation of a distributed architecture, focused on integrating local networks even in places where the internet link is unstable, slow and also unavailable. Based on experience gained by Rede Mocambos, that works on integrating around two hundred quilombolas and traditional communities in all brazilian regions through appropriation of technologies also to overcome the precariousness of internet access that become an indepement for an effective comunication between these communities and the world. That is why there is the idea of ​​a distributed architecture, based entirely on free and open technologies to integrate federated autonomous networks eventually conected. The project is based on the creation of local services that enable working with network communication in each locality, even when the Internet is not available - storing data for later synchronization, offering local content and software mirrors, adapting the technological development to local demands and conditions.

15 Project background and justification

State concisely what Community, networking or educational need is being addressed by your project.

The project starts on concept that we need to develope information and telecommunication technologies that really satisfy society's needings. This project it's a part of Rede Mocambos tecnological strategy that focus on empowering communication through appropriation of ICTs in around two hundred communities localized all over Brazil. They are Rural and urban quilombos, indigenous aldeias, terreiros and associations beside attivists and researchers that use internet as a tool for engagement and cooperation. While respecting the uniqueness and self-determination of each of these contexts, can be found among them many points in common: the question of territory in its multiple dimensions, resistance to homogenization of cultural expressions, seeking recovery of the tradition as tool of insertion to a contemporary world with more room for diversity; practical and concrete criticism to individualistic and consumerist society, creating sustainable alternatives; the ubiquitous condition of precariousness of communication infrastructures. Many communities are in remote locations, which usually attract little or no interest from telecommunications companies, generally oriented only by profit. Even with support of public program against digital divide like GESAC and Telecentros.BR, the Rede Mocambos frequently meet the worstest condition on connectivity to develope its actions. They are places where internet access is extremily slow, or it's available only intermittently. We believe it is necessary to plead better connection to all of these communities, but we also know that there is no instant solution.

16 Resource justification

Why are you (the applicant) the most capable Chapter or individual to address this need?

17 Key Individuals

Please list the name, location and responsibilities/roles of the Project team. 

18 Objectives

Along with the goals outlined in the Project summary, detail the specific objectives of the project.
Remember objectives should be S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and
Time-sensitive).

19 Method

Describe how you will achieve the Project objectives (strategy, methodology, scope and
boundaries, evaluation…)

20 Technical requirements

Indicate any specific technologies the project is planning to adopt and why.

21 Risk Analysis/Project Constrains

List factors that could affect the project roll-out and detail the measures you will take to 
prevent/manage them. 

22 Timeline of activities

Please provide a timeline of your Project activities. If you already have a timeline created in
a separate file, you may upload it to the Documents area, with a note here for the Committee

23 Beneficiaries

List key stakeholder groups and individuals that will be interested in your Project outputs and/or
will be affected by them.

Comunidades interligadas a Rede Mocambos, atualmente cerca de duzentas comunidades (200) em dezoito (18) estados brasileiros. O projeto será implementado inicialmente em cinco (5) comunidades quilombolas mais estruturadas, chamados Núcleos de Formação Continuada. O material produzido será disponibilizado para o público na internet com licenças abertas.

Uma mapa das comunidades que participam da Rede Mocambos está disponível no endereço (usuário e senha: livre): http://mapa.mocambos.net

24 Evaluation & Impact

Indicate how you will evaluate the success of the project. How will you know if the project
has succeeded in meeting its S.M.A.R.T. goals? 

25 Outputs & Dissemination Plan

State what the project will deliver and how the results/information will be shared with
stakeholders and the community

26 Sustainability

Describe how the project will continue after ISOC’s funds are done. List the potential project
results that might be taken forward, how will you find further financial support to make them
sustainable in the long term.

A Rede Mocambos é uma iniciativa em andamento, articulada dentre diversas organizações em diferentes localidades. Seus Núcleos de trabalho têm diferentes estratégias de sustentabilidade, já em implementação. O presente pedido de apoio tem por objetivo criar as condições para investir no desenvolvimento de um tipo de solução tecnológica que a pressão das demandas cotidianas sempre tende a adiar: alternativas tecnológicas escaláveis, autônomas e que façam frente à instabilidade estrutural do acesso à internet por comunidades periféricas. Não estamos tratando de inventar alternativas tecnológicas que criem mais dependência. Muito pelo contrário: a busca aqui é pela autonomia tecnológica, criando tecnologias que se sustentarão no próprio uso pelas diferentes comunidades. Em termos práticos, o Projeto conta com a participação direta dos NFCs, onde serão instalados os primeiros servidores locais. Cada Núcleo provê de maneira autônoma a gestão local, garantindo acesso público aos espaços e aos recursos como o telecentro. Todos os telecentros da Rede Mocambos, através da parceria com os programas Telecentros.BR e GESAC, garantem máquinas para acesso (10 computadores), conexão internet por satélite e uma bolsa para monitor. A Casa de Cultura Tainã, promotora da Rede Mocambos, disponibiliza a infraestrutura logística da Casa e os recursos necessários para residências de desenvolvimento e os encontros presenciais, como as Pajelanças Quilombólicas, para troca de conhecimentos e formação. A Casa de Cultura Tainã sustenta as ações da Rede Mocambos, desde que lançou este projeto em 2001, através da busca de parceiros institucionais públicos e privados, além de contar com colaboradores nacionais e internacionais. Em detalhe contribuirão a manutenção e sustentabilidade:

• Objetivo 1 e 2 - A rede de servidores locais e o acervo descentralizado serão mantidos com apoio do NFCs:
  • Casa de Cultura Tainã, Campinas/SP
  • Terreiro Ponto de Cultura Coco de Umbigada, Olinda/PE
  • Casa do Boneco/Quilombo d'Oiti, Itacaré/BA
  • Quilombo da Fazenda, Ubatuba/SP
  • Comunidades Quilombola da Cordilheira do Espinhaço - Associação Projeto Presente, Santana do Riacho/MG
  • Instituto Sociocultural Afro-Sul Odomode, Porto Alegre/RS
• Objetivo 3 - O catálogo patrimoniado será mantido com apoio da Unicamp, parceira da Rede Mocambos, por meio:
  • Coordenadoria de Centros e Núcleos Interdisciplinares de Pesquisa (COCEN)
  • Núcleo de Informática Aplicada à Educação (NIED)
  • Centro de Lógica, Epistemologia e História da Ciência (CLE)

28 Other Sources of Support

Please list all the individuals, organizations , or other Internet Society Chapters that are providing
support to your project, in either the form of cash or in-kind donations.