News Cafe

The biggest headline is we hashed out a preliminary plan for the participatory photo project that we all voted on at the first 4D meeting. Orlando, Ashley and I met for a follow-up session and fleshed out the details. We will email you all the proposal when it’s complete and present it at the next meeting.

Here’s a bite-size recap-

Project name: Ahecha Paraguay
Target beneficiaries: Paraguayan youth in PC communities
The need: A common volunteer experience in site has been colliding into community organizing obstacles due to the inhibited creativity development prevalent in the population.
Immediate goals: Create digital camera kits with resource guides so that PCVs can facilitate youth photography workshops in site and exhibit participant photos in local institutions. The aim of the photography workshops is to create an outlet for Paraguayan youth to develop creativity, identity and more technical skills.
Long-term goals: Organize a traveling gallery between participating communities; sell participant photos in form of greeting cards, postcards, calendars etc. to sustain project activities.
How: Apply for initial funding from outside sources via Peace Corps Partnership Program; possibly SPA.
When: We’re working on it now but let’s set some concrete goals for fechas at the next meeting

Other noteworthy points:
- Most of the money should ideally come from local, Paraguayan sources
- Liability will be a major issue
– 1 initial proposal is that camera use must stay in PCV presence
- For imminent printing needs, we should try to work out deals with friendly photo labs

As for the creative radio resource pooling project, ICT coordinator Dan Westerhoff was on hand to give us the scoop:
- a recent donation of Caribbean-flavored CDs was added to the ICT library
- we can get recordings made (i.e. Orlando brought up Guaraní poetry)
- Radio Viva is a quality potential resource
- we can send him any radio resources we want to be included in the ICT collection

Roll on out to Ocean for our next meeting, set for July 28 at 1PM, oh-so-conveniently after the NVAC meeting. Directions to Ocean: From the US Embassy on Mcal Lopez, walk down Brasilia, past España, until you see a white temple-top inspired building on your left-hand side. Give yourself 20-30 minutes from the PCO.

Signing out,
Jen Cheng