A video of 5+ minutes is in no way sufficient to explain 5 days of non-stop creativity that was CCC2011. But in an effort to give people who weren’t there a glimpse of this unique event, I present to you a video entry about hacker camp. Note that it comes with no soundtrack other then exactly the audio that was captured with each video snippet. This is because I believe there is no need to try and add to the energy already present in these wonderful and perhaps strange moments. Enjoy!
Gathering that Changes the World
Half awake having just brushed my teeth, I stumbled back towards my tent, past a few retired green Mig-21 jetfighters when I heard the familiar sound of Portuguese being spoken. I greeted the two gentlemen, and learned they were from a prestigious Portuguese newspaper, attending hacker camp to produce content about open leaks. Open Leaks is a new initiative for facilitating leaks online, created by a former frontman of wikileaks. These two gentlemen were not alone in their quest, as the five days of lectures, workshops, parties, and general randomness went on, I met several mainstream journalists who told me of a similar goal, to write about leaks. Each time I met such journalists, I was compelled to tell them about the scale and breadth of the 3,000+ community attending this event, as well as those who attend virtually. I spoke about the people who build things, the people who take things apart, the people who travel around the world in an effort to use their knowledge to solve problems, and the people who stay home trying to do the same. My big wish by doing so, was to make sure journalists understood that our world is not just about wikileaks and anonymous, though they have surely played a part. Our world is massive and more diverse then perhaps the media is prepared to understand. Our interests and specialties are endless, and worthy of any article or report about this event.
Of course sometimes it is not for any one person to tell someone about this, as they have experience it for themselves. But as the days went on I noticed them sitting with different people, observing different events and random occurrences that so often make up the average day at hacker camp. Walk around and you might stumble upon someone building a tesla coil or a crepe machine, sit in one place and a 6 propellor drone might land next to you. Whatever you choose to do at camp, you would have to be tied up and wrapped in a sleeping bag to not experience a unique energy and overload of creativity. Nothing is impossible here. Nothing is uninteresting here. Everyone has something to offer, whether they know it or not.
And so the Chaos Communication Camp 2011 came and went. Some never wanted it to end. Some needed it to end for their own health . It was exciting, it was tiring. It was inspiring, it was maddening. Whoever you are, journalist or hacker, or even neither, if you were there, you lived one of the most amazing times of your life. Even if you haven’t realized it yet.
Tracing the Strategic Minerals Route in Congo
Earlier this year Michael Schaap went to DRCongo as part of the Fairphone fact finding mission. The goal was to better understand how the minerals that make up our technology, our mobile phones, are mined and how they travel from miners up through all the middle people and eventually to the mobile phone producers. Can this process be carried out ethically? Where people are not taken advantage of or abused while doing their work and earning a living? Michael saw first hand how this process works and where things could perhaps change. But does the organization have the resources and support to achieve their goals? What lessons came out of the visit to Katanga?
Observe and Report Brixton
It is the second day of violence on the streets of London. Seems like something from a novel or a news report from 1979, but this is going on right now in 2011. I’ve never been fully in tune with what is happening on the streets there before but in times of crisis like this I get reports and information not from the mainstream media but via trusted contacts in that region. If you are concerned about what is happening and seeking information, OR – if you’re there are you have something to report, I recommend doing so using the crowdmap for Brixton that is up and running. Go there, follow the simple instructions for reporting, and you’ll be helping not only to tell the world what is going on, but also to get more accurate information that might help those most immediately at risk.
Notes on Training in Afghanistan
“Does it have any impact,” a friend recently asked me, “giving video training to different groups in Afghanistan for only 1 week?”
If by impact he meant does anything get learned that will be useful to the students now and in the future, then my answer is yes. In the short span of 4 to 6 days, I watched as young adults in Western and Eastern Afghanistan made visible strides forward in the world of creating video reports and telling stories. From camera work to editing, from the planning to the telling of a story, each person’s abilities saw some improvement.
For those who already had experience in the world of media, we were able to address skills they had been wanting to develop to further help them at their jobs. Maybe someone who already worked in radio, learned the missing basics in video so that they could now do both at their work place. Another example were those who worked at issue focused non-governmental organizations, if their employers had not yet made use of video material to highlight or promote their work, after this training these individuals could now implement such activities.
Of course the context is Afghanistan, where education is not always so easily accessible and specialized. Where many are unemployed and eager to learn new skills, even if it is not clear how or when these skills will make a difference in their professional lives. In such cases they walk away familiar with another area of media production, another ability they can call upon later. In fact, through centers like the ones these trainings were hosted by, the same students who attended our sessions, could continue working on stories and practicing what they’ve learned on their own or in a group setting. The necessary equipment; basic ingredients like electricity, computers, cameras, and even internet access, are all available for use.
Wouldn’t it be wise to have followup where we return and build upon what we’ve started? Sure, that would be nice for students as well as we the teachers. But again, in the context of Afghanistan, we also know it is a major cost to bring in foreigners to a land where transport, security, lodging, etc, don’t come cheap. With the money spent on having trainers come from outside, the center could theoretically have bought more equipment for students and more gas for the generators to power that equipment. As much as I’d love to come back to Afghanistan to teach again, as much as I love sharing my journalism experience with students there, I also see how if we could help ensure that qualified trainers could be found within the country, this could help make an even more significant impact for even more future students.
But beyond this discussion, even beyond the struggles of a vegetarian health-nut in regions that have no concept of either term, it was once again a pleasure and a privilege to get to work in a country as interesting as Afghanistan. A big part of what makes it so, are the people, from the organizations that we get to know, to the students in the classroom, and lets not forget all the fellow workers at the guest houses that become friends along the way. These people mixed in with the sights and smells, yes even the bad ones, make for an unforgettable learning experience and adventure of the sort few people on this planet get to have.
Once again, thank you friends in Afghanistan. Your personal missions and collective kindnesses are the biggest inspiration I have ever known.
Jalalabad Video Journal
Prior to departing from Jalalabad after completing our work there on behalf of Small World News and Internews Afghanistan, I recorded this video entry to briefly explain what we’ve been doing. I also include a few images from the trainings we’ve been doing as well as a small taste of some Jalalabad visuals.
as a side note: A huge thank you to everyone at the NAI center in Jalalabad, Internews who were great to work with, and also the good people at the Taj who made us feel at home and showed us another amazing side to working in Afghanistan. We will surely stay in touch and look forward to seeing you all again. ( I say “we” because Im positive the same goes for my colleagues)