1. Full name
| Bernardo Parrella |
2. Global Voices sections to which you contribute
| GV in English |
| Lingua |
3. Publication date of your latest post or translation
| Date: – 18/1/2012 |
4. Title of project
| GV multimedia publishing |
5. Project representative (person who will sign award agreement and receive funds)
| Bernardo Parrella |
6. Describe the proposed project as clearly as possible in five sentences or less
| The main idea is to create a small, online, independent publishing platform by taking advantage of GV huge archive and its future production. We could select, re-package and disseminate our multimedia content according to topics, regions, issues, languages, media, etc. This platform could produce electronic books, dossier and specific publications in a variety of formats (pdf, html, odt, epub, mobipocket, etc.), containing a collection of the best posts/material, preceded by an ad hoc introduction or short essay(s) to provide the proper context. For example, we could create right away a “Global Voices 2011” or an “Arab Spring Voices” ebooks including best posts on these topics already published on GV in several languages, enriching and adapting them accordingly. In time we can build a unique catalog focused on citizen and social media material to be distributed (under CC) on many occasions and in many venues — while also attracting new people interested in sharing their multimedia content (videos, pics, audio, etc.), on our platform. |
7. What aspect or need of Global Voices does your project address?
| This project will greatly increase collaboration and participation within the entire GV and Lingua communities, given that each GVer could be involved in its various stages and outcomes. It could enhance our currently work flow and perspective, start new editorial partnership with media outlets and non-profit organizations. |
8. How would the project further Global Voices’ mission?
| This multimedia platform/project will provide a broader exposure/visibility to local issues, voices and citizen media; it will amplify the global conversation online and provide further channels, formats, venues to “give voice to the voiceless”. |
9. What is innovative about your project?
| We will need to deploy new tools and techniques to produce multimedia outcomes, thus advancing and refining our working procedures. Our platform will also employ most current (and future) tools and services our platform to allow people to share their multimedia content and/or to adapt it for future products. |
10. Which section of Global Voices would your project most benefit (if applicable)?
| GV in English |
| Lingua |
| Rising Voices |
| GV Advocacy |
11. How would the wider GV community utilize and/or participate in your project?
| All interested GVers could propose e-book titles and series; select, translate, and edit posts; preparing multimedia files; proofreading, beta-testing, etc. GVers could also develop other publishing projects directly on our platform, such as pop-up galleries for different regions and cities, creating special kits, etc. |
12. List the other GV community members, if any, who will be actively working on the project. Please specify what role each person will play in the development of the project.
| Several GVers express their willingness in getting directly involved (see Innovation blog), and they can easily help according to the roles and needs outlined above, as well as based to their own interest. |
13. What additional resources or expertise, if any, would you need to complete the project?
| Particularly for setting-up the platform, some technical help & developing will be needed; probably later also graphic designing and multimedia expertise will be necessary. |
14. Describe the prospects for sustainability/continuation once the innovation grant funding ends
| After the first six months or one year, the project should be able to support itself by a combination of means: selling e-publications on many platforms/sites, partnerships and commissioned jobs, ad-hoc sponsors and grants, etc. |
15. Please specify the timeline for the project, from start to finish
| General preparation will require about three months, so the the platform could be launched in June with the first ebooks/products and develop in full autonomy until the end of 2012. Later external funding (described above) should provide further sustainability/continuation. |
16. Provide a detailed budget of up to US$5,000 for project costs. (Please try and present as accurate a budget as possible: applicants are encouraged to submit budgets for less than the maximum amount as smaller grants allow us to fund more projects)
| The money grant will be used to cover initial expenses: new domain (>$10/year), web-hosting (>350/year), part-time admin & develop ($100/month?). Also, a small compensation for a coordinator (me) and maybe for editors/translators involved on specific tasks. The whole $ 5,000 will be needed to ensure the project proper launch and its growth until the end of 2012. |