LET's TAKE CARE OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM OF THE ALLIANCE!
Muy bueno el input Ricardo!
Abrazos,
MOEMA
presentación ricardo!At 15:18 25/05/99 -0400, Ricardo Gomez wrote:
>Hello
>
>(Spanish synthesis: presento las ideas centrales de la propuesta de
>estrategia
>de comunicacion para la Alianza -docs completos en el sitio web--, como
>contribucion para la discusion en el EIO).
>
>I believe one of the issues we will have to deal with in the International
>Orientation Team of the Alliance is in relation to Communication. At the
>Bertioga Assembly there was a group that discussed this, and a working team
>continued to work on this issue during most of 1998. At the end of the
>year we
>prepared a short document with what we thought was a communication strategy
>for
>the alliance, and identified a number of priority areas. These documents are
>available on the Alliance web site in all three languages (in reply to
Moema's
>note, we have discussed the languages issue as well and have decided that for
>now the Alliance operates in English, French and Spanish; this does not
>mean in
>the future other languages can be considered, but for now it is complex
enough
>as it is with just these three, all of which share at least a common
alphabet,
>and for which we start to be able to use machine translation to help out).
>
>I copy some fragments:
>
>The success of the Alliance depends not only on the enthusiasm and commitment
>of its allies undertaking relevant activities together, but on the
>existence of
>communication ties that ensure a strong, fluid and well structured flow of
>information. In order better understand the challenges of strengthening
>communication tools and practices in the Alliance, we suggest a map with four
>different kinds of approaches and activities. They are all inter-related,
and
>we separate them only for conceptual clarity. As any conceptual framework it
>is imperfect and incomplete, but it helps us understand the challenges
ahead.
>(there is a picture in the original document to illustrate the following:)
>
>A. Reference Crossroads: these are the concrete instruments allies use
>for
>information and communication, through a variety of media. These tools and
>instruments constitute the crossroads of information and communication
>exchange
>between allies. They include publications, electronic forums & their
>archives,
>web site, machine translation, fax relays, databases, and other forms of
>information to allies. Technological convergence makes it increasingly
>possible for some to access and use most of these activities electronically,
>and they can all me managed and maintained with Internet tools; but we
need to
>provide different supports (paper, print) to meet all needs and
possibilities.
>B. Interactions between Allies: These are the relationships and
>interactions by which allies share, exchange and use each other’s experiences
>and knowledge for collective action. Most notably, these relationships take
>place through meetings and remote discussions. These interactions between
>allies frequently use the tools described as Reference Crossroads, and their
>results are generally reflected in one or more of these tools (from a note
>in a
>database or a forum to a final publication).
>C. Decentralization and training: Expanding and strengthening the
>Alliance
>means decentralizing activities and tools (to regional poles or working teams
>in different regions), providing human and technical support to facilitate
>participation in the Alliance, introducing new allies to the collective
memory
>of the network, etc.
>D. Reaching beyond Allies: we are aware at this point there is no clear
>inside/outside distinction in the alliance, so the notion of ‘external
>communication’ we have been using since Bertioga may not be appropriate for
>now. But we need to address communication practices that will help us go
>beyond ‘preaching to the converted’. Here we refer to communication
>activities
>and human interactions intended to reach out to potential new allies and
>partners, to influence decision- and policy-makers, and to reach the public
>opinion at large (possibly seeking to use mass media directly or indirectly).
>
>These four axes synthesize what we see are the main challenges in the
>communication needs of the Alliance in the years to come. They represent a
>set
>of tools and a set of relationships or practices.
>
>Communication Processes
>
>In our view, based on the above understanding, the Alliance needs to
>strengthen
>three different communication processes: building its collective memory,
>documenting its achievements and progress in a data bank, and stimulating
>collective discussion and action. Each of these processes would help to
>strengthen communication in the alliance in different and inter-related ways,
>even if emphasizing one aspect over others. In other words, these processes
>would help to strengthen in different ways the Reference Crossroads and the
>Interactions Between Allies, as well as the Decentralization and Training
and
>the Reach beyond Allies. The order in which they are presented is
>irrelevant.
>
>( Collective discussion and action: The Alliance is brought alive by
its
>allies working together to reflect and act about the future of the planet.
>Debates and exchanges of experiences, both face to face and remote, are
>organized around a shared agenda that maximizes their reach and scope.
>( Documenting progress and achievements: Consolidating the collection
>and
>circulation of information resources produced by and for allies in the
form of
>books, reports and other documents. These form a decentralized web of
>resources that can be linked together by an open-architecture database,
>maintained by decentralized poles and openly accessible (possibly with
>different layers of access to create, modify or read different sections
>depending on the user).
>( Building the collective memory of the alliance: This includes
>revising,
>updating and disseminating the founding texts of the Alliance and other
>important landmarks in its process of development. Also, collective
memory is
>sustained with active access to a dynamic, decentralized and updated
>database of
>allies.
>
>Strengthening Communication Tools
>
>In order to strengthen these communication processes, the Alliance has been
>using different tools, instruments or activities. Some of them need extra
>attention and dedication make them more relevant and effective for
>communication in the alliance. After closer analysis, and taking into
>consideration present and future needs, we identified which tools and
>activities are on a higher immediate priority for the Alliance’s advance:
>
>1. Databases:
>2. Forums:
>3. Web Site:
>4. Print Publications:
>5. Meetings:
>
>
>
>+++
>
>This should be useful background to think about the communication needs and
>challenges facing the alliance. The Citizens Assembly proposed for 2001,
and
>which I, toghether with other allies, suggest be moved to 2005, is one of the
>major activities ahead, but it will be successful only if we do all the work
>surrounding it. A lot of this peripheral work deals with communication.
>
>The soul of the Alliance is the enthusiasm of the Allies. The nervous system
>is the tools and processes we use to communicate between ourselves and with
>the
>others.
>
>Cheers
>
>Ricardo
>---
>
>Ricardo Gomez
>Ottawa
>
>
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