Newsletter, August 3, 2006
From Tribewanted
Contents |
Bula S'ia
Only one month to go until the 'first footers' visit vorovoro and preperations on the ground are well underway. We wanted to update you with the latest tribewanted news.
Fiji Focus from Chief Bengazi: Tikina Council Meeting
I've just come back from Mali this afternoon where we had an excellent meeting with the Tikina Council - the heads of all the Mali villages. It nearly didn't happen as when Tui Mali and I were waiting for the council to arrive a bag of Kava was presented with the message that someone had passed away in the Mali village of Vesi. An hour and a half later (after visiting the family in Vesi) the council arrived and we were able to start.
By start, I mean that Kava was offered and about 30 minutes of ceremony was under way. After a few bowls and a lot of hand clapping we were ready to begin. Tui Mali then spoke, quite a lot. For the next 45 minutes actually. I understood the jist of he was saying, especially when he used words that obviously don't yet exist in the Mali dialect like 'internet', 'computer', and 'online'. I think they will soon. I liked listening to the speech, it had a lot of rhythm and gave me time to think. The rest of the council (about 12 in all) listen and then one by one offer their thoughts. They are very patient and there is a lot of mutual respect - no shouting or bickering, just gentle discussion.
When I was offered 'the floor' I decided it was time to try and tackle the concept head on. I knew the council were aware of what was happening on Vorovoro but I sensed that through the conversations that I've had with them, they haven't, understandably, completely grasped the tribewanted idea (they have little understanding of what the 'internet' is. So I drew two overlapping circles on the back of a Pepsi poster starring Beckam and Serevi. In one circle I wrote 'Mali tribe' and in the other circle I wrote 'internet tribe'. I explained the differences and then I asked them what was in the middle - what similarity did the two tribes share? The answer lay about 200m to the West of where we were sitting - the answer of course was Vorovoro! As they sat and soaked up this idea of a meeting of two very different types of communities on little Vorovoro, they started to laugh and smile and clap. They're English is sketchy, but they are wise and intellegent people and without ever having been 'online', they understand. They understand and they are excited about the potential. They are looking to september 1st and they are already preparing to collect materials for the Great Bure.
Fiji Focus from Chief Bengazi: Tui Mali Meeting
Tui Mali and I then headed over to Vorovoro, the big chief even giving me the captaincy of the boat for the short journey! No one else was on Vorovoro today and all we had was a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread. We knocked down some coconuts and cracked them open. Lunch. Sorted.
We spent the next two hours talking about what Vorovoro is going to be like come September. We record his first ever podcast as you will hear he's a great character and host, and full of stories about the island, its people and his own adventures.
The afternoon makes me realise that as much as this project does need a lot of practical solutions to island living, it is also about simply relaxing and looking to the environment for simple answers. The sooner we can have tribal TV to show you all this the better!
Listen to Ben interviewing Tui Mali at: http://www.tribewanted.com/newsletter-03-08-06/assets/Ben-and-tuimali-RadioPasifik.mp3
There are heaps of other Fiji focus updates, to read more head over to our Fiji Blog: http://www.tribewanted.com/chiefs-blog.htm
Tribe Time
Tribe members have now voted for The Great Bure to be built and material is being sourced. The Great Bure is going to be an exciting way of launching a great partnership between the internet tribe and Tui Mali's tribe in Fiji. The Great Bure will also be an excellent focal point for our tribal community.
We have been spending some time learning how to gather together the vast amounts of wisdom, experience and research that the tribe members have in order to effectively pool together this information in order to develop the infrastructure and activity on vorovoro. In order to aid this process we have launched Focus Groups who will pull together specific areas of information and we have had a great number of tribe members come forward in order to co-ordinate these groups. These groups will officially be launched next week as we worked towards gaining vasts amounts of information and experience from our tribe members as the exciting work begins.
In the News
Well we have had quite a week for media out here - with tv, radio and 2 print appearances including a front cover in the Sunday Sun. The raction to what we are doing has been incredibly positive, especially from two perspectives:
1. That tribewanted is a long-term project with community partnership, involvement and ownership. 2. That tribewanted is showcasing northern Fiji and the Macuata coast, which apart from the small resort of Nukumbati has no other tourism. The region depends almost entirely on the sugar industry whilst other parts of Fiji benefit from multi-million dollar tourism.
Support continues to come in from all sorts of angles and you can expect to be made very welcome when you arrive in Fiji, as a tourist, and even more so as a tribe member!
Tribal Gatherings
Tribe members are enjoying coming together, socialising, talking and dreaming of vorovoro and so Tribal Gatherings are on the increase. We wanted to highlight two Tribal Gatherings:
Bon Voyage to First Footers: Kennington, London, UK. 25th August. This will be a celebration for as many tribe members as possible as we say a global Bon Voyage to the 'First Footers' First Foot Party: Liverpool, UK. 1st September. Again, another time to celebrate. Tribe members will be partying away as they celebrate the landing of the 'First Footers' the otherside of the world.
There are Tribal Gatherings developing across the world. If you would like further information on the above gatherings or others please e-mail: admin at tribewanted.com
Stay up-to-date with the latest tribewanted going's on by visiting the 'Fiji Blog' - daily!
Vinaka Vakalevu, Tribewanted HQ
