Bootcamp 2024 with Rhizomatica

Project status: Closed

Country: Guatamala

Partner: Rhizomatica

Impact goal: 35 people

About the project

This project is the final phase of a blended training program consisting of five four-week online courses that is concluded with a 10-day on-site “bootcamp” for those who satisfactorily complete all of the coursework. The program, in this current form, has been ongoing since 2019 thanks to a collaboration between the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and various organisations related to community communication and telecommunication projects. This year's bootcamp will be attended by graduates of the fourth generation of the program from 11 countries in Latin America, as well as participants from the local territory where the activity will take place.

Results

The bootcamp 2024, which took place from 20 to 30 of April in Guatemala City, marked the culmination of the Training Program for Coordinators of ICT Networks in Indigenous and Rural Communities in Latin America 2023/2024, a collaborative effort between the ITU and various organizations dedicated to indigenous and community communication in Latin America. This initiative is designed to bolster community communication endeavors and self-managed telecommunication projects among rural, remote and indigenous communities of Latin America by equipping individuals with the skills to establish, maintain, and sustain such communication processes within their territories. The bootcamp specifically focuses on practical exercises conducted in real-life contexts, allowing participants to apply their theoretical knowledge. Furthermore, it plays a crucial role in achieving the program's objectives by fostering a network of community technicians throughout the region who support one another in realizing their aspirations and objectives.

This year's bootcamp faced several challenges in its realization, primarily due to political conflicts in the countries chosen as potential venues. This resulted in a delay of several months before the activity could take place. However, the results of the bootcamp met our expectations, and while some of them, as with any training process, will manifest in the future, several immediate outcomes are noteworthy:

• Participants acquired knowledge to enhance community communication and telecommunications processes they are involved in.
• A network of individuals with technical, social, and economic expertise was strengthened, fostering the development of communication and telecommunication projects.
• Local processes, notably the Red Centroamericana de Radios Comunitarias e Indígenas, were strengthened through the exchange of experiences, equipment donations, and connections with other initiatives across the continent.

Additionally, the bootcamp saw successful participation from the following persons:

• 28 participants who successfully finished the online part of the program.
• 12 invited indigenous and community communicators.
• 11 thematic specialist speakers.
• 6 logistics staff.

Of these participants:

• 31 were women (54%).
• They came from 12 Latin-American countries.
• Among the participants, more than 6 indigenous languages were spoken.

Finally, an important network of alliances has been established among organizations in the region for the implementation of related projects, including obtaining licenses for community radios and establishing community internet networks. Participation and collaboration with local and regional organizations such as the Internet Society Chapter in Guatemala, the Escuela Mesoamericana de Liderazgo, and Red Centroamericana de Radios Comunitarias e Indígenas were essential for the success of the training process.

Additionally, strategies were developed to promote a more conducive environment for community radios and networks in the region. To achieve this objective, as part of the bootcamp activities, the Telecommunications in Remote Areas and Indigenous Peoples: Trends, Opportunities and Perspectives for Central America Forum was strategically organized. This space was open to the public and was attended by representatives of successful experiences in the design of public policies or the implementation of community telecommunications and broadcasting projects. The event was attended for more than 80 persons from all the region, both in-person and online.

Challenges

This year's bootcamp faced several problems due to four changes of venue due to political conflicts in the countries or regions where the event was to be held. Thus, the main change was that the activity had to be moved back for almost six months. However, the curricular structure and beneficiaries of the training program and the bootcamp did not undergo major modifications. In fact, in a sense, as a result of this delay, it was possible to further strengthen the relationship with local partner organizations and benefit the bootcamp training process.

• Managing to keep the partner organizations and donors on their toes, despite delays and lack of clarity about the dates and space in which the bootcamp would take place.
• Developing the activities in a venue that allowed mobility and was a suitable space for all participants to spend every day there was a challenge. However, we were able to find a venue that in many ways exceeded our expectations.
• Due to the distances and the difficulty of movement on the roads in Guatemala, it was not possible to attend any community project, which was one of the very clear shortcomings in the training process.
• Another important challenge was to be able to advise and provide the necessary transit security conditions for the travel of people who had never before left their countries. Particularly the process of accompanying the Ecuadorian and Bolivian participants in obtaining visas was very complicated.

About the partner

Our partner Rhizomatica is on a mission to make alternative telecommunication infrastructure for people around the world.

Visit their website here to learn more about them.