e-Culture & Entertainment, 2009
Encyclopedic Archive and e-Journal on Craft, Folk, Tribal Art and Handloom Textiles, India
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The Craft Revival Trust (CRT), established in 1999,works with craft and crafts persons to document oral traditions, analysing and disseminating information and transmitting knowledge of craft, folk and tribal and handloom textile forms. This platform has created a knowledge base, furthered an exchange of ideas and views between scholars, crafts people, craft support organizations, markets and craft buyers, and provides a forum for advocacy and empowerment. It is the largest available composite archive of information and analysis of its kind both online and otherwise. The content sourced from a wide, credible and knowledgeable network of esearchers, practitioners, academics, students and others from across the world is recognized for its width of topics and authentic texts.
JUROR’S EVALUATION
A booming economy and rapid progress usually has no room for traditional arts and crafts. These revenue sources and family livelihoods simply have no place in an environment where new businesses, services and industrialized manufacturing employs thousands and rewards people with sums unheard of in traditional crafts making. This is why it is vital that someone like the Crafts Revival Trust is there to report and chronicle our age old arts and crafts. Crafts Revival Trust is helping to save these forms, arts and artisans for posterity using digital technology, digital media and the web.
To watch other Manthan Award South Asia 2009 Winners’ Films, Kindly log on to – http://youtube.com/manthanawardtv
LEMON24.COM
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Lemon24.com is a live interactive internet radio station. The FM station is city based with a range of 100 kms. It is a project which takes local content to the global world, especially Bangladeshi Diaspora. It is also an empowering tool for masses. Tele-centres across Bangladesh, provide local communities with the facility to listen to Lemon24, thus bringing empowerment through information. Lemon24.com provides livelihood through domestic call centres; creates awareness for social and environmental causes. Lemon24 give ideas to how radio could be integrated with Tele-centres.
JUROR’S EVALUATION
Community radio is an awesome tool for empowerment and social change. And when the idea of community radio is combined with the scope and scale of the internet you have a solution which can touch millions. Lemon24.com not only makes social sense, but the model, which ropes in Bangla diaspora, also makes business sense. It is a rare instance of such a plan in the digital inclusion sector. And yes it also has a website that is well designed. As internet penetration in the region grows and more people have access to high speed internet connections, Lemon24.com has immense potential to takes its message of meaningful entertainment to millions.
To watch other Manthan Award South Asia 2009 Winners’ Films, Kindly log on to – http://youtube.com/manthanawardtv
GRASSROUTES
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Grassroutes is a Fellowship program that encourages youth to go on a road-trip, travelling over a fortnight across rural India to places where organizations are creating significant impact at the grassroots. They meet the people involved, experience firsthand the impact of their work and finally, bring to fore these stories of change through new and social media. The digital content from the grassroots is disseminated in the form of travelogue videos, photos, interviews, photo essays, blogs, stories which originate from the trips. Combined with offline events like presenting the digital content at colleges, conferences; this approach has proven successful in inspiring more youth into participating in social change.
JUROR’S EVALUATION
With most statistical studies showing that India has the youngest population in the world, there is a large pool of unexplored resources for social change projects. Young Indians transition from education to training to vocation without even a small window to explore the country, understanding its problems and helping its poorest. Grassroutes is a brilliant idea that induces the young to be sensitive. It takes them on national study tours where young men and women are allowed to see first hand and interact with organization working on social initiatives. Serious enough to make them think, but fun enough to draw them to it, Grassroutes is the first step in a vital process. This process must eventually take the brightest young people in the country and pose them with its greatest challenges. Given our youth, their talent and their numbers, these challenges won’t be harder than a trek in the grass.
To watch other Manthan Award South Asia 2009 Winners’ Films, Kindly log on to – http://youtube.com/manthanawardtv