UgandAshis 28 Art meets medicine

UgandAshis 28 Art meets medicine

July 7, 2009

Kampala, Uganda

For a few years I have been experimenting with all kinds of media to communicate health, human and spiritual messages to different audiences. This blog is one of the examples. Then there is a website: www.ashis.org , a host of online presentations on Darfur, news paper interviews, television shows, the CBS 60 minutes ‘ Searching for Jacob’ documentary , radio interviews on PBS/BBC The World. Most of it relating to my experiences on the border of Chad and Darfur in the refugee camp Oure Cassoni. The main goal is by telling of stories, sharing of experiences to give people around the world a view of people on ‘the other side’.

Despite the World Wide Web being a massive source of information I feel that the 800 million or so Africans have a very small voice on the Internet. Also the information coming from Africa tends to be much skewed. Negative stories of wars, violence, dictators, corruption, rape and spectacle seem to be the rule. For every negative story I am sure 100 positive stories can be told. And there is a time and place for these stories as well.

Alone however it is my perspective of in this case story telling on Uganda. So I am happy to tell you that with three Ugandans for now: Debra, Joy and Ronnie we have decided to meet, brainstorm and come up with different ways to use the different forms of media to communicate stories to the world. All have experience with media: Debra is a social activist, working with an orphanage through art exhibitions, film making and events to bring social messages of gender, orphans and HIV to the world. Joy is helping me out getting organized and has done text and video editing besides having a prior career as a world class butterfly stroke swimmer. Ronnie is a creative millipede; music editing, video editing, filming amongst other things are his interests. He has worked for Eveline’s OTA (Outreach to Africa) as well. Check out their videos online; www.outreachtoafrica.org .

You can feel blessed in life to meet an inspirational person and they are willing to work with you. How about you meet 3 and they will form the nucleus of what hopefully will be and uplifting loose media confederation of movers and shakers that wish to communicate honestly about the beauty that is Africa.

Tonight we have our second meeting and I am sure we shall be churning out internet videos on you tube, seismic as well as documentaries on Ugandan television, interviews for Ugandan and Internet radio soon.

I cannot wait to be involved and have articulate, authentic, inspirational Ugandans speak about their projects be it art or medicine. Let us bridge this so called Internet divide.

Namaskar,

Ashis