Pragalab. Media narratives from Warsaw

To participate fully as citizens, youngsters need to be able to not just consume media messages but also create and share them; they need to acquire multimedia skills and know how to use these skills to engage in the civic life of their communities.

Digital and media literacy competencies allow for recognizing personal, corporate and political agendas and make people empowered to speak out on behalf of the missing voices and omitted perspectives in their communities.

Bearing this in mind, in 2012 Evens Foundation Poland invited Warsaw-based Association of Creative Initiatives Ę to implement a new project on media literacy – PRAGALAB.

This project recognizes the importance of the digital media literacy of Polish youngsters and put it in the context of local communities in order to fulfill the Foundation’s objective of adding to the development of mutual understanding and cooperation. It is aimed at disfavored citizens of three selected boroughs of Warsaw: Praga Północ, Praga Południe and Targówek.

We agreed the project should be aimed at empowering youngsters in their confidence and capacities to use media tools and capital and raise their awareness and attachment to their communities. The project will also aim at supporting informal education on media literacy in Warsaw schools and enabling youngsters  to autonomously use digital media in responding to the needs and issues important for their social and geographical (local) context.

In 2013 its participants will be provided with digital media resources, skills, knowledge and opportunities to work with their local history, culture and geography to create media narratives presenting people, places, initiatives and stories that create cultural diversity of Praga district. The results of the project will be presented in a form of interactive map available online.

Contact: joanna.krawczyk@evensfoundation.be
Check the project HERE