“Our Stories”, a Google, UNICEF and OLPC Initiative

It’s an attempt to keep the things that define a nation alive and to spread them all throughout the land, to get them to have the maximum of reach via the Internet, and it comes in the footsteps of a similar initiative that The Discovery Channel had a couple of years ago that saw clips being shot about languages that were about to go extinct.

By using laptops, mobile phones and other recording devices, children will record the stories that their elders have to tell, in their native language, and then upload them in order to be shared globally through the Our Stories website, where they can be found via Google Maps. "Information technologies can help young people around the world learn more about each other," said UNICEF Executive Director, Ann M. Veneman. "Our Stories will promote dialogue across borders and cultures and give young people a voice on a wide range of issues."

Initially, the web site will include stories collected by Brazil’s Museum of the Person and stories that have already been recorded for UNICEF, by young people in Ghana Pakistan, Tanzania and Uganda.

"One Laptop per Child is very excited about partnering with Google and UNICEF to capture the thoughts and feelings of children and their communities around the world," said Walter Bender, President of Software and Content/COO, One Laptop per Child. "The XO laptop is a tool for sharing and collaboration and this project is a great way to build a global community."

"Google as both a company and as a culture loves a good story," said Elliot Schrage, Vice President of Global Communications and Public Affairs for Google. "We’re proud to support the Our Stories global initiative and we hope that this collaboration will not just encourage better storytelling but better listening to stories."

Check out the website today and listen to a story at www.ourstories.org.

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