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Google, UNICEF to Weave Stories
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Now that’s what I call good use of technology. This news made me smile, literally. I have spent hours listening to stories by my Mom, Daadi, Naani, the household maid, the loyal Ramu Kaka and god-knows who else. I have always loved stories. Each narrator added his/her own character to the story. And each one had a different one to tell. They were not just sounds, these narrators actually made these come live.
In the age of Youtube, sometimes I do remember those stories. But then shrug it off as things of the past. I can’t have them now. A cost of growing up, may be?
But nostalgia knocks.
So, when I read the news about Google, One Laptop Per Child and UNICEF working to archive stories from across the world, I was delighted. I instantly logged on to www.ourstories.org to have a first look at the site. The site is designed innovatively using the Google Maps technology. On a map, all you have to do is click on a place on the map for reading stories from that part of the world. Although I was disappointed by on finding that India was not on the list yet. Pakistan was.
Clicking on a location that has the OurStories.org icon will open up a blurb containing the excerpt of the story. You can also search the stories, by selecting the location for a drop-down menu.
The stories will be recorded by children in their narrative languages.
“Information technologies can help young people around the world learn more about each other,”
said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M Veneman. I could not agree more.
I hope to re-read all those magical stores once the site is up completely and contains the Indian section.
If not, then I will surely add the stories to the archive. J
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Hmm…nice article written by you.I mean it feels nice when someone is getting to know about something which he always desired of through the help of such technologies.
Hey this is cool,
It would be fun to read all child hood stories at one place… a next step should be some animation company making good animation series with this already proven hit stories…
I still watch Jungle Book …. who can forget Mogli, Bagira (the black panther) and all other cool characters of Jungle book…
You know Ankit - i was going to do this article. But thank god i didn’t! You gave it so much more justice than i ever could have!
@Nity
Thanks. I hope you will keep coming back for more such stories.
@Prasshant
Nice idea Prasshant. A lot of animation is happening already in India. Even Amar Chitra Katha was recently revamped to include animation, DVDs and all all new media.
@Harshil
Thank you, man.
But knowing your eye for detail and analytical temperament, I am sure you would have done an equally good job.