@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
Five things I learnt the hard way setting up AltCity.me in Beirut
Dr. Dima Saber BCMCR
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
I want to tell you about my experience setting up one of the first media/tech start-up support spaces in Beirut. I want to tell you about the things I was really good at, and the things I really s***** at. Then I’d like to think with you of how all this connects to a wider discussion on social entrepreneurship, gender disparity issues in the Arab region, conflict and social change. And I hope some part of this will inspire you, in some way. Oh, and I think Annette rocks, but that’s a different discussion :)
Here’s my suggestion for today:
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
Basically this is how it all started…
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
I f y o u ’ r e unhappy with m e d i a , m a k e your own media
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
A y o u t h -r u n m o n t h l y newspaper I s s u e 0 , Nov 2009
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
I t las ted one year
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
actually it lasted as long as the funding lasted…
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
So perhaps two words on context…
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
The political context
www.flickr.com/photos/syriafreedom
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
The tech infrastructure
Survey administered by the MBRSG’s Governance and Innovation Program targeting residents of 22 Arab countries. The survey fielding was conducted between March and April 2014 with respondents numbered at 3000 | www.mbrsg.ae
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
Unequal access Unequal skills
The digital divide is not a digital problem. Rather, i t is the digita l
manifestation of offline political, social & economic inequality.
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
Meanwhile in Lebanon…
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
and, of course…
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
myself
Just so I get to do this…
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
AltCity in 2011
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
It involved a lot of this…
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
and a whole lot of this…
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
I n a d d i t i o n t o s o m e n e c e s s a r y reconciliation with this …
digitalpopmarketing.com
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
& these…
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
AltCity today
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
5 things I learnt the hard way
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
♡$#1
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself. If it’s something you don’t know how to do, you gotta learn.
#2
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
Scratch #2. If you don't learn to delegate and to trust your team you might lose your mind, and end up at s o m e r e s e a r c h c e n t r e i n Birmingham.
#3
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
Choose your battles. The earlier you accept that you’ll have to make compromises anyway, the better your chances to get to choose when and how that happens.
#4
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
Have fun doing whatever you’re doing. Otherwise, the hard work just isn’t worth it :)
#5
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
♡researchI’m here
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
• 8 partners in 5 Arab countries (Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine & Jordan)
• 2 5 0 0 + c i t i z e n journalists trained in media literacy & fact-checking tools
• 7 C h e c k d e s k platforms successfully launched
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
AltCity is my home
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
& I know I want to set-‐up a Media & Design Research Ins@tute in Beirut next.
@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014
[email protected] @dimalb
Thanks for listening those of you who have :)
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