Technology for the Benefit of Mother Nature

Los indígenas de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta,Colombia, tuvieron en la sala de tecnología Matrix—del Programa de Periodismo de la Pontificia UniversidadJaveriana— una experiencia de “conversión”y convergencia digital para gestar medios de comunicaciónindependientes. Con el debido permiso de laMadre Tierra, comenzaron a integrar las nuevas tecnologíaspara la producción periodística y audiovisuala sus lenguajes y saberes tradicionales, y siguen en labúsqueda de su identidad narrativa para contar a los“hermanitos menores”1 lo que ocurre en su territorio,reserva ambiental y espiritual de la humanidad. Enlos siguientes relatos, cuatro profesores de los talleresque se dictaron en el primer semestre de 2008 narranese encuentro intercultural pleno de afectos y desafíospedagógicos. Y el director de la revista Zhigoneshi,del centro de comunicaciones de la Sierra Nevada,resignifica ese intercambio cifrado en el poder de lapalabra, principio y fin de la tecnología.At the matrix technology room —a possibility offered by the Program of Journalism of Pontificia Universidad Javeriana— the native Amerindians of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, went through a “conversion” and digital convergence experience to create and develop their own independent media. With Mother Nature’s due permission, they started a process of incorporating new technologies vis-à-vis the production of journalistic and audiovisual material in their languages supported by their traditional wisdom. Since then, they have continued their search for their own narrative identity in order to describe to their “younger brothers” what in fact happens in their territory, an environmental and spiritual reserve of humanity. In the following accounts, four of the workshop’s tutors describe what it was to participate in that intercultural gathering full of educational affects and challenges. The editor of the Sierra Nevada’s Communications Center magazine, gives new meaning to this exchange based on the power of the word, beginning and end of technology