Pernille's impressions from @BarCampDar #barcampdar (purely based on intuition, lack of sleep and personal impressions)

I spent all of yesterday at the BarCampDar.

And I have spent a good deal of today thinking about my impressions, finally sitting down trying to formulate something. (Do not expect art, I haven’t been sleeping much the past week).

I have listened to people, before, during and after the event posing questions on how a thing like this should be planned, who should attend, where to place it, to get hot-shots or not, wazungu versus wafrika, to make it exclusive or not?

For me those comments are all about details.

I am looking at totally different things.

First, I like to comment on the group organizing this. From the people contributing online in the diaspora to the people networking on higher grounds, to the ones struggling practically with strings and tools, wi-fi, livestream, fundis, t-shirt arrivals and programme. All people, some of them looking very stressed, some not at all, Thursday morning, but all kind and forthcoming to greet, talk and network.

That is a gift in itself, especially considering that the majority of the participants were young university students who had been looking so much forward to this opportunity.

Have a look at the photo slide show here.

Some commented that a BarCamp should be less formal, that you shouldn’t sit and receive lecturer after lecturer. Of course, there is room for improvement, and I agree that a less formal setting (and hotel) would be cooler. On the other hand I think it is much more important to look at the positive sides and what may have a longer term impact. Besides, Kilimanjaro Kempinski doesn't know the concept 'hamna umeme'.

In my opinion Tanzania could benefit tremendously if people were more willing and less afraid to share and spread ideas. I’d also like to see more people work across traditional groupings and set-ups. More people who would exchange knowledge and take responsibility for development. I’d like to see more courage to break off from habits, and more people who don't fear trying something completely new.

I have often experienced this fear of sharing, people arguing that others might steal their ideas.

I feel richer when I give away mine, and I feel even better when someone offer me theirs.

And that is exactly what I experienced yesterday.

This is of course only based on my intuition, and I have already been labeled an ‘Afro-optimist’ once today.

But I cannot not like when a university lecturer asks me directly if I’d like to come and visit his students to share ideas, or the Kamusi-project students I visited years ago, who asks if I still remember them and if I want to hear how they have progressed, or the blogger who asks if I want to join their blogging cycle in Dar es Salaam, or the political analyst sharing his insight.

I personally left with loads of positive energy, possibly some new friends in the making, many people’s business cards, and images and bits of conversations with extremely interesting and curious people.

I believe BarCampDar made a good platform for more of this - hence, a 1000 thanks to the people going through the work and discussions for the benefits of the over 200 people who showed up yesterday.

 

Comments

[Job]

Indeed very encouraging to read how the @BarCampDar participants liked to share ideas and were open to learn. This is in contrast to the development scene where most of the time people hide behind the development vocabulary and say so little.
The @BarCampDar exerience is also testimony to a vibrant young Tanzanian generation, who are bringing change in so many places.
Thanks for your report!