Dear All, We are in the process of organizing a collaboration in Togo, many parameters are still very undefined, also it is good to aggregate whatever piece of information we have on this page.

== 1. Purpose ==

We are working with the people of Togo, not for the World Bank. The purpose of Public Laboratory in Togo should be defined by the People of Togo and paid by the WB. We want to listen to the people of Togo and define with them the terms of a possible collaboration. - Existing crisis: maybe there is already a problem that we want to help solve. - Potential crisis -> risks : Maybe we can identify and avoid a problem. - Flood, drough - Pollution - Urbanism - Territorial dispute & corruption - Sanitary infrastrucuture ( like Mapping Kibera help Kibera build its infrastructure, giving maps to people so they can find their ways, services, help etc) - Crisis readiness : Maybe we can train and let people adapt the technology we work with to help them be ready in times of crisis - Agricultural studies and infrastructure or practice improvement - General geological survey

== 2. People ==

A geographical location is generally several groups of people. It would be most relevant to identify a problem that is associated with a social group/s.

== 3. Our team ==

Our team should not be assembled before we have defined the purpose of this expedition. If we define our team first, we would impose our group method when the diversity of our profiles could really adapt and serve whatever needs Togo communities would have. So, let's forget about who is going for now and let's focus on WHY / WHAT are we going there for.

== 4. Method ==

I think 2 weeks is the minimum if we want to : - identify a need with the people of Togo : learn about the community perception of what risk is to them - they are aware of their own situation better than we are. - get to know the people on a personal level - do the mapping - train the community - make sure the community knows and understand it's own interest in keeping the technology going / improving - I would expect the community to appropriate the technology and make it's own version of GM, make a different version with their materials and local knowledge. For instance they may not have access to helium / nor kite, so we may have to really grassroots with whatever they have. I think this is the essence of what we are trying to do : solve problems creatively with grassroots strartegies, with the people. - Long term relation, collaboration - Capacity building

== 5. Dates ==

Let me go forward and propose dates : 14 - 28 April 2011. But it seems that depending on the purpose we would be most interested in long term work with local communities. So, it may not be only a 10/15 days expedition, but many trips of a committed team. My feeling is that those who volunteer for this projects may not consider this as a one-off adventure.

== 6. Technology & Deliverables capabilities ==

What are we capable of producing? - Balloon mapping - kite mapping - fixed-wing general aviation grassroots method for map making. http://grassrootsmapping.org/2010/10/processing-fixed-wing-imagery/ - Ballon kite mapping - What kind of information we produce / we make the community produce? - report - map (data) - map (print) - manual of instruction - new designs customized with local ressources - surveys (health, environment, Anthropology, design) - papers (academic) - video, documentary / promotional - In case of pollution, I started doing microscopic sample observation : we know what we are looking at : http://grassrootsmapping.org/2011/01/mapping-river-dog-mouth-mobile-alabama/ So, if we see brown on the picture we can be sure if it oil or something else. The Microscope cost $50. Same as we were able to modify cameras to identify grass etc, we may be able to modify microscope and extract specific informations (especially by chaning the LEDs inside the USB Microscope) - NVDI, infrared aerial.

what problem does it match? cam we invent new usages / adapt of our existing techniques ?

== 7. Money ==

We do not know yet how much money would be available for us. WB obviously has money. We need to know if they want to do a one time experiment that will make them look good, or if they are trying to really establish a lasting positive impact.

What comes to my mind is that WB is focused primarily on the economy, therefore we could also match their criteria of success by helping the people of Togo adapt our techniques to - avoid loosing money : avoiding crisis - minimizing how much money they loose : crisis readiness - making more money : enhancing the current state of affairs (healt, sewage, agriculture etc)

What I mean : the highest criteria of success for this is that Togo people have also a humanitarian + economic interest in using the technology after we leave. For example I know of a a wind turbine project in Kenya : they train people make their own turbines and some of them open wind turbine businesses : technology can be profitable and viral. We hope to find a purpose that makes our techniques relevant that they would use without us.

== 8. Safety ==

Of course. Vaccine, food, personal security.

== 9. Language ==

Establishing connexions with local partners. I think I can really help on this one with french. Many NGOs are already there, in english too.

== 10. Absolute Criteria ==

We should only get involved if we know clearly serve the community with a technology they can consider themselves as Grassroots.

== 11. Team == - Jeff : Everything :) - Adam : coastal flooding, coastal management practices, fluvial geomorphology - Shannon : Group management, mapping, training, health, environment, linguistics, psychology, crisis management, water - Emma : ? - Stewart : Aviation, fixed-wing mapping - Cesar : inventing and adapting new design with local resources, video, training, french, basic coding, fabrication, french

I just jumped in the conversation so please don't feel offended if I did not include you here or did not understand your qualification - I apologize in advance.

== 12. Where to start == UNDERSTAND PURPOSE : talk to local ngo's, people, read papers etc... Identify problems and people, we'll build from that.