Principal Investigator
Ms. Maria Lígia Conti
Address
Sorocaba, SP, Brazil, 18017129
phone #: (15 9726-4857
e.mail: mligia-conti@uol.com.br
Amount Requested: US$15,000.00
Requested End Date: February 10th, 2011.
Project Goals
General Objective
To investigate how African/Ethiopian peoples both in the urban and not urban areas elaborate their education systems. To perceive how they identify themselves and how they face the permanent and each time more violent advances of globalization.
Specific Objective
To travel to Ethiopia, on a 5 week trip. To accompany, in field researches, the History of Ethiopia professor Gideon Addise, from the University of Addis Ababa. To visit peoples, villages, cities, markets and education centers (for children and young adults) in order to learn about people’s life style, culture and values: to photograph, film and interview, to get enough material to write three books (for ages 3 to 16 – in three different approaches, according to age range) and make short film documentaries in order to allow Brazilian students and teachers, mainly, to learn more about African/Ethiopian customs and traditions, to increase/arise interest and provoke questionings. The main objective is to allow our African-Brazilian kids to find pride in their ancestors, and the non-African descendants to respect their mates for what they are in fact.
Proposed Activities
I am seeking to visit native groups, outside the city centers, and in the city centers – always accompanied by professor Addise, from the University of Addis. We will be visiting Churches, Museums, the University of Addis Ababa, and schools. I will make interviews, with people living these two realities in Ethiopia – the well educated (academically speaking) and the well-integrated ones (among nature and traditions). Thus, I shall conduct empirical research, interviewing people, observing, taking notes (stories and tales and things people might tell me) and recording pictures – motion and photographs. Professor Addise, will be the translator and guide in field researches.
Expected Products
The material collected from this trip will arranged in three books with the stories from the trip – describing what I have seen and heard. With the films, I shall make short documentaries to distribute free of charge to schools and associations.
Expected Outcomes
Bringing knowledge and improving the access to African reality, I seek to, within my limits, demystify the image Brazilians still have of Africa – giving my people (whose majority is Afro descendant) reasons to want to learn more and feel proud of thinking themselves as black people. While those who may not have African ancestors, can have the opportunity to learn about their mates and respect them for what they have as real fact, for their history and importance in the world, in the human society.
