Pukul has just arranged for five British Council staff members to listen to group ideas on defining an idea to take the Reachout Project forward.
They include (from left to right) Matthew White, Javed Iqbal, Sarah Howes, Kathryn Johnson, Adam Dalton (Sorry, didn’t quite get you in the picture Adam, but there’s several pics of you on the blog).
As with all pictures, just click to enlarge.
Group 1 concept: ‘Rock the borders’.
Click to download Nader Houella or press play below to here him describe his groups project:
Group 2 concept: Cultural Exchange Exhibition
Click to download Amna Ahmad or press play below to here him describe her groups project:
Group 3 concept: ‘Mind the Gap’
Click to download Sara Wingate Gray or press play below to hear her describe her groups project:
Broadly speaking, all project ideas were accepted as viable by the judges.
Areas for improvement included:
What wrap around concepts would the projects have?
Costings?
Who would sustain the projects over time?
I will try to interview one of the judges in a moment to get a more qualified overview.
The group have identified key sucess / failure factors using a SWOT analysis in getting a project off the ground. These are a combination of both internal and external factors.
One of the major potential weaknesses identified has been maintaining consistency and regularity in generating content.
Major strengths include group passion, professional and personal experience, and cultural diversity within the group.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Speaking earlier, Pukul said,
‘This excercise will ground the groups initial ideas and insights to produce something tangible, sustainable, and culturally different’.
————————————————————————————————-
Following on from identifying these factors, groups are now presenting their objectives based on both the SWOT analysis and the Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time bound principle.
Over lunch, Pukul took a look at the ideas coming out of the morning. He’s distilled the ideas broadly into three areas. First is a music festival. Second is a cross culture community web site. Third is a non language based exhibition (photographs, art etc).
The group is being split into three, according to which area each indivdual is most interested.
Before the groups begin, he is explaining the notion of ‘product life cycle’. To the right is a diagram taken from Wikipedia explaining what this means graphically.
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Whilst the groups are working, I’ve asked Pukul his views on the ideas emerging. This is what he had to say. Click to download or press play below:
The group are being asked to develop their product ideas along these lines. Later today, they will each present their product concept to a panel of judges.
Amongst others, Amna prepared a short presentation based on their groups’ ‘Rock the borders’ concept.
Having generated a series of insights from projects generated at the British Council Reachout Forum, the group are using these to generate ideas for new products.
One sample set of insights include:
Some ideas coming out from these insights include:
Product ideas from other groups have included:
Series of cultural interdialogue events
Local youth networks with active interaction links
Video documentaries from each country
Regular theme based photo exhibitions (youth lifestyle), managed by youth
Cultural festivals
A blog portal (blogs, photoblogs, podcasts) covering news and events from each country
A BC branded instant messaging system
Community radio
Do you think that a purely online product will be able to compete with what’s out there already? Could an online solution fill a gap that needs filling? Maybe something more event based is appropriate?
Adam is describing a method for generating insight revolving around the ‘fill in the blanks’ idea.
E.G ‘Young people _________ because they feel / want / think __________’.
The group are being given a series of stories on which to create an insight.
Story 1:
Ex- Guantanamo Prisoner was Troubled by YouthBy PAISLEY DODDS, Associated Press Writer Sun May 22, 6:33pm ET
LONDON - A former Guantanamo prisoner says he battled shyness, loneliness, and suicide attempts before discovering Islam on a backpacking trip through Europe, according to a handwritten biography that paints a picture of a troubled London youth.
One suggestion from a group includes:
Young people look for acceptance elsewhere if rejected by their societies.
Story 2:
The Pope and Hitler Youth: An Interview with Michael H. Kater By Rick Shenkman
After Cardinal Ratzinger was selected as Pope the media reported that he had been a member of the Hitler Youth (Hitler Jugend). Is it significant that he was a member?
Not as such, because after March 1939 every child above ten up to eighteen was forced to join. If they did not, parents could be held responsible (fines, arrest). Often there were loopholes, though, because somehow children cheated — on the Hitler Jugend (HJ) elders — or parents moved somewhere else with them or they just did not join and after repeated inquiries by HJ authorities which were not answered by parent or child the HJ gave up.
One suggestion from a group includes:
People tend to judge others by what they did in their youth, even if they were forced into it.
Muslim youth are hooked into the same dangers as non-Muslim youth of today’s society. The statistics show it all. Ninety percent of Muslim children, as young as 11, are using chat rooms and Internet sites to contact strangers. At the same time, they are providing these strangers with all of their personal details.
One suggestion from a group includes:
Media might use statistics to add credibility to a story which is biased.
Story 4:
Denmark rocked by new cartoon row
Source: BBC Online
The Danish prime minister has denounced the drawing of new cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad by members of an anti-immigration party’s youth wing.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen intervened in an apparent effort to prevent a repeat of the widespread protests over similar cartoons a year ago. Danish People’s Party activists were shown on TV drawing the images, which were condemned in the Muslim world. Iran and Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood said the new cartoons insulted Islam.
One suggestion from a group includes:
Under the pretext of liberty of expression, certain youth give themselves the right to do things that may offend others because of lack of awareness and ignorance.
What do you think? Is this a good method for arranging your thinking on a particular issue? Is it too ‘broad brush’ and simplifies complex issues that require complex thinking?
Yesterday, groups were asked complete the following task based on their learning:
RingWell, a mobile phone company, needs YOUR help!
RingWell has realised that it is not selling many mobiles to older parents (45-60 years old). In fact, not many companies do. Ringwell wants to move into this new market before the competition.
In your group, discuss older parents to discover some insights into their behaviour and (non-)use of mobile phones. Then, develop your product idea and explain the benefit to the customer.
The key process followed by groups was:
Insight
Product idea
Customer benefit
Nader Houella makes a pitch on behalf of the group:
Again, just a quick test. Better quality content coming shortly!
group ideas on defining an idea to take the Reachout Project forward. 
