5 Things I learnt the hard way setting-up AltCity.me in Beirut

@dimalb | CC | BY-NC-SABCMCR | December 2014

Five things I learnt the hard way setting up AltCity.me in Beirut

Dr. Dima Saber BCMCR

http://AltCity.me


I want to tell you about my experience setting up one of the first media/tech start-up support spaces in Beirut. I want to tell you about the things I was really good at, and the things I really s***** at. Then I’d like to think with you of how all this connects to a wider discussion on social entrepreneurship, gender disparity issues in the Arab region, conflict and social change. And I hope some part of this will inspire you, in some way. Oh, and I think Annette rocks, but that’s a different discussion :)

Here’s my suggestion for today:


Basically this is how it all started…


I f y o u ’ r e unhappy with m e d i a , m a k e your own media


A y o u t h -r u n m o n t h l y newspaper I s s u e 0 , Nov 2009


I t las ted one year


actually it lasted as long as the funding lasted…


So perhaps two words on context…


The political context

www.flickr.com/photos/syriafreedom

http://www.flickr.com/photos/syriafreedom


The tech infrastructure

Survey administered by the MBRSG’s Governance and Innovation Program targeting residents of 22 Arab countries. The survey fielding was conducted between March and April 2014 with respondents numbered at 3000 | www.mbrsg.ae

http://www.mbrsg.ae


Unequal access Unequal skills

The digital divide is not a digital problem. Rather, i t is the digita l

manifestation of offline political, social & economic inequality.


Meanwhile in Lebanon…


and, of course…


myself

Just so I get to do this…


AltCity in 2011


It involved a lot of this…


and a whole lot of this…


I n a d d i t i o n t o s o m e n e c e s s a r y reconciliation with this …

digitalpopmarketing.com

http://digitalpopmarketing.com


this…

www.psclipper.com

http://www.psclipper.com


& these…


AltCity today


5 things I learnt the hard way


♡$#1


If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself. If it’s something you don’t know how to do, you gotta learn.

#2


Scratch #2. If you don't learn to delegate and to trust your team you might lose your mind, and end up at s o m e r e s e a r c h c e n t r e i n Birmingham.

#3


Choose your battles. The earlier you accept that you’ll have to make compromises anyway, the better your chances to get to choose when and how that happens.

#4


Have fun doing whatever you’re doing. Otherwise, the hard work just isn’t worth it :)

#5


♡researchI’m here


• 8 partners in 5 Arab countries (Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine & Jordan)

• 2 5 0 0 + c i t i z e n journalists trained in media literacy & fact-checking tools

• 7 C h e c k d e s k platforms successfully launched


AltCity is my home


& I know I want to set-‐up a Media & Design Research Ins@tute in Beirut next.


[email protected] @dimalb

Thanks for listening those of you who have :)

5 Things I learnt the hard way setting-up AltCity.me in Beirut

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