Index:

2010-01-25 MON - Project documentation again restarted by Stefan Nowak

In an email Stefan Nowak writes to the project mailing list, that he now does the following tasks in sequential order:

1. Reconstruct the missing project minutes! I realised that they stopped in 2008-10 and after that time, the only written project records are within email communication. I reconstructed a lot through the mailing list, diary entries, and sometimes memories, but for factual data I only relied on written records. Already prepared on my computer up to 90%. Soon to be published to the wiki. Review/additions then welcome!
2. Finishing my german language paper "Project management between theory and praxis - Review of the transcultural art and education project UGATRA", which I interrupted in 2009-10. As the title says, the project is only reviewed from the perspective of management and not humanistically.
3. Creating an appropriate documentation of UGATRA as I realised that no serious documentation really exists! Note: I am doing this out of my own impulse. Collaboration is welcome, but I do not expect it, rely on it. Things shall work relaxed. I will do it either way. And I also do not necessarily go for 100% consensus. I have spoken to some former members informally, and some already promised their contributions.

2009-10 - 2009-11 - Project documentation restarted by Stefan Nowak, but interrupted

After having read some project management theory books in 2009-07, Stefan Nowak starts writing a german seminar paper "Projektmanagement zwischen Theorie und Praxis - Nachbetrachtung des transkulturellen Bildungs- und Kunstprojekts UGATRA" meaning "Project management between theory and praxis - Review of the transcultural art and education project UGATRA". As the title says, the project is entirely reviewed from the perspective of management and not humanistically.

While researching for the paper, Stefan Nowak wants to look up some details, which he already forgot, and as he looks into the project minutes, he realises that they stopped in 2008-10, and after this the only written records are within email communication. He starts to read through the entire mailing list messages and to reconstruct the project history.

Additionally he realises that he is quite unsatisfied with the current status of the project documentation. UGATRA was such a big endeavor for its team, it also evoked quite some enthusiasm within the project environment. Plenty raw documentations materials exists. But a good documentation is missing. As the project does not exist any more officially, he cannot gather the project team, and also does not want to.

It is clear to him, that the documentation has to have a brief neutral part, which describes UGATRA factually and consensually, but then leave a lot of place for individual views, which are clearly recognisable as such, space also for critical and controversial content. There must be enough space for all the various positions and aspects within this trans-cultural project.

He speaks to Prof. Putz-Plecko, who has mentored the project almost throughout the entire team. She encourages him to go for the documentation, she also misses it as the definitive conclusion, and she offers to verify his seminar paper.

He talks to some former UGATRA members informally, and some show interest in contributing.

In 2009-11 Stefan Nowak interrupts his work.

2009-01 - Project UGATRA officially closed

• Due to the silence of Vincent Okuja, Isaac Okwir, Ronah, no future project perspective, hence UGATRA did not continue/end as planned.
• Conclusion of the final project meeting between mentor Prof. Barbara Putz-Plecko and the Austrian team: UGATRA now positively metaphorically considered as an onion / protection cover, as a base for possible new developments, which themselves then wouldn't be connected to UGATRA.
• Prof. Putz-Plecko now in contact with Austrian Iwer Ohm and Ugandan sociologist Paul Bukululi. Emergence of project "Liquid Structures". Keywords: Sociology, Medicine, Art Therapy, HIV Prevention & Companionship.
• At a venue of the "Innovation Prize", UGATRA was presented as the predecessor of "Liquid Structures", which itself was submitted to the competition contrary to UGATRA, which was presented but not submitted, as this would have required the follow-up in 2009.

Earlier developments

The preparations for UGATRA in Austria worked only partially and eventually failed.

The details can be read at: news preparation for ugatra in austria 2008

Summarized: For the scheduled date in 2008-09 only 1 Ugandan project team member, Lydia Alowo was (controversially) chosen to be that person, plus the institutional mentor for UGATRA in Uganda, the Dean of the MTSIFA at the Makerere University Kampala, Dr. George Kyeyune, could come to Austria. With only 1 Ugandan project member, UGATRA in Austria could not take place in a reasonable manner, hence the purpose of this visit was changed, so that Lydia Alowo shall assess the situation in Austria similar as the Austrian assessment team has done in Uganda in 2007-10, and share that gained knowledge with her colleagues in Uganda, and that the real UGATRA in Austria should then takes place at the postponed date 2009-spring. Sadly, jealousy, rumors and bad blood plagued the Ugandan team so strong that it fell apart, and when Lydia Alowo came to Austria, she told the Austrian team, that she sees little chance, that this team could work together. After that, only silence followed. This was the practical end.