Organizational structure and knowledge management

It is the base from where the lines of research, projects and programs of CITSAC start. It emanates from the mandates of Indigenous Peoples and communities, which are agreements originate from meetings, summits, assemblies or other organization mechanisms. For example, the Declaration of the First Summit of Indigenous Communication, the First National Congress of Indigenous Communication, the San Andrés Accords, etcetera.
These are projects executed by the communities or organizations in order to carry out the established mandates. For example, itinerant indigenous communication schools, community radios, community mobile telephony, community networks, etcetera.
These are community spaces that focus on knowledge management and transmission, training, research and systematization of their own experiences or products like publications, made by themselves or in alliance with other organizations. An important feature of this circle is that the knowledge center or training projects have the support of their assemblies and are integrated into the community’s organizational structure or governance mechanisms. However, the degree of appropriation and participation of the people in these spaces can vary, implying a greater or lesser participation of allied external organizations.
These are spaces for knowledge production formally recognized as universities, research institutes, as well as networks or research groups around them.
These are the actors of institutions that work in strategic lines or whose aim is to advocate in order to generate appropriate regulatory environments and relevant public policies, given that their actions can slow down or facilitate the execution of telecommunication or communication projects in the communities.
CITSAC's general principles
- Community knowledges are the main source of knowledge and guidance from where research projects should start.
- The dialogue of knowledges is the mechanism that involves the diverse actors in every research project and must escape the logics of power that surround the approach to communities from a traditional academic perspective.
- All knowledge and learning are oriented to the exercise of the self-determination of the Indigenous Peoples and community and indigenous telecommunications communication processes.
- Knowledge is collectively built and therefore free to socialize.
- The main pedagogical principle of training processes are the educational practices and the means of knowledge socialization of the Indigenous Peoples, which are accompanied by methodologies such as popular education and knowledge sharing free knowledge societies.
- The methodology to approach reality is based on Participatory Action Research (PAR), following the principles of “see-think-act” and “action-reflection-action”, involving people in the entire process in each research project.
- The solutions that the communities themselves give to their technological problems are the only ones that have proven to be efficient. Therefore, all innovation in communication technologies must be anchored in this principle.
- The collaboration of actors who do not belong to the communities (universities, public institutions, international organizations, etc.) in the research projects must be previously consulted and approved by the communities.
Mandates and agreements of the Indigenous Peoples:
- Declaration of the First Continental Summit of Indigenous Communication of Abya Yala, La María Piendamó, Cauca, Colombia, 2010.
- Declaration of the II Continental Summit of Indigenous Communication of the Abya Yala, Tlahuitoltepec Mixe, Oaxaca, Mexico, 2013.
- Declaration of the Communication Table IV Continental Summit of the Peoples of Abya Yala, Puno, Peru, 2009.
- Declaration of the National Congress of Indigenous Communication, Mexico City, Mexico, 2007.
- Declaration of the 1st Latin American Summit of Community Networks, Argentina, 2018.