Why not a discussion group called "Living on the Net"

Good afternoon everyone !

I am a French Canadian that made a 30 years or so carrer in Information System. I am retired but still young and very active. I have a lot of experience at getting things done in a managerial perspective in all types of organizations and quite a broad and deep experience of Information Systems including Internet. On the long term I plan to write magazines articles and/or books and help out the ones really in need as much as I can.

I wrote an article on the "Tenere Tree". This is a tree, in the Tenere Desert ( the dryest part of the Sahara ) that was the only survivor of a huge Accacia forest covering most of Niger few thousands years ago. This area is really the broadest part of the earth that transformed into desert over that period. The Tenere is inhabited by nomads, the Tuaregs. The tree was used as a milestone for desert caravans since 300 years and was standing alone with no other tree for hundreds miles around; this tree had a very big importance for Tuaregs and travelers; this was also the only tree appearing on high scales maps. The tree was also indicating a precious well nearby. This is a photo of the tree :



The tree was hit to death in 1973 by a truck; the Niger government transported the dead body to the Niamey Museum and issued a hugly post stamp ...

In 1974, a metal tree appeared on the site made of recycled pipes, fuel barrels and even auto parts; it is still there and photographed by tourists from all over the world. Everyone was calling it the Tenere Tree but no one knew who made it. The Tuaregs are a very hermetic community; they have very few contacts with others.
This is a photo of the metal Tenere Tree.



In the course of doing research for my article, over a year, I interviewed thru Internet hundreds of people on 4 continents and even Tuaregs that now have access to Internet. I am also participating to a Tuareg Internet forum where I keep them informed of my findings. We now know who made the tree, how and why !

In summary, the tree was made by a Touareg nomad schools inspector named Kantana that is very highly respected by Thouaregs; he died in the desert not far away from the tree.

During that time, it became evident that Kantana was a real out of the ordinary man but still a simple man, an authentic hero. He took the initiative to make the tree, anonymously, with very limited resources, at the risk of his own life. The group decided that an honor should be made to the man. We formed a group called Project Kantana which role is to see that this is done and that other projects helping out the Tuaregs community are found, promoted and realized, using the Kantana model as a motivator. The group is really international : Two Tuaregs, one living in Italy being an executive of the International Tuareg Congress, one living in Niger working at Niamey University, a French woman living in France dedicated to helping developping countries communities, myself and finally the son of Kantana that lives in the Tenere desert.

We already have a completed project : as a group we participated to a Flag and Logo international contest made by the African Union Diaspora. This organization regroups all the African residing out of Africa that wants to help Africans residing in Africa. We have worked very hard and we think our chances of winning are absolutely excellent. The money prize and the trip prize will be given to the son of Kantana, if we win. In any case the group is winning by learning that one of the "best way to help ourself is to help others". In addition, the group has gained confidence so now we are continuing with numerous other projects.

The project we are working on now is the one to honor Kantana !

As you certainly know, nomad communities have a profound respect for Nature and do not like much "artificial" monuments. We concluded that the best way to horor Kantana, our hero, was to build a Inukshuk on the Tenere Tree site. Inukshuk are organized stones piles that look like Human beings; they are made by nomad communities in Northern Canada ( called the Inuits ), Scandinavia and Russia. Some of them are huge and can stand for over a thousand years. How can a monument to a man be more respectuous of Nature than a Inukshuk is ? Kantana would really love it and every single Tuareg will share a sound pride. And pride is a great motivator to go further. I think Inuits and Tuaregs have a lot in common and both would immensely benefit of such a collaboration.

For this Inukshuk project, no money would be involved. The Niger is one of the poorest country in the world ( the 171st based on GIP, and the Tuaregs are poorer than the other Nigerien ... ) and everyone in the group works for free. The project would use an Internet forum ( and Internet mail ) as main communication medium. This is a highly visible project from many point of view, the Tenere Desert is a world class touristic destination and the Tenere Tree is now a strategic symbol for Niger. As you know the climate changes and the desertification are hot subjects ... We have even been approached by leading touristic magazines for articles.

If I phrase it in very global terms, and from a very high perspective, the Inuits will tell the Tuaregs how to make the Inukshuk; there are a lot a stones in the Tenere desert and Tuaregs are hard and proud workers, the rest is strictly a madder of organizing, finding information, establishing contacts, leading, convaincing, encouraging etc. which I am not bad at doing !

And of course we have several other projects of that breed on the line; I would not be surprized at all that some of them may interest Inuits.

Now I wrote about a page worth of text and I did not ask you any question !

I guess what I am looking for is :

Who could be interested by this project ( likely someone working in Nunavut or Nunavik ) ?

Who should I talk to, do you have any contact that could help out ?

What is your own opinion on it ?

With respect !

Arnold Tremblay