Welcome indeed! To what I feel is a new and improved Mali Interest Hub. I hope you will agree. Along with the obvious change in appearance, there has been some fundamental changes to the site’s functionality that will now cater for a whole range of different content and enable the ready exchange of news and ideas amongst readers. The two main changes are the site’s new indexing system – allowing readers to filter articles, resources, appeals, media and much more by different categories – and the introduction of the Mali Interest Forum – where users can generate and comment on threads about any topic of their choice.
Through all these chops, changes and additions the purpose of the Hub remains the same: “to raise awareness not only about the vibrant country that is Mali, but also the wide ranging issues that affect it.” A crucial part of achieving this goal has been to help bring together all who have an interest of any kind in the well-being and future of Mali and its people. Previously, we have focused on music and culture – starting with the celebration of the boldest and brightest facets of Malian life. And while the Song of the Week isn’t going anywhere, this new Mali Interest Hub will only thrive in the way it should with a steady stream of content. With this, we need your help. It will become what we make of it. Has the NGO you work for or support published a new report? Have you seen a petition circulating online? Will you be travelling to Mali and need some advice? Are you already there and need a lift? Is there an event in Parliament or is Vieux Farka Toure playing your home town? The Hub has a great new potential to connect all who love Mali in a new and exciting way, and therefore we would simply love to hear from you. Tell us what’s going on.
Over the course of the next few weeks you will see a whole load of new and hopefully interesting content make its way onto the site. If during this period you begin receiving hundreds of email notifications please let me know and please accept my apologies – there are still a few tiny issues to iron out. But on the whole, I’m pretty chuffed with the results so far – and the fun has only just begun.
Thanks for sticking with us. Here’s to the future. “I ni ce!”
Amadou & Mariam – Welcome to Mali
Sam Garbett is Public Affairs Coordinator for the Mali Development Group – www.malidg.org.uk.
To get in touch with Sam for further information he’d be happy to hear from you at sam.garbett@malidg.org.uk. Any comments and ideas for improving the Hub are especially welcome. We all look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for tuning in.
The Mali Interest Hub is an initiative run by the Mali Development Group, supported by the Alliance for Mali.