Having recently returned from his latest visit to some of the most remote areas of Bolivia, Ramesh Srinivasan, director of the UC Digital Cultures Lab and an Associate Professor in Information Studies at UCLA, joins The Young Turks’ Dave Koller to discuss how cultural diversity can be empowered through technology efforts. Bolivia is such a richly multicultural nation that it can be seen as an interesting example for many of us across the world who are interested in how to support cultural diversity in a world where this is being lost. Srinivasan shares fascinating stories of how Bolivia’s indigenous communities are reinventing traditional media – specifically radio – to spread information across far-flung regions of the country, promote indigenous causes and help organize labor and workers. He provokes us to think about how social media and Internet initiatives can learn from radio.

Also discussed in this wide-ranging interview:
– The emerging and dynamic politics of South America, with an eye toward Bolivia and the pope’s recent visit to the region
– The tensions and paradoxes associated with Bolivian president Evo Morales
– How radio may provide an answer to the angst we feel about the Internet
– Why new media and the Internet have failed to take hold with rural and indigenous communities and how radio can be a teacher in overcoming this.
– How technologies can support indigenous and non-western values and beliefs.
– What those of us in the west can learn from Bolivia’s efforts to promote connectedness.
– The first-hand experience of seeing Bolivians’ reaction to Pope Francis’ recent visit.

Visit the UC Digital Cultures Lab’s website: http://digitalcultures.net

Follow Ramesh on Twitter: @rameshmedia
Follow Dave on Twitter: @DaveKoller