In a press release issued on December 7, 2006 UNICEF, One Laptop per Child (OLPC) and Google announced the launch of "Our Stories", a joint initiative to preserve and share the histories and identities of cultures around the world. Children are asked to record stories, of family, friends, or tell their own story. By sharing personal stories across the globe, the Our Stories project is looking to increase awareness of our global community, including creating a better understanding of cultures and key issues effecting ones daily lives, such as health, war, poverty, education and gender.
"Information technologies can help young people around the world learn more about each other," said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman. "Our Stories will promote dialogue across borders and cultures and give young people a voice on a wide range of issues."
The Our Stories website currently includes stories collected by Brazil's Museum of the Person and stories recorded for UNICEF by young people in Ghana, Pakistan, Tanzania and Uganda. You can find stories like Edith's, who spoke about the limited child participation in Ghana.
The project hopes to grow and collect stories from every country and every town, so encourage the children in your lives to share their story, or share your own.