reclaiming digital sovereignty for north africa
coordination infrastructure for communities, diaspora, and institutions · where culture becomes structured input, values become operational, and governance becomes enforceable.
manifesto
coordination as infrastructure, not charity
01 · we carry distance in our bodies
scattered across borders, we know fragmentation intimately. not separation by accident, but by design. we build the bridges they forgot to construct. coordination becomes the infrastructure of reconnection, where memory meets movement, where belonging becomes operational across time zones and territories.
02 · our stories are not for sale
they came for our data, our culture, our narratives. took without asking, extracted without returning. sovereignty is not symbolic. it is veto power over who speaks for us, who profits from us, who decides what becomes of the knowledge we carry. consequences, not conversations.
03 · the well runs dry when only taking
research papers written about us, not with us. algorithms trained on our languages, serving elsewhere. remittances flowing home while expertise stays locked out. reciprocity is not optional. every extraction demands capacity building. every partnership requires knowledge flowing both ways.
04 · we know the theater of inclusion
invited to speak, but not to decide. consulted, but not empowered. governance without enforcement is performance. participation without control is decoration. we build mechanisms with teeth. accountability that costs something when violated. partnerships that bind institutions, not just communities.
05 · diaspora holds more than money
we are networks across continents. knowledge spanning systems. strategic capacity earned through navigation. not wallets to be opened, but partners to be engaged. our expertise becomes infrastructure. our connections become coordination channels. engagement that respects the complexity we've learned to hold.
06 · memory is not archive, it is alive
heritage breathes. culture moves. knowledge transforms while remaining rooted. we refuse the museum, the frozen artifact, the dead past. cultural memory becomes living input to living systems. repositories governed by those who carry the stories, serving coordination without surrendering control.
07 · technology answers to us, not replaces us
ai trained on our context, accountable to our communities. federated architecture that preserves autonomy while enabling connection. tools that amplify what we already do, bridge what has been fractured, coordinate what colonialism scattered. technology in service of reunion, not replacement.
08 · we build for generations, act for today
coordination infrastructure outlasts funding cycles. we operate at the timescale of diaspora itself, measured in decades and generations and return journeys not yet made. patient capital meeting urgent needs. long memory meeting immediate action. building what lasts while serving what cannot wait.
bārcha operates at the coordination layer others ignore.
where fragmentation is assumed inevitable, we build structured pathways.
where governance is symbolic, we enforce accountability.
where extraction is normalized, we demand reciprocity.
tunisia-rooted · globally coordinated · 2025
the problem
communities
local knowledge is ignored by institutions. cultural memory stays scattered and disconnected.
diaspora
skilled people across borders have no way to contribute beyond sending money home.
institutions
research and policy ignore lived reality. governance is symbolic theater with no real power.
technology
ai systems are built without local input and deployed without community control.
what we're building
digital infrastructure with three connected layers:
knowledge commons
communities control their own cultural knowledge and data. not locked in archives, but actively used and governed locally.
coordination network
clear pathways connecting community needs with diaspora expertise and institutional resources.
creation lab
space where research, art, and technology come together. turning local knowledge into working systems.
current work
what we're building right now
tunisia knowledge commons pilot
building the first community-controlled knowledge repository with local organizations in tunisia.
diaspora network
connecting tunisian diaspora skills and knowledge with community and institutional needs back home.
governance frameworks
creating enforceable rules for community data control and institutional accountability.
roadmap
where we're headed
foundation
building partnerships · researching governance models · designing infrastructure
first pilots
launching knowledge commons · activating diaspora network · testing governance frameworks
expansion
connecting multiple sites · building cross-border channels · training community coordinators
regional network
expanding to multiple cities · integrating with institutions · implementing policy frameworks
global south model
replicating across north africa and beyond · transferring knowledge · sustaining governance
how we work
- communities control their own knowledge and data
- no taking without giving back · every partnership builds local capacity
- diaspora brings expertise, not just money
- accountability with real consequences when violated
- commitment measured in decades, not funding cycles
example: ai training data
how governance works in practice
scenario
a research institution wants to collect data from tunisian communities to train an ai system.
community decides
full consultation process · communities understand what's being proposed · communities have veto power
skills transfer required
institution must train local people · invest in local infrastructure · transfer technical knowledge
data stays local
community controls the data · transparent tracking of how it's used · binding agreements with penalties
ongoing oversight
quarterly community reviews · shared benefits · required reporting on how ai is deployed
result
communities keep control. institutions build trust through real accountability. governance has teeth.
who we are
led by meriem mehri · building governance, technology, and community capacity
meriem mehri
designing the ecosystem · building partnerships · creating governance systems · coordinating infrastructure
inquiries: meriem@barcha-collective.co