Baobaxia and other sciences in action

Abstract

Introduction: Baobaxia is a decentralized community comunication network, based upon free software and culturally meaningful metaphors. It was developed by a community center called Tainã and by the Mocambos Network and its purpose is to be an autonomous digital infrastructure that preserves and shares knowledge from quilombolas and indigenous communities. Methods: The study utilizes the Actor-Network Theory in order to understand how the software Baobaxia articulates technology, culture and politics, highlighting the human and non-human agency in the structuring of the Mocambos Network. The methods emphasize the active participation of the community. Discussion: We expect to show how Community Extension, situated knowledge and orality – principles that guide the Baobaxia’s development – could be an alternative model to develop technology, as opposed to the current colonial and centralized model. Conclusion: The results show that Baobaxia is more than a technological tool, it is a living organism that aggregates ancestral and digital knowledge, promoting autonomy and sustainability.