Original Placement:
Today’s guest on the Cardano NFTs column is an art activism project and multimedia universe inspired by martial arts, gaming, cinema, 80s action, anime, and southeast Asian culture: Streets of ADA.
The previous guest was a project creating AAA artwork and building secure and immersive social experiences with the KWICVERSE, subverting the keyboard warrior stereotype in a supportive community of pop culture fanatics.
This column will cover NFTs on Cardano and I will invite projects to answer some questions regarding their story, vision and their roadmap.
Hey, glad to have you here. Please introduce your team, where are you from, what are your backgrounds?
Hi I’m Razali (Raz) Samsudin, co-founder alongside my brother Affendi, together we make up A Samsudin Brothers Projek, creators behind Streets of ADA. We were both born and raised in London, England, with parents from Malaysia and the Philippines.
I have a background in education, research, journalism, NGO and social entrepreneurship sectors. I have been an educator for 14+ years, teaching ICT for families and autistic students, as well as Humanities, Social Sciences (History, Geography, Politics, Sustainability) in schools and homes in UK, France and Indonesia, and most recently at the University of Cergy Paris before transitioning full time into web3 and blockchain4good.
Affendi is a multimedia artist, photographer, graphic designer, and illustrator, with a background in built construction, architecture and hydroponics.
We have been joined by others in our supporting team from within the Cardano community and from the finance, NGO, and music sectors. Paris based music artist Juv&Nil is launching his first music single in Web3 as part of our collection. We are also working with Karl R. De Mesa, a Manila based author, CNN and Vice journalist, musician and martial arts coach.
What is Streets of ADA? What is the core mission of the project?
Streets of ADA is an art activism project. A multimedia entertainment initiative. A universe that draws inspiration from martial arts, beat ’em up gaming, world cinema, 80s era action movies, anime, and southeast Asian cultural heritage.
We created A Samsudin Brothers Projek — Streets of ADA in 2022, infused by our passions, inspired by our cultural heritage. Our initial focus is the Philippines, Malaysia, and southeast Asia where our roots and family are from. After watching the Delikado documentary, I got in touch with the Palawan NGO Network and we began the collaboration in October 2022.
Our vision is to drive support to protect land defenders, activists and native forests in the Philippines and around the world through our art as activism NFTs.
Our impact project focuses on three key pillars:
- CHALLENGING CORRUPTION
- PROTECTING ACTIVISTS
- PROTECTING THE PLANET
With Streets of ADA our mission is to provide a proof of concept with our pilot on the ground partners the Palawan NGO Network Inc (PNNI), who are made up of 39 NGOS and impact associations across Palawan, the largest island province of the Philippines.
We are also partnered with Talk to Loop to integrate their community feedback tools and their local community partners, enabling locals to have their voices heard and voice their opinions of how projects impact them with security, and anonymity where necessary.
In order to achieve the 2016 Paris agreement of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, we need to protect our native and old growth forests. The Paris Agreement reaffirms that developed countries should take the lead in providing financial assistance to countries that are less endowed and more vulnerable, while for the first time also encouraging voluntary contributions by other Parties. Our Streets of ADA mission is in line with this international agreement.
How are you utilizing NFT technology and why have you chosen Cardano for your project?
Streets of ADA shall showcase how blockchain and NFTs can be a transformative digital means of fundraising and philanthropy for grassroots organisations, and bring transparency, accountability and measurable verifiability of on the ground impact.
Streets of ADA NFTs will enable owners wanting to support impactful grassroots organisations (NGOs, impact organisations) that are having an impact and are struggling to operate financially sustainably and hence scale their impact.
We are partnered with Sustainable ADA and developing the Proof of Impact Platform (PIP) to enable other impact organisations and projects to join PIP like PNNI. Our teams will help stakeholders on their digital transformation, and support them in converting illiquid, unmonetized and hard to measure impact, into purchasable, liquid, digital assets as NFTs.
Buying Streets of ADA Proof of Impact NFTs connects you to the evidence of impact on the ground by PNNI (e.g. a video/audio interview with a local) captured via Talk to Loops platform, and put on the blockchain. This acts like a certificate, known as an ‘NFT’.
Thanks to blockchain technology, you are able to directly see how your funds are supporting the NGO and their missions and track and trace the funds.
The Cardano blockchain is a leading, scientifically peer-reviewed, environmentally friendly, open source, transparent protocol. Anyone may verify, track and trace the data, e.g. movement of funds, certificated evidence of impact, all time stamped and tamper resistant, without the need to trust and rely solely on a centralised entity or one person.
The Cardano community is a mission- and values-driven community who are leveraging technology to solve actual problems, and giving people access to the tools to do so. Building an equitable and sustainable world, and inspiring hope through action.
Can you go more into detail about the activism part? What is happening in the Philippines and how can the Cardano Community help?
A UNESCO World Heritage site with one of the oldest, largest and most diverse rainforests in the world, the province of Palawan is known as the Philippine’s “last ecological frontier”.
The Philippines is one of the deadliest countries in the world for defenders of the environment. It is also #2 in the world for crypto adoption.
In 2020, 29 recorded murders of environmental activists made the Philippines the third deadliest in the world, behind Mexico and Columbia.
In a survey conducted by Travel+Leisure, Palawan was recognized as the “best island in the world” by the New York-based travel magazine, topping its Top 25 Islands in the World list in 2020, 2017, 2016 and 2013.
So for many, it may come as a shock that Palawan island, home to the Philippines’ last great rainforests, with tropical waters that are among the most biodiverse in the world, with natural wonders that make it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, is also a country that is one of the most dangerous countries in the world due to illegal logging, fishing and mining, all of which are destroying Palawan.
“We have a unique para-enforcement programme in which we use the nation’s citizens arrest law to confiscate chainsaws, boats, jeepneys or any other equipment being used to illegally plunder Palawan’s natural wonders. Our team, and its network of community volunteers, will step in to save Palawan because no one else will.
We do not have much money, but we are rich in commitment, determination and bravery. Your funding will help us to continue and expand our work. Any size of donation is welcome, and we will use 100% of what we receive to continue our mission.”
– Attorney Bobby Chan, Executive Director of Palawan NGO Network Incorporated (PNNI)
The Cardano community can help by supporting PNNI directly through their website, and supporting Streets of ADA by following us, helping us to spread the word, connecting us with people that can help us scale the impact of PNNI, and buying a NFT once the collections are launched.
Awesome contribution. Any final words? Where can people learn more?
It has never been a deadlier time to defend one’s community, way of life or environment. The Philippines is the most dangerous country in Asia to be a land defender. These are chilling findings by Global Witness, one of the world’s leading human rights and environment campaigners.
The battles being led by Bobby and Nieves and the PNNI team, are the same as those being fought by local communities in Brazil, Cambodia and elsewhere around the world where corporations and governments are seeking to plunder increasingly valuable natural resources.
They are being killed for trying to stop mining, agribusiness and logging. Many of the deaths occur in remote villages or rainforests. The victims are often from indigenous communities. The killers are rarely caught. All these factors are in play in Palawan.
A Samsudin Brothers Projek — Streets of ADA is working to support PNNI with the help and backing of a mission-driven, values and action-oriented Cardano community that rises to the call of #DefendtheDefenders and #TogetherStronger
To find out more and support our work, here’s our Gitbook.
Also, have a look at our Project Catalyst proposal and follow us across our channels from here.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views of the people interviewed are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Cardano Foundation or IOG. Moreover, this content is for educational purposes, it doesn’t constitute financial advice.