Knight News Challenge Roundup

In February, the Knight Foundation launched its News Challenge, looking for ideas to promote journalism and advance media innovation. 

This year, their theme was “How can we strengthen the Internet for free expression and innovation?” They say:

We believe that access to information is key to vibrant and successful communities, and we want the Internet to remain an open, equitable platform for free expression, commerce and learning. We want an Internet that fuels innovation through the creation and sharing of ideas

All applications were published to their website. The website asks for comments and “applause” on the proposals from a worldwide audience.

Here is a sampling of entries which are specifically focusing on indigenous concerns and/or endangered languages: 

Indigenous Languages Rising: Digital Activism, Research and Training – Our own project! A peer-led network across Latin America of indigenous language activists will build and share knowledge and transfer skills to others as a way to empower a new generation that are able to create digital content in their native language.

Developing Indigenous Digital Content from Rural Communities in The Gambia –  setting up innovative content hubs within the regional capitals of these regions that will act as centres to develop and create relevant content that will benefit directly these communities; youths in these communities will be able to create indigenous content relevant to their locality.

Tics + radio for freedom of expression in Paraguay – democratization of communication through increased access among underserved communities, with the equipment of community telecentres, creating a technological network of information and communication marginalized, rural and indigenous-enhanced radial diffusion.

‘Tooling up’ for minority health: Ending the invisibility of minority and indigenous groups through smart and inclusive data collection – adapt information communication technologies (ICTs) as data collection tools to enable indigenous and minority groups in the Amazonia-Yungas region to research and communicate the impact of health inequality on their communities.

Voces Comunes – a communication project developed for indigenous and afro-descendent communities of Colombia and Latin America to learn, acknowledge and strengthen their communication skills with the use of audio and video equipment, Internet and other ICT. 

Minority Voices: closing the online gap between human rights activists and the world media - open up access to the internet for marginalized minority and indigenous activists in Africa through a mobile phone app, enabling them to tell the world about the issues they are facing.

Indigenous Inter-Community Engagement Platform – a combined community information sharing, health tracking by communities, and a marketplace for bartering and commerce for Andean people, primarily in Quechua, the main andean spoken language. 

Oral Testimony Works: a global platform for first-hand accounts of poverty, development and change – An online platform to share and expand an oral history archive in six countries around the world, helping more people to engage online with these personal experiences of development, and support the recording and sharing of new voices.

And…

Threatened Voices: Tracking victims of online repression - from Advox – a collaborative mapping project to build a database of online people who are threatened, arrested or killed for speaking out online and to draw attention to campaigns that highlight their cause, to be of use for international advocacy - a first step towards raising public's awareness around the issue of mounting violations against freedom of expression on the internet.

 

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