Rising Voices note: Our biweekly newsletter provides a summary of our recent blog posts about all aspects of digital inclusion including access and adoption of digital tools, as well as different ways and opportunities for communities to fully participate online. Read here for previous editions of this newsletter.

Global Voices Managing Editor, Filip Noubel recently interviewed Regina Uygur from the collective Biz Uyghurlar about their work to produce a series of stickers for use on the messaging app Telegram as a way to promote visibility of their culture. This piece of news continues a trend where underrepresented communities are adopting and adapting technology tools to share their language and culture. For example, several years back, Rising Voices featured similar initiatives in Latin America where language activists created stickers celebrating the Mapuche and Huastec cultures.

Following our commemoration of the International Year of Indigenous Languages (#IYIL19), Rising Voices and our partners are continuing a series of rotating Twitter campaigns based off last year’s successful initiative. If you are curious about indigenous, minority, endangered, or under-resourced languages across the world plus how the internet and technology may play a role in their promotion and/or revitalization, please stay tuned! You can also read the profile posts as follows to learn more about our recent hosts, their work and visions for their languages.

@AsiaLangsOnline (Asia)

• Nabil Berri on the current status of the Acehnese language, indigenous to Banda Aceh (capital of Aceh province, Indonesia), his multifold revitalization efforts, and a wealth of resources for aspiring learners of the language
• Lami’ Tsai-Wei Hung on the past and the present of the Sakizaya language — a Taiwanese indigenous language considered endangered — as well as her involvement in community building on its revitalization for future generations

Along this line, we’d also like to share a recent story on how Santali speakers breathed new life into their language through an online magazine. 

Remember the OpenGLAM initiative we mentioned two issues back?  We’d like to bring to our readers’ attention that the CC Open GLAM Platform is also providing fundings to encourage projects and activities in line with their mission.  You can find further details here and apply via this link.  Application due: August 3, 2020

Do you care about making the internet healthier just like Mozilla does?  In planning for their 2020 Internet Health Report, Mozilla would like to know: What aspect of Internet health concerns you the most?  What makes you optimistic about it?  Go take the survey [en] [es] [fr] [de] and share what you think!  Further details can be found here and past reports here.

In seeking innovative solutions for better digital systems to ensure social protection for everyone, including the most vulnerable populations among us, the World Bank and partners are inviting you for a Mission Billion Challenge via the MIT Solve platform.  For further details, please see here.  Submission due: August 14, 2020

Bread&Net, an Arabic-language unconference on MENA-specific digital rights issues, will be taking place online this November.  This year, they would like to invite stakeholders for a conversation on coping with the extra challenges COVID-19 has brought about in this realm.  Proposals are welcome in these 5 themes.  Submission due: August 31, 2020 at 12am (GMT +3)

Her Abilities — a pioneering initiative highlighting achievements of women with disabilities around the world — is open for nomination for its 2020 round.  If you’ve come across daily heroines as such, do nominate one and inspire more!  Please see here for further details.  Submission open: July 6, 2020 – September 27, 2020

• Understanding community networks through comics via APC (Association for Progressive Communications)
• Premio Ostana 2020 – XII Edizione [it] as presented by Premio Ostana: Scritture in Lingua Madre via YouTube
• The identity matrix: Platform regulation of online threats to expression in Africa (special coverage) via Global Voices

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