Following last year's successful social media campaign celebrating linguistic diversity online throughout Asia, the collaborative project is continuing in 2020. Every week, a different language activist and advocate will be taking turns managing the @AsiaLangsOnline Twitter account to share their experiences, best practices, and lessons learned from their revitalization work promoting the use of their native languages, with a special focus on the role of the internet. This campaign is a collaboration between Rising Voices, the Digital Empowerment Foundation, and the O Foundation.

Each week, the upcoming host will answer several questions about their background and give a brief overview of their language. This Q&A is with Pushker Kadel (@KadelPushker) who will provide a sneak preview of what he will be discussing during his week as host.

Rising Voices (RV): Please tell us about yourself.

Pushker Kadel (PK): I am a language, education and development practitioner involved in implementing language and education-based development activities. I spent about two and half decades on these issues in Nepal.

These days I am not directly involved in any organizations but I help organizations and individuals as per their request as a facilitator and trainer. I also provide consultation services to design language, education and development projects.

Before that, I was directly involved with two language groups: Dangaura Tharu and Limbu in West and East Nepal respectively.

RV: What topics do you plan to focus on during the week that you’ll manage the @AsiaLangsOnline Twitter account?

PK: I'm planning to discuss education philosophy, objectives and policy for the nation.

RV: What are the main motivations for your activism ? What are your hopes and dreams for language and education policy in Nepal?

PK: My main motivation is to create a level of awareness among the key stakeholders, which will help to reform the education system to provide quality education for all.