Âsônamâkêwin ~ Passing It On, Hal Cameron, mixed media (c) 2018. “The elimination of Indigenous languages has been a central part of colonization and assimilation. Many Native nations are now teaching their youth and others their languages which have been” (veritatem, CC BY 2.0)

Rising Voices note: Our monthly 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.

Hello readers, what did you do at the opening of the year?

As we are officially entering the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022–2032, we’d love to share with you a summary report of a recent panel discussion at the Internet Governance Forum 2021 on Building the Wiki-Way for Low-Resource Languages. In this report, you’ll get a brief idea of key challenges low-resource language communities face in this digital age. You’ll also learn about recommendations from the panelists on actions to be taken in addressing these issues.

Care to share your thoughts with us? You can do so by starting a conversation below.

In this issue, we’d also love to share with you that Kiswahili (aka Swahili) — native to Eastern and Central Africa, spoken by millions — is getting a day of its own! → “July 7 declared World Kiswahili Language Day: A new project seeks to better understand present day dialectal variations in Swahili”

Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen is now taking applications for its 2022 CrossCulture Programme, which aims to strengthen civil societies through mutually beneficial cultural exchanges between participating fellows and their host organizations. Further details and eligibility requirements can be found here. Application due: January 31, 2022

Seeking to advance citizen participation for local challenges, the African Union Civic Tech Fund is calling for innovative initiative proposals across the continent. For guidelines to take part in this competition, please visit their website. Submission due: January 16, 2022

Sharing Antonio Pizzigati’s spirit in open source computing for public interest? The Pizzigati Prize is welcoming applications from individuals, teams, and organizations — with demonstrated impact — to celebrate their contributions with the world! Further details can be found here. Application due: January 28, 2022

MozFest 2022 is around the corner! Want to join like-minded folks for a more humane digital world in this annual event by Mozilla? You can secure your ticket early at a Pay What You Can rate here and follow the updates here.

In kicking off the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022–2032, the Endangered Languages Project is inviting you to join them in a 10-day virtual event, during which language revitalization practitioners will be sharing insights from previous work as well as visions for the next ten years. Event information and free registration here. Date: January 14–23, 2022

• Dialog with Rising Voices and Living Tongues as presented by Living Tongues Institute via Instagram
• Animating the mother tongue: An indigenous language playlist via Folklife
• In celebrating local heroes, Bali provides a model for the world via Folklife

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