Language Digital Activism Workshops for India

Are you a native or heritage speaker of an Indigenous (or Adivasi), minority, or low-resourced language of India?

Do you have an idea for a project or campaign that uses the internet or digital media to promote your language in digital spaces?

Are you interested in developing a plan to further advance that idea to make an impact for your language community?

If you answered “yes” to all these three questions, then we would like to invite you to apply to take part in a two-week online workshop “Strengthening your language on the internet through digital activism” organized by Rising Voices in collaboration with the UNESCO New Delhi Office.

Please read through the following information, then apply below at the bottom of this page.

Dates and times:

Session #1 – Wed., November 17 @ 6-8 pm India time
Session #2 – Sat., November 20 @ 6-8 pm India time
Session #3 – Wed., November 24 @ 6-8 pm India time
Session #4 – Sat., November 27 @ 6-8 pm India time

Within the framework of the upcoming International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022–2032, Rising Voices has partnered with UNESCO to develop a digital activism toolkit for languages, designed for speakers of Indigenous (or Adivasi), minority, and low-resourced languages who want to make an impact by promoting their languages in digital spaces. Low-resourced languages is a term often used for languages for which fewer online resources or digital content exist.

The resource intends to serve as a roadmap for speakers and other users who are currently engaged in or who want to start working to promote and strengthen their language, whether in cyberspace or by using digital media and technologies.

Developed in close collaboration with digital activists from around the world, and allied partners, the resource draws upon years of experience and best practices by these networks of language digital activists eager to share their knowledge with other communities. Organized according to tactics that contribute to the strategic goal of language reclamation and revitalization, the resource provides innovative examples of digital activism along with reflections on how to match activities with intended impact.

Through a partnership between Rising Voices and P2PU, the resource has been adapted into a four-session course to be offered online to language communities in seven different regions around the world.

You should apply if you:

  • Are a native or heritage speaker of an indigenous, minority, or low-resource language of India
  • Either are already involved with your own digital project or campaign OR you have a strong idea for a digital project or campaign and need help to further develop the idea
  • Can commit to attending all four sessions (see dates and times above), and complete all learning tasks in between sessions
  • Have access to internet, preferably to use video capabilities to connect with other participants

What to expect:

  • Four virtual sessions on Zoom, including breakout groups and discussion sessions
  • Readings or short tasks to complete before each session
  • Access to and interactions with peer facilitators who will also apply their experiences during the workshop/course
  • The opportunity to meet other like-minded people interested in digital activism from your country or region, and to strengthen ties.

You will learn how to:

  • Better understand how digital activism fits into broader strategies (human rights, language revitalization) and in relation to your unique local context
  • Articulate the intended change or impact you would like to influence
  • Identify strategies and tactics that best fit the change you would like to see
  • Locate ways to develop skills and explore examples that may match your proposed project
  • Create a plan based on a chosen tactic or strategy, identifying concrete steps to expand skills or knowledge.

NOTE: all the sessions in the training will be held in English.

How to apply:

Complete the following application form below. The deadline is November 7, November 10, 2021 at 10 pm (your local time).

Selected participants will be notified by November 11, 2021

There is no cost to attend for accepted participants.

Workshop organizers will select up to twenty participants to take part. Please note, we aim to ensure geographic, linguistic, and gender diversity.

Facilitators:

Amrit Sufi is a speaker of Angika, Hindi and English. She is currently working on the Oral Culture Transcription toolkit. She has created a model for the same in Angika language with focus on Angika folk-songs. Currently, she is hoping to create a toolkit that will enable people to access information on uploading media of endangered languages, it will contain instructions on uploading media, set of recommended questions, technical aspects involved in upload of media and transcription. It is being built in collaboration with Wikitongues and OpenSpeaks.

Subhashish Panigrahi has a professional background in catalyzing open Internet/source/knowledge communities and programs in nonprofits like Internet Society, Wikimedia Foundation, Mozilla and Centre for Internet and Society. He is a documentary filmmaker with several films focusing on marginalized rights and communities to his credit including three that were supported by National Geographic. Later in 2017 he revived the OpenSpeaks project which he founded in 2015 to create open resources (educational, technical and media) to help communities document endangered and other marginalized languages. With a few other like minded Wikimedian friends, he co-founded O Foundation (OFDN), a nonprofit that works on marginalized issues on the Internet with Openness, advocacy and media development in its core.

Apply here!

Thank you for your interest, but the application period has ended.