Proposals Endangered Languages from March, 2013
Finalist – Mexico: Audio Visual Record of the Zapotec Language
This project aims to complete all steps to ensure the presence of the Zapotec language in the digital world as it is in danger of disappearing. To achieve this, the project aims to build and strengthen the capabilities of a network of youth to make an audiovisual record of the Zapotec language with the help of an open source application for mobile phone called ojoVoz. Generated content will be published in real time on the platform of the virtual museum of the Zapotec language created in 2012.
Finalist – Mexico: Preserving and Promoting the Mayan Language
To preserve, promote, and conserve the Maya Yucateca language among adults, children and young people, as it is the latter who have lost interest in communicating and expressing themselves in their mother tongue. Social networks, cellular phones, urban planning of the rural sector are factors that contribute to the loss of identity. Information technology and communication might be considered threats, but for us, they are opportunities to spread the use of the language. Community radio and Facebook are communication tools for youth recognition of their language.
Bolivia: Revaluation of the Yuracaré Language
The language of the Yurakaré culture is a language that has survived to this day. However, contact with the Castilian language has been an influence on the speakers, the language, and culture. Currently the Yurakaré language is considered to be endangered. Thus, we propose to strengthen the Yurakaré identity and oral tradition through the spread of its language with young people exploring new technologies that recently reached the community.
El Salvador: Yankwit Tunal (New Sun)
Train young people in the use of ICT in order to promote and make visible the náhuat language and culture. Through training workshops in the use alternative media, young people will learn how to do interviews, make videos and audios together with speakers of náhuat. We expect to have a team of young journalists who will motivate other young people to appreciate their culture and document historical memory, and to spread the náhuat language with
Bolivia: Digitizing the Besiro Language
The Besiro language is endangered and that is why we want to digitize the language through audio, photography, video to create records, data and supporting material for teaching in the education system. We will work in a community with 15 families, of which, 5 of them speak the language but who are elderly. We expect to be in social networks so that young people can use the Besiro language.
USA: Cahuilla Language Revitalization Project
With only two fluent speakers of the critically endangered Cahuilla language remaining, this project is aimed at increasing awareness and interest of the target language in the community which we hope will eventually lead to the restoration of intergenerational language transmission. We hope to accomplish this through the creation of an online radio program and youtube videos which will be shared on our website and various social media outlets.
Chile: Mapugundun – Bringing Ancient History To Life
The main goal of the the project is to promote the preservation and revitalization of the Mapuche language ‘Mapudungun’, targeting the Mapuche communities living in Chile and worldwide, and to raise awareness among Chileans about this ancient language. This project will assist the Mapuche communities in their effort to protect, preserve and assure the continued vitality of their linguistic and cultural heritage.
Bolivia: Xaume Nishiberisi! We Present you our Language
The project aims is to recover and promote Bésiro (native language), and the collective memory of the Monkox† through the use of TIC´s (digital technology’s). All of this with a methodology of collective creation related to social vindications and peoples self-determination. We will work in workshops and then create 3 platforms: one virtual (Fb, blogs, etc); another local (trough Chiquitano radios, schools) and the last one would be nationwide.
Mexico: Jko’ponik (Our Voice)
This project aims to contribute to the strengthening and preservation of Tsotsil language, through the articulation of a group of young tsotsil artists who, through podcasts, share their experiences, knowledge, concerns and opinions, which can be shared through local radio systems and of course, internet. Everyone is an expert in their own native tongue. Therefore, it is very important to actively involve tsotsil young people in this process.
Mexico: Rising Our Voices Together
This project aims to develop a digital platform were two indigenous Mexican languages Nahuatl and Maya Yucatec can be learned. With this, we want to reconcile these languages into modernity, to give an opportunity for both communities to learn about each other but also to make these languages available to any other person interested in them. In the long-medium term, our goal is to get more indigenous languages involved to enlarge the project.
