CIS-A2K/Events/Launching of WikiProject Rivers with Tarun Bharat Sangh
Background
[edit]Reliable, Verifiable and updated information repository is a vital aspect of any movement. This can only be achieved through alert and committed citizens connected to the real issues on ground. The status of rivers and overall water is such an important area which needs to be given urgent attention. Responding to this need of an hour Jalbiradari & Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS) has taken initiative to build free knowledge repository on water called ‘Jalbodh’ on Wikimedia platforms like Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikisource and Wikidata with the support of our knowledge partner, Centre for Internet & Society’s Access to Knowledge Programme (CIS-A2K). We are organizing training workshops to create content on Wikipedia and other projects. The details of collaborative events can be seen at - Partnerships under Project Jal Bodh - Knowledge resource on Water. TBS has released 90 books on rivers and water issues under free license, which are available to the world for any kind of use. The gallery can be accessed at – Category:Books published by Tarun Bharat Sangh, India.
Rivers on WIKI
[edit]Today's biggest challenge is a lack of data on small river basins at the local level. Anyone with a genuine interest in rivers can find superficial information about national and state-level rivers on the internet, but the real information about pollution sources, encroachments, mines, and other industries that harm rivers is unavailable. In this way, it creates the impression that everything is fine with their rivers, and that the god is to blame for their demise. It is our belief that these details about their local rivers will help the general masses become aware of and advocate for the unheard waves of the rivers in their backyards.
For the past two years, TBS has been training thousands of activists, students, and young people to become "Jal Yoddha" that is Water Warriors and take up the issues in their communities. Our experience has shown that the key to saving our rivers is the open exchange of information, knowledge, and wisdom.
Objective
[edit]Create a knowledge base of small river basins on the internet that can be accessed from anywhere in the world, using free & open online platforms such as Wikimedia projects.
Approach
[edit]Wikimedian in Residence (WiR) is a professional role in an organisation that helps universities, non-profits, NGOs, and other various organisations to share their knowledge online through Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikisource, Wikidata and other Wikimedia projects. The task also includes - measuring the impact of the shared knowledge and promoting content enrichment in Wikimedia projects through training, education, and workshops. The WiR’s role is to act as a bridge between the institution and the Wikimedia community, tracking project activities and updating online information sources. Tarun Bharat Sangh in collaboration with CIS-A2K, is looking forward to post two Wikimedians in Residence for its project locations in Rajasthan and Maharashtra. These wikimedians will be based in different rivers basins and will collect and post data like current rain-water harvesting structures, length and width, videos and photo during river walks, points of tributaries confluence, pollution drains, landmarks, interviews of prominent personalities, schools, colleges, universities, cropping pattern, maps, GPS coordinates, etc.
Location
[edit]- Alwar, Rajasthan - River Baan Ganga & other major or minor tributaries
- Sangli, Maharashtra - River Agrani & other major or minor tributaries
Time Duration
[edit]The total duration of the project is 2 years. However, as it is a new project for us, we plan to do a six months pilot program in one sub river basin each in Rajasthan and Maharashtra. We will expand this activity after 6 months.
- Pilot project start: 1 January 2022
- Pilot Project end: 30 June 2022