CIS-A2K/Reports/Newsletter/September 2024

In the Limelight: Santali Wiki Regional Conference 2024

The Santali Wiki Regional Conference 2024 was co-organized by the Wikimedians of Santali Language User Group and Centre for Internet and Society Access to Knowledge (CIS-A2K) program. The event took place from 13th to 15th September 2024 in Kolkata, with the active participation of 20 members from the Santali community.

CIS-A2K has engaged with the Santali community since the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on community involvement, capacity development and collaboration. Initial discussions led to virtual sessions featuring speakers from the other Indic Wikimedia Communities, highlighting challenges faced by the community. Recognizing the need for specialized training, CIS-A2K organized Wikidata sessions with experienced Wikimedians to build technical skills and cross community collaboration.

The conference, a long-standing dream of the community and a result of continued collaboration, began with an introductory session that allowed participants to introduce themselves and align on goals. Key speakers included Program Director of CIS-A2K, who emphasized the value of in-person meetings for networking and idea exchange. Multilingual communication was prioritized, with sessions conducted in Santali, Hindi, and English, supported by translation services.

Day one included various sessions covering topics such as challenges faced by Santali Wikipedia, multimedia content sharing through Wikimedia Commons, and digitization efforts for the Santali language. Participants engaged in activities to identify challenges and brainstorm solutions while also learning about mentorship programs and machine translation tools.

On day two, discussions focused on potential partnerships with educational institutions and strategies from West Bengal Wikimedians that could inspire Santali initiatives. Sessions also covered strategic communication and building effective project proposals. The conference concluded with reflections on achievements and a commitment to ongoing collaboration within the Santali Wikimedia community.

Overall, the event brought together 34 participants, fostering connections and setting a foundation for future growth in Santali-language projects.

Dispatches from A2K

The Digitisation & Documentation of Cultural Heritage and Literature in Meghalaya project is a collaborative initiative funded by NECTAR and implemented by the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) in partnership with Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Sohra and the West Bengal Wikimedians User Group (WBG). Launched in January 2023, this initiative aims to digitize and make accessible the rich cultural heritage of Meghalaya's Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo communities. By collaborating with local organizations like the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Sohra, Jeebon Roy Memorial Trust Library in Shillong and Vintage Museum in Sohra, the project seeks to ensure that valuable cultural resources—such as manuscripts, books, and audio files—are freely available on Wikimedia platforms.

In an era characterized by rampant misinformation, this project becomes particularly relevant. It aims to improve verifiable and reliable reference materials that enhance the quality of online content, particularly in under represented languages. The Wikimedia movement envisions a world where everyone has free access to the sum of all human knowledge. Through projects like Wikipedia, Wikisource, and Wikimedia Commons, it has fostered a global community of volunteers dedicated to this vision. This initiative not only aligns with that mission but also strengthens partnerships with local institutions to document indigenous culture accurately. As of September 2024, approximately 20,000 pages have been digitized, with 5,426 pages (41 books) uploaded onto Wikimedia Commons. Out of these 28 rare books are in Khasi language. A total of 337 photos and 25 videos have been documented and shared online. Skill training has been provided to 24 volunteers, enhancing local capacity for ongoing cultural documentation.

By training local volunteers in digital skills and engaging them in knowledge creation, the project empowers communities to contribute actively to the global knowledge ecosystem. This approach not only preserves cultural heritage but also enriches the collective understanding of diverse cultures worldwide, reinforcing the principles of openness and accessibility central to the open knowledge movement.

Behdienkhlam Festival in Jaintia Hills
Female Khasi dancing in Shad Suk Mynsiem
Jadoh in a Leaf
Khasi Lady in a Kitchen
Khasi Traditional attire with a Khoh
Khoh Ramhah
Liewla Cave

Monthly Recap

Book Lover’s Club in Belagavi

On September 4, 2024, the Book Lovers Club in Belagavi celebrated its 9th anniversary with a session titled "Contributing to Free Knowledge & Wikimedia Projects," held at the Lokmanya Society auditorium. The event saw 40 participants engage in discussions on various topics related to digital knowledge sharing and preservation. The session emphasized the importance of Unicode for encoding languages like Marathi, explored online publishing platforms, and highlighted the significance of open access initiatives such as Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. Participants learned about copyright laws and Creative Commons licenses, discussed strategies for contributing to Wikimedia projects, and examined major campaigns aimed at increasing representation of marginalized groups. The event also covered the need for relicensing content and digitization of historical texts, along with the availability of e-books and audiobooks on Wikisource. Best practices for digital archiving were shared, focusing on metadata standards, user accessibility, and community engagement. Overall, the session aimed to enhance understanding of digital resources for the Marathi language while promoting open knowledge ideals. Follow-up online sessions are planned for members interested in digitization and editing Wikimedia projects, with a digitization workshop scheduled for November 2024 at the Lokmanya library.

CIS-A2K’s Multi-Year Grant Proposal

Last month, CIS-A2K submitted the Multi-year grant proposal for the purview of the South Asia Regional Grants Committee for the years 2025-28.

A2K has dedicated the past decade to supporting Indic Wikimedia communities through leadership development, partnerships, outreach, and diversity initiatives, adapting to the evolving challenges faced by underrepresented groups in the open knowledge space. In our Year 1 proposal, we aim to create systemic changes in how cultural and educational institutions engage with Wikimedia through initiatives like Living GLAM, museum digitization, and training programs such as Train-the-Trainer (TTT) workshops and Wiki Camps. Our 2024-2027 strategic plan emphasizes investing in technology to enhance the growth of Indic and Global Majority communities, focusing on tools for content creation, secure data management, and innovative engagement methods.

In Years 2 and 3, we will scale up our efforts through platforms like WikiConference India 2025 and the Future of the Commons, fostering collaboration and community building. These initiatives aim to deepen our support for the Indic Wikimedia movement and contribute to a more equitable and sustainable knowledge landscape.

Our Year 1 plan combines ongoing core activities with ambitious new initiatives designed to drive systemic change and expand capacity in key areas. Initiatives like Living GLAM will redefine the cultural and heritage sector in India by empowering local institutions to curate and share their stories, addressing the underrepresentation of Global South narratives in global knowledge platforms. The Technology Advocacy initiative focuses on enhancing technical support for Wikimedia projects, particularly for Global Majority communities, addressing disparities in technological infrastructure and access.

We aim to shift from simple content re-licensing to building comprehensive documentation and forming new data partnerships to bridge the information gap in the Global South. Targeted Capacity-building programs like TTT workshops and WikiCamps will develop problem-solving skills and resource-generation capabilities, enhancing community resilience. Through events like WikiConference India 2025 and the Future of the Commons, we will foster cross-community collaboration and knowledge sharing. Core activities will continue to promote diversity, inclusion, and community support, ensuring sustained growth and active participation across Wikimedia communities.

For more information, please refer to our proposal “Deepening the impact of Open Knowledge projects for sustainable Knowledge practices across Indian language communities steered by Access to Knowledge, Centre for Internet and Society” at Meta.

Supporting the volunteer-led committee on WikiConference India 2025

CIS-A2K, as committed during the community consultation process led by the former Core organizing committee of Wiki Conference India, continues its support for the planning of WikiConference India 2025. The proposal for WCI 2025 was submitted to honour the funding deadline in collaboration with interested community members. Multiple consultation and planning calls were organized, along with a survey distributed to collect input from a wider range of community members. Currently, a volunteer-led organizing committee is moving forward with various aspects, including processes to invite interested communities to submit proposals for the host city, while CIS-A2K continues to provide support. Going forward, the core organizing committee will continue to provide major updates about WCI 2025.

Tamil Content Enrichment Meet

Main article: Tamil Wikipedia Content Enrichment Meet

The recent Edit-a-thon organized by the Tamil Wikipedia community, in collaboration with CIS-A2K, took place over two days on September 28 and 29, 2024, in Yercaud, Tamil Nadu, India. This event aimed to enhance the quality of Wikipedia articles initially created using Machine Translation tools and to add references to previously unreferenced articles. With 24 participants, the event focused on improving 322 Google Translate articles and adding references to 1,684 unreferenced articles. On Day 1, participants discussed strategies and improved 24 out of a target of 44 articles, while recognizing eight contributors for their significant efforts. The day concluded with a celebration marking the 21st anniversary of Tamil Wikipedia. On Day 2, participants added references to approximately 2,900 articles, exceeding the target of 270. The event fostered community engagement among Tamil Wikipedians and set the stage for future collaborative efforts in enhancing Wikipedia's quality.

Experience of CIS-A2K's Wikimania Scholarship recipients

Nayan j Nath shared his journey to Wikimania 2024, highlighting his experiences, including engaging in 13 sessions, showcasing Assamese sweets, and wearing traditional attire. He expressed joy in representing Assam's culture and the enriching experiences gained, emphasizing the importance of cultural exchange and community connections. Read more here.

Nettime Sujata, a Bangla Wikimedian, shared her enriching experience at Wikimania 2024. She travelled with fellow Indian Wikimedians Nayan and Ramjit to immerse herself in diverse activities. From the WikiWomen Lunch Meetup to the grand closing celebration at the National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sujata celebrated cultural diversity and collaboration, reflecting on her growth within the Wikimedia community. This experience deepened her passion for sharing free knowledge and will remain one of her most treasured memories. The full blog is here.

As mentioned earlier, Ramjit Tudu from the Santali Wikimedia Community, along with Nettime Sujata and Nayan J. Nath, attended Wikimania 2024 with scholarships from CIS-A2K. Pavan Santhosh and Nitesh from the CIS-A2K team also attended as part of their work, along with several representatives of Wikimedia affiliates and movement organizations, enriching exposure, building connections, and supporting the advancement of their work.

Coming Soon - Upcoming Activities

Train-the-trainer 2024

We are gearing up for 9th iteration of the annual Train-the-Trainer (TTT) event for the year 2024, co-hosted by CIS-A2K and the Odia Wikimedians User Group. This event, scheduled from October 18-20, 2024, in Odisha, aims to cultivate leadership and training skills among active Indic Wikimedians. TTT 2024 will introduce innovative approaches to enhance engagement and learning among the newcomers as well as existing wikimedians in the movement. We are getting ready to host this incredible cohort in Bhubaneswar this month!

Indic Community Engagement Call

CIS-A2K is excited to resume monthly community engagement calls aimed at fostering meaningful conversations with community members. This initiative will provide a platform for participants to share insights, have relevant conversations, and collaboratively explore ways to enhance our efforts in the Indic Wikimedia space. Stay tuned for more updates on the schedule and topics for these calls. We look forward to engaging with you and strengthening our community connections.

A2K at Wikimedia Technology Summit 2024

A2K members, including the Program Associate (Technology Outreach), and Program Manager, Program Director, joined the Wikimedia Technology Summit 2024 in early October at the invitation of the summit organizers. They shared their expertise and insights across multiple panels and sessions they led and participated in.

The Program Director and Program Associate (Tech Outreach) presented on the State of Indic Wikimedia Communities, while the Program Manager discussed Mobile Editing and Growth. The Program Director also participated in panels titled AI's Impact: A Balancing Act and The Future of Wikimedia and Open Source Technology in Indic Languages, with the Program Associate (Tech Outreach) providing support at the Tech Helpdesk. Many fruitful conversations with technologists, researchers, and Wikimedians took place on the sidelines of the summit.

Further details about these activities will be shared in the October newsletter.

Gallery

Discussions with Hammarsing at Jeebon Roy memorial library, Shillong
Exploring the resources at Jeebon Roy memorial library, Shillong
Meeting with Hammarsing at Jeebon Roy Memorial Library
Wikimedia skill training session at Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Shillong
Wikimedia session at Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Shillong
Wikimedia training of Ramakrishna Mission Sohra coordinators
Wikimedia session at Vintage library, Sohra
Scanning setup in Jeebon Roy Memorial library, Shillong
Scanning in progress at Jeebon Roy Memorial library, Shillong
Training of coordinator at Vintage library, Sohra
Wikimedia projects demonstration to DG, NECTAR at Shillong