2025:Program/Language Preservation in South Africa
Session title: Language Preservation in South Africa
- Session type: Lecture
- Track: Education
- Language: en
🎥 Session recording: https://w.wiki/FQsN 🎥
This session will reflect on the methods used to address language preservation imperatives in South Africa. The focus of this session is to share about a collaborative project, SWiP, that brought together partners (including Wikimedia South Africa) that share a common goal in the promotion of the preservation of local languages.
The idea of this session is to practically show the methods that the South African Chapter used to improve the representation of languages on Wikipedia with the view of empowering other affiliates who may want to replicate this kind of initiative in their own regions.
Description
The aim of this session is to practically go through the steps taken, as well as the results of these steps in the South African SWiP project. The SWiP project is a partnership between the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) (a government funded entity), Wikimedia ZA, and the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) (a legal entity responsible for the development and preservation of official, common, and native languages in South Africa). This partnership demonstrates the effectiveness of collaboration between partners sharing the same goals, and the benefit of working together to achieve shared aims.
The lecture will reflect on the following: 1. Reflection of methods employed? 2. Partnerships and how they are created? 3. Impact and reporting and the impact for future funding? 4. Q&A portion?
- How does your session relate to the event theme, Wikimania@20 – Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability?
The Project being presented is a practical view of the impact a well planned project can have on Language preservation. The idea for this presentation is to highlight the methods used by the South African chapter in hopes of empowering other affiliates who may be able to replicate this type of initiative in their own countries. The hope is that by passing on this knowledge that other wikipedians can benefit and implement similar projects in their own regions.
- What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?
Everyone can participate in this session
Resources
Speakers
- Herschal Jackson (WMZA)
- I am the Executive Director of Wikimedia South Africa
- Over the last 2 years I have worked within the chapter to implement the 2024-2027 strategy.
- I believe in the goals of the chapter and the overarching Movements Goals.
- From a personal perspective I am a man of great faith and believe completely in doing everything with excellence.
- "What you do reflects whose you are"
- jeremiah
- Jeremiah Pietersen is currently manager, learning and training at Stellenbosch University Library. In this role he has oversight of information literacy, and learning and teaching activities offered by the library and information service at Stellenbosch University. He is also currently on the board of the South African chapter of Wikimedia. Both these roles fit well together in working towards the democratisation of information and encouraging the creation of knowledge from the Global South.
- IngridThomson
- As a librarian, my focus has been around Wikimedia + Libraries with an emphasis on advocacy and education for librarians. I am actively involved with the Wikimedia South Africa chapter, currently serving on its board, and am also involved with the broader movement working with other Wikimedians and Wikibrarians in Africa.