Help the Shipibo-Konibo Language Flourish

In the past 3 months, the Axenon Ikanwe radio program has taken off. The radio producers, Jeiser, Ketty, and Percy, have worked tirelessly to develop a strong foundation for the program and attract a diverse, intergenerational audience of Shipibo listeners. They have reached the Amazonian communities of Yarinacocha, Masisea, and Iparia and have received call ins to the radio from over 260 people.

Axenon Ikanwe, means "We learn together," and has established itself in the Amazonian indigenous radio space as the only radio program to speak entirely in Shipibo. The show shares traditional Shipibos stories, songs in Shipibo, tongue-twisters, and jokes, in addition to an array of current events in the areas of language practice. The program has established itself as not politically affliated and is proud to be independent of influences from institutions that sponsor indigenous radio programs.

Your support in the "Help the Shipibo-Konibo Language Flourish" project is the reason Axenon Ikanwe has been able to establish its reputation and grow so quickly in the past 3 months. We want to include you as the program moves into 2018 with the goal of archiving all radio content and creating an online platform for people to access from anywhere.

In 2018, Axenon Ikanwe will be focusing on issues in Shipibo communities surrounding public health, intercultural bilingual education, gender inequality, and family structure. All the content that will be produced will be recorded and archived for language preservation purposes that Alianza Arkana is working on with ARIAP (our partner organization called Association of Amazonian Indigenous Roots).

Axenon Ikanwe was thrilled to bring different people to feature on the radio program and is looking to bring Shipibo professionals, specialists, students, youth, and more to speak on the show. As Jeiser says, "it is all about creating a space for Shipibos to speak freely, speak confidently, and speak with pride of being Shipibo."

"Axenon Ikanwe has inspired many Shipibos to receive for their very own Shipibo names from their families and many have shared their new names with us on the radio," says Ketty. There is much excitement for 2018 and we are grateful to have had such a successful past 3 months. We are confident that 2018 with Axenon Ikanwe will be even bigger, better, and a huge step in supporting Shipibo language revitalization.

Continue supporting Axenon Ikanwe in 2018 by clicking here! Irake ichaberes, "thank you very much" in advance.

Links:

• Continue Supporting Shipibo Language Revitalization!