By Alissa Stern | Founder
Local Languages aren't as cute as panda bears, but they are also endangered...
As we near the end of the International Year of Indigenous Languages, we reflect on Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' warning that "Indigenous languages are disappearing at an alarming rate, each one taking with it a cultural and intellectual heritage. We must protect languages under threat of extinction."
A COLLABORATIVE MOVEMENT TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC TO KEEP LOCAL LANGUAGES STRONG (starting with Balinese).
We began 2019 with the launch of a community-developed multilingual teen superhero and three exciting adventures. Each adventure was championed by a local author and illustrator in dialogue with the community through the superhero's own social media channels. We've been humbled by the tremendous support and enthusiasm for this initiative and its impact. As we prepare to welcome 2020, we are excited to deepen our engagement with the public with the superhero's adventures as part of a movement to strengthen our local languages for a stronger world.
2019 HIGHLIGHTS
MORE BOOKSHELVES IN THE VIRTUAL LIBRARY
The Wiki is designed for the public to shape the platform and add content. This year, the public added three new bookshelves: environmental initiatives (for groups to share successes and challenges), children's books (originally written in or translated into Balinese) and ceremonies and holidays.
Do you have a particular interest or expertise? Add on.
Luh Ayu Manik Mas: STRENGTH THROUGH COLLABORATION
Sharing knowledge, leveraging resources, and measuring what really matters.... our new locally developed superhero tries to model specific ways in which we can make inroads into improving our physical and cultural environment together. More about the series here.
WORDS AND WORLDS IN CONTEXT
The wiki dictionary continues to grow and evolve as the public contributes more contextual examples in text and video. The dictionary now also pulls examples directly from the virtual library, providing more and varied ways that entry words are used in a real context. The wiki has been used by over 3/4 million users with over 2.6 million page views, encouraging people to value and use local languages in the digital age.
By Alissa Stern | Founding Director, BASAbali
By Alissa Stern | Founding Director, BASAbali
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