Grants:IdeaLab/Organise expeditions in Africa and Asia to collect "forgotten" knowledges and take photos

Inspire campaign

Organise expeditions in Africa and Asia to collect "forgotten" knowledges and take photos

The Wikimedia Foundation should organize field collections in completely forgotten and unknown regions of the world.

idea creator• Tsaag Valren

project manager• Hameensleek

community organizer• Jayreborn

researcher• Shapat

advisor• Nelson65105

volunteer• BamLifa• Nelson65105• Ataalik

this project needs...

volunteer

created on19:30, 31 January 2017 (UTC)

Project idea

What is the problem you're trying to solve?

Many knowledge is transmitted only orally and this knowledge may disappear. Another problem is the limited photographic coverage of certain regions.

What is your solution?

Organize field collections by groups comprising a translator, a photographer, a cartographer, and one or more contributors. Their missions would involve questioning the inhabitants, photographing unknown places and visiting local libraries. There is no need for extravagant funds : some countries in Africa and Central Asia, among others, are very economical.

Who will you be doing outreach with?

Wikimedia FR, Wikimedia CH

Get Involved

About the idea creator

User:Tsaag Valren. Horse-specialist, french wikipedia, I have successfully submitted 200 + featured and good articles.

Participants

• Researcher I really like this idea. I would feel happy being part of this project. I would gather information and photographs as far as possible from my region to make this project successful. THANK YOU. Shapat (talk) 16:21, 2 February 2017 (UTC)
• If you want to fund me to go on holiday then please ping me. The Quixotic Potato (talk) 21:48, 2 February 2017 (UTC)
• This sounds like a pretty cool idea - the video, audio, and pictures can go on Wikimedia Commons and you could probably put the other content on Wikibooks or maybe Wikiversity, depending on how it's written up. I definitely recommend trying to get recordings of everything if possible, as that would be kind of cool and would allow people to have direct access to the original material. Tokyogirl79 (talk) 07:52, 3 February 2017 (UTC)
• Volunteer This is a pretty good idea that need to be grunted by WMF. I wish I'd help in translating and editing content and even more depend on the demand of the mission.

I'm ready to help WM BamLifa (talk) 08:37, 3 February 2017 (UTC)

• Volunteer This is a very good idea, there is vast knowledge here in Africa, a lot of unexplored regions, I'm willing to help with translation, photography and a lot more than can arise to the cause, epecially here in the southern hemisphere of Africa I understand a good number of languages. Nelson65105 (talk) 20:16, 3 February 2017 (UTC)
• Volunteer I'm really pumped about this idea. I think it can do much good and expose wikipedia to tons new sources of information. I can help online or on-site as a translator in my region or even outside as researcher or photographer Ataalik (talk) 13:12, 4 February 2017 (UTC)
• Project manager This is probably the greatest idea for me to participate am really open to helping on the project am from West African and Nigeria precisely and the country is rich in history,artifacts and lot of cultural believes ,as a project manager have done so many works in entertainment industry which requires lot of traveling to unexplored and remotes Hameensleek (talk) 20:05, 4 February 2017 (UTC)
• Community organizer some knowledge on Asia especially Tamil civilization Jayreborn (talk) 21:15, 6 February 2017 (UTC)
• Volunteer This is a very good idea; in fact, I was also thinking about this type of project.
• I would recommend to keep other regions also in mind, like outreaching the indigenous peoples in Oceania, Australia, South America.
• Also, I would be interested to join your expeditions(s), if such a chance arises. If an expedition is ventured to Central Asia, my language skills and experience in the region may be helpful. Please keep me posted. Borovi4ok (talk) 08:02, 7 February 2017 (UTC)
• Advisor I have done some research and Iam free to advise on how the project can achieve it's goals easily. I can help advice on the budget, trip planning and management .I have been traveling for some time.I can also help evaluate target regions to be explored. Nelson65105 (talk) 15:53, 12 February 2017 (UTC)

Contributors

• Contributor I can contribute to this beautiful project with footages I shot in Northern Laos (2004) and in Mali along the Niger River (2009). The first expedition gathered talls and songs from the Akhas, a tibeto-birman ethnic group. We shot in a remote village in Northern Laos. The second expedition was organized by Unesco to archive "immaterial heritage" from different ethnic groups along the river, from the Guinea border to Mopti. I believe to hold true treasures and a community project would definitely help releasing them. laconis71 (talk) 20:20, 5 February 2017 (UTC)

Endorsements

• I do support this idea, because throughout my past travel life, especially here in Africa, I came across these regions where the little of the knowledge that is passed orally is sometimes bias when it makes it's way to the outside world because of factors like religion,beleifs and politics .To have a deeper understanding of the knowledge within the community you will have to be involved and sit down with the inhabitants and talk to them for you to learn directly and get the most of the information. Nelson65105 (talk) 20:27, 3 February 2017 (UTC)
• Oral tradition is easy to disappear forever when fast cultural changes happen. Capturing it on modern media would be invaluable for anthropologists and all kind of field sciences that could benefit from knowledge that is local to non-western areas (biology, medicine, art)... 212.0.102.74 10:08, 7 February 2017 (UTC)
• Culture is changing fast in Africa and we have much knowledge to loose for those in Africa and the rest of humanity which craddle once stood on that continent. Scoid d (talk) 22:11, 17 February 2017 (UTC)
• I like the idea :) Anthere (talk)

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