WikiIndaba 2023/Submissions/Languages onboarding & incubator Meetup

Full recording of the session

ID :
Author(s): Mary Munyoki	Username(s): MMunyoki(WMF)	Type of submission: Meetup
Author(s): Mary Munyoki	Affiliation: Wikimedia Foundation	Theme(s): Technology
Abstract: Multilinguality is our movement’s superpower, but we are nowhere near representing the world’s 7,000+ living languages. According to UNESCO (which has designated 2022-2032 as the Decade of Indigenous Languages): “optimistic estimates suggest that at least 50 percent of today’s spoken languages will be extinct or seriously endangered by 2100.” As an international, people-powered platform with a commitment to knowledge equity, Wikimedia is probably better positioned than any other major actor to be the essential infrastructure of language inclusion on the internet. But what is our strategy for seizing this opportunity, and how can we lower the many barriers that smaller languages have faced for years on the projects? There are editions of Wikipedia in about 300 languages. And yet, there are many more languages that are spoken by millions of people, in which there is no Wikipedia. This is a blocker to fulfilling our vision: that every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge.Wikimedia incubator is where potential new language versions of open content projects are created before Wikimedia hosting. It was launched in June 2006. For many contributors to small language versions, the Wikimedia Incubator is the first platform they get to know. In this session, we will discuss the current challenges of language incubator/onboarding process, the suggest recommendations for improvements. This workshops fits into one of the objectives of the Wikimedia Foundation cross departmental initiative, “Language inclusion” is There is a clear picture of the state of languages and the process of supporting existing and new languages to the Wikimedia movement” and it’s key result “By Q4, identify 3 key recommendations for improving the social and technical infrastructure to support existing and new languages”		Level of advancement: basic, medium, advanced
		Special requirements:
		Extra information: Etherpad

How will this session be beneficial for the communities in the region? Gain perspectives of African Wikimedians on the challenges of the current languages onboarding process (incubator ) and recommendations for improvements.

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