"Addressing a rarely-examined intersection, the magazine features eight articles highlighting the use of technology in Indigenous communities. These include AI’s role in exacerbating violence and inequality, the use of AI in tracking salmon migration, Indigenous representation in video games, and
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the use of Indigenous languages in coding. Focused on fighting for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and sovereignty, Cultural Survival herewith delves into Indigenous leaders as solution builders rather than simply excluded and discriminated against." (https://www.channelfoundation.org)
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"This document is a detailed report of best practices for the digital inclusion of speakers of endangered Indigenous languages. The proclamation of the period between 2022 and 2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL 2022-2032), as per Resolution A/RES/74/135 from United Nation
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s General Assembly, shines a spotlight on the issue and invites the world to pay more attention to the critical and fragile situation of many Indigenous languages. This document aims to provide a blueprint for the addition of Indigenous languages into software in order to aid digital inclusion efforts, and to provide a set of recommended steps to follow in order to successfully achieve it. As new generations of Indigenous people increase their literacy and use of technology, it is crucial that they are able to use their native language in digital formats to avoid the endangerment and loss of language. With the main goals of promoting the written form of a language in a natural vehicle such as technology, bringing awareness to the endangered Indigenous languages and working towards their survival, Motorola has open-sourced over 800,000 translated Indigenous words as of April 2023 through its official website, enabling other OEMs and companies to promote the languages through their interfaces and paving the way for broader use and revitalization efforts." (Introduction)
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"This toolkit has been co-designed in close partnership with both established and emerging networks of Indigenous digital practitioners, language advocates, and collaborators, within the framework of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2032. The toolkit promotes the foundation of l
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anguage preservation, revival, and promotion on eight key approaches: Facilitating, Multiplying, Normalizing, Educating, Reclaiming, Imagining, Defending and Protecting. It also offers a curated list of valuable resources, including guides, tutorials, and manuals for utilizing digital tools. In conjunction with the advisory group established for the toolkit’s preparation and other collaborating organizations, it presents a wealth of inspiring stories showcasing innovative projects that have made a significant impact on languages at local, national, or global levels." (Short summary)
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"In the context of the International Year and International Decade of Indigenous Languages, a Global Call for Research Papers was commissioned with the aim to show a diversity of scholarship in the field of Indigenous languages and related issues. The international peer-review team carried out a com
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prehensive review process of nearly 300 papers from 63 countries, facilitated the final compilation of 38 selected papers by researchers from 26 countries, and the production of 10 articles by peer-reviewers. Overall, this multilingual collection includes 48 articles by researchers and analytical pieces by peer reviewers from 30 countries. This initiative aims to contribute to the creation of favourable conditions for knowledge-sharing and dissemination of good practices on Indigenous languages, as well as growth and development through elaboration of new knowledge." (Back cover)
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"CORAPE [...] presenta y pone a disposición de hablantes, usuarios y personas interesadas una compilación de términos de uso común en el idioma Kichwa Unificado de Ecuador, en temas conectados con la dinámica social de la vida diaria. Nuestro objetivo es promover la interculturalidad y el ejerc
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icio efectivo de los derechos culturales a través de la revitalización de las lenguas ancestrales. La interpretación al idioma Kichwa Unificado, de términos en castellano de amplio uso en los ámbitos de la comunicación [...] abre espacios para la práctica significativa y la transmisión de las lenguas ancestrales." (Página 16)
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"The 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages (IYIL2019) was a unique opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of indigenous languages in our societies and to mobilize partners around the world to take urgent measures to safeguard, support and promote indigenous languages. This fla
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gship report highlights the main achievements of the International Year, reviews UNESCO’s leading role in the implementation of the Action Plan for organizing the International Year, and presents key activities implemented by partners working at the local, national, regional and international levels to promote, support and revitalize indigenous languages worldwide. The activities are presented as per stakeholders involved, geographical scope, themes covered, and categories of events, as set out in the Action Plan. These examples will serve as inspiring stories and good practices for future actions in the years to come, particularly during the upcoming International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022–2032. The selection of flagship initiatives was compiled from events and initiatives registered on the global events calendar of the IYIL2019 website and information received from other stakeholders and partners about their implemented initiatives and projects." (Introduction, page 9)
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"The following key principles, based on human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the rights and values of indigenous peoples as indicated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), will inspire the future Global Action Plan for the International Decade of
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Indigenous Languages: Centrality of indigenous peoples – ‘Nothing for us without us’ [...]; compliance with international norms and standards [...]; joint action, ‘Delivering as One’, for efficient and coherent delivery across the UN system [...]; multi-stakeholder partnerships at all levels [...]; a holistic approach in programming [...]" (Key principles, page 4)
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"This document describes how to enable mobile and desktop software to support a written language. The recommended implementation allows native speakers to communicate online, share knowledge and documents, and to use software and devices that would otherwise be inaccessible to them. The intended aud
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iences of this document are: indigenous communities wanting to make their language accessible on mobile devices and computers; technologists supporting the digitization of one or more languages; organizations wanting to enable language communities. This document aims to help you determine what tools you need and how to use them. It may also assist you in discovering the available tools for using your language online." (Introduction)
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"In this chapter I explore the challenge of gaining access, and remaining independent, in an ethnic state where you are expected to be on one side of the conflict or on the other. For decades the military junta restricted access to information and wielded a powerful propaganda strategy. This has had
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a long-lasting impact. There is a massive communication gap between the Burman lowlands and the ethnic states, characterized by historic misunderstandings and misinformation, especially now that social media platforms are the primary way to share information. This has both caused and perpetuated intercommunal conflict between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims. Information is a power and a weapon, with all sides distorting and exaggerating it. It is hard to trust what people say and to do accurate media coverage. Even the words you use to describe northern Rakhine and the Rohingya are highly sensitive. The fact that the military has closed off a large area in the north of the state where the Rohingya historically lived makes access and understanding all the more difficult. In this chapter I use my own experiences doing fieldwork, conducting interviews and building trust to explore identity and language politics in Rakhine State and to explain the challenges of getting to the truth." (Pages 229-230)
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"It is estimated that between 6,000 and 7,000 languages are currently spoken worldwide, of which approximately half, if not more, will disappear by the end of this century [...] Language plays a central role not only for the preservation of identity and culture, but also in matters of non-discrimina
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tion and access to a variety of rights [...] As a small number of dominant languages gain an increasing hold, the pressure on communities speaking minority and indigenous languages will grow [...] African states should revise their laws and policies, in line with current understanding of language rights, to ensure minority and indigenous language rights are respected ..." (Key findings)
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"This Handbook is an in-depth appraisal of the field of minority languages and communities today. It presents a wide-ranging, coherent picture of the main topics, with key contributions from international specialists in sociolinguistics, policy studies, sociology, anthropology and law. Individual ch
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apters are grouped together in themes, covering regional, non-territorial and migratory language settings across the world. It is the essential reference work for specialist researchers, scholars in ancillary disciplines, research and coursework students, public agencies and anyone interested in language diversity, multilingualism and migration." (Publisher description)
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"Del análisis de los quince estudios de caso se desprende un complejo retrato del trabajo que encabezan actores indígenas y no indígenas para que los idiomas nativos del continente ganen espacios y se visibilicen en la esfera digital. El estudio muestra que las formas de hacer activismo digital d
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e lenguas indígenas son diversas, pero también que una de las características que comparten es la necesidad de establecer alianzas más allá del mundo comunitario indígena. Si bien el liderazgo de algunos aliados no-indígenas parece en ocasiones “suplantar” el protagonismo nativo, lo fundamental para hacer efectivos los esfuerzos de recuperación lingüística es el compromiso que todos tengan con comunidades de habla y con potenciales interesados en aprender los idiomas originarios. En los casos analizados se aprecia una enorme energía, entusiasmo e imaginación para incorporar los idiomas nativos a expresiones de cultura digital que caracterizan hoy día la esfera mediática global. Cuando los activistas indígenas acometen la tarea de iniciar un proyecto digital, el principal reto que encuentran reside en la ausencia de espacios de capacitación para el manejo de herramientas y la producción de medios digitales atractivos para diversas comunidades. Donde los equipos son básicos, los activistas sustituyen la sofisticación tecnológica con trabajo colaborativo, talento creativo, alianzas estratégicas y un sofisticado conocimiento de la lengua y cultura de sus pueblos. En los casos donde la generación más joven es la que está al frente de las iniciativas digitales, se generan procesos de re-aprendizaje de la lengua que en sí mismos demuestran el potencial e impacto que este tipo de activismo tiene. Para medir la efectividad de estas acciones indígenas, el estudio solicitó a los propios protagonistas hacer una auto-evaluación de los alcances de su trabajo. Aquí se revelan múltiples pistas que deberán ser seguidas en posteriores estudios." (Resumen ejecutivo)
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"During the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Indigenous Peoples called for their full and effective participation in the Information Age on their own terms. While implementation of the WSIS Plan of Action has been limited, there are examples of Indigenous Peoples creatively engaging wi
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th information and communications technologies (ICTs) independently, or in partnership with NGOs, private sector, governments, intergovernmental organizations, and other Indigenous Peoples. A broad range of innovative software, hardware, and existing technologies are being employed to, among other things: defend Indigenous Peoples’ human rights; and preserve, manage, and promote their unique cultural heritage. This report summarizes Indigenous Peoples’ engagement with the Information Society and provides an overview of their participation during the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Particular attention is given to the relevance to “knowledge societies” and Action Line C8 of the WSIS Plan of Action on “Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content.” Drawing on Indigenous Peoples’ declarations, statements, and interviews with key experts and activists, as well as intergovernmental and academic reports, this review also showcases innovations, examples of good practice and emerging trends, with recommendations to guide strategies, projects, and policy-making, in the post-WSIS environment." (Abstract)
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"The 45 country reports gathered here illustrate the link between the internet and economic, social and cultural rights (ESCRs). Some of the topics will be familiar to information and communications technology for development (ICT4D) activists: the right to health, education and culture; the socioec
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onomic empowerment of women using the internet; the inclusion of rural and indigenous communities in the information society; and the use of ICT to combat the marginalisation of local languages. Others deal with relatively new areas of exploration, such as using 3D printing technology to preserve cultural heritage, creating participatory community networks to capture an “inventory of things” that enables socioeconomic rights, crowdfunding rights, or the negative impact of algorithms on calculating social benefits. Workers’ rights receive some attention, as does the use of the internet during natural disasters. Ten thematic reports frame the country reports. These deal both with overarching concerns when it comes to ESCRs and the internet – such as institutional frameworks and policy considerations – as well as more specific issues that impact on our rights: the legal justification for online education resources, the plight of migrant domestic workers, the use of digital databases to protect traditional knowledge from biopiracy, digital archiving, and the impact of multilateral trade deals on the international human rights framework. The reports highlight the institutional and country-level possibilities and challenges that civil society faces in using the internet to enable ESCRs. They also suggest that in a number of instances, individuals, groups and communities are using the internet to enact their socioeconomic and cultural rights in the face of disinterest, inaction or censure by the state." (Back cover)
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"This survey is the second nation-wide media use study conducted in Timor-Leste. UNMIT commissioned this study to provide a comprehensive update of the findings from Foundation Hirondelle’s National Media Survey of 2006, also conducted by INSIGHT. The main objectives of the study are to: 1) assess
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the extent of media coverage and audience reach/access to information and types of media in Timor-Leste, as well as the reach and impact of non-media information sources; 2) provide updated baseline information to UNMIT, Government of Timor-Leste and other partners to improve future communication efforts; and 3) to evaluate the effectiveness of media campaigns conducted by UNMIT and the Government of Timor-Leste in order to improve future design. The study consists of two parts: first, a nation-wide survey of 2,500 randomly selected respondents in all 13 districts throughout the country; and, second, a series of nine focus group discussions (FGD) in seven districts to explore the survey findings. The survey represents the opinion of Timorese adults of 15 years of age or older and yields a maximum margin of error of +1.95%. Interviews were conducted in May 2010." (Executive summary, page 1)
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"Tok Pisin [one of the three national languages] has played a significant role as an agent of change and development in Papua New Guinea. It bridged the gap between the rural and the urban communities and brought confidence to people who are now able to communicate with others as well as among thems
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elves [...] Because of the low literacy levels, most can only read basic English and find it difficult reading newspapers in English. 'Wantok' has played an equally important part since it was first published in 1970 in bringing information to the nation, especially the grassroots. It is probably the only media capable of maintaining a written standard against which Tok Pisin can be judged and the only means of reaching many rural people." (Conclusion, page 60)
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