Wikimedia Blog/Drafts/Rena Takaguchi: “I have no idea who in the world wrote this article but am very thankful to them”

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POSTED ON JAN. 30 AT 12:15PM PT

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  • Thanking Wikipedia editors for covering local politics in Togo: Rena Takiguchi

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  • Japanese reader thanks Wikipedia editors for covering local politics in Togo
  • Japanese reader learns about local Togo politics on Wikipedia
  • Japanese reader learns more about local politics on Wikipedia than from other news sources
  • Rena Takiguchi: “I have no idea who in the world wrote this article but am very thankful to them”
  • ...

Body[edit]

Rena Takiguchi learned about local politics in Togo on Wikipedia. She's pictured here in the courtyard of the Shitennō-ji temple in Osaka, Japan.
"Shitennoji Temple Photo" by Amivi1, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Rena Takiguchi, a native of Japan, says that she would have been consumed with worry for her friends in Togo, if it were not for the Wikipedia article about the Togolese presidential election in 2010.

Takiguchi worked in Togo as a volunteer for an international student organization that matches students with internships in companies all over the world. Since she was interested in working in Africa, she was offered an opportunity in Togo, to hone her development skills in international corporations. Takiguchi worked for six months with a local NGO that dealt with HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness in Togo -- where she stayed until January of 2009. She returned to visit Togo in August 2009 and was able to maintain ties with the friends she had made by using email and social networks.

She became aware of the Togolese election soon after she left -- and was concerned, even though her friends did not say much about the election. Then she came across a troubling news article that suggested the possibility of a riot. “I was worried, so I started to search for more articles, but I couldn't find any deep information about it on the internet.” says Takiguchi. “And one day I came down to this Wikipedia article. It was really, really surprising. I had no idea who in the world had this information - collected it and shared it - it was amazing.”

Takiguchi said she couldn’t believe how difficult it was to find reliable information about the Togo elections outside of Wikipedia. After thinking how much that article helped put her mind at ease, Takiguchi says it inspired her to make a donation and write a message. Like many other Japanese Wikipedia users, she also relies on Wikipedia for many things such as writing college papers and researching topics in general.

Along with her financial donation to the Wikimedia Foundation, she wrote this message:

“I used to volunteer for an NGO in Togo for several months. Once after I came back home there was a presidential election in Togo in 2010. The competition was harsh between the incumbent president and the opposition leader and I had heard some bad news about it that there was a controversy and even riots. I knew Togo had undergone a terrible riot during the previous election and many people had been killed. I was afraid the same thing would happen at that time. I tried to follow as many news outlets as possible to understand what was really going on but was surprised about how little was available on major news websites. After many searches I came down to this one Wikipedia article “Togolese presidential election 2010”. The article was very comprehensive, precise and up to date: it provided more information than any other news site did.”

Takiguchi, who now resides in Tokyo and works for a company that manufactures equipment for the visually impaired, is still deeply grateful to Wikipedia and the Wikipedians responsible for updating the article.

“A big thank you to Wikipedia for helping me in so many ways, in my studies, my everyday life and this particular situation, thank you!”

Profile by Yoona Ha, Wikimedia Foundation Communications Intern

Interview by Victor Grigas, Wikimedia Foundation Storyteller

Summary[edit]

Rena Takiguchi, a native of Japan, says that she would have been consumed with worry for her friends in Togo, if it were not for the Wikipedia article about the Togolese presidential election in 2010. She learned more about this event on Wikipedia than from other sources. (...)

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*"I have no idea who in the world wrote this article but am very thankful to them" [Link]

* Who wrote the article 'Togolese presidential election, 2010'? Rena Takiguchi in Japan wants to thank them [Link]

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  • Who wrote the article 'Togolese presidential election, 2010'? Rena Takaguchi in Japan wants to thank them [Link]
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Translation (Japanese)[edit]

JAPANESE VERSION BELOW

Title: トーゴ国内の政治について書いたウィキペディアンに感謝: 滝口怜奈さん

Body: 日本生まれの滝口怜奈さんは、2010年のトーゴ大統領選挙についてのウィキペディアの記事がなかったら、トーゴにいる友人たちのことが心配でたまらなかっただろうと語る。

滝口さんは、世界中の企業に学生をインターンとして送り出す国際的な学生団体を通じ、トーゴでボランティアをした。アフリカで働くことに興味があり、国際協力における開発分野のスキルを磨くため、トーゴでのインターンシップに参加したそうだ。トーゴでエイズの予防啓発を行う現地NGOで6ヶ月間働き、2009年1月にインターンシップを終えた。2009年8月にはトーゴを再訪し、メールやSNSでもつながりのあった友人たちと絆を深めた。

その後まもなく、滝口さんはトーゴで選挙があることを知った。友人たちはあまりそのことを言わなかったが、滝口さんは心配だった。暴動の可能性があるとのニュース記事を見つけ、心が痛んだ。「心配になって、他の記事も検索してみました。でも、ネット上で深い情報は見つけられなかったんです」と滝口さんは言う。「でもある時、ウィキペディアで一本の記事を見つけました。本当に、本当にびっくりしました。一体この世界の誰がこんな情報を持っていたんだろう、誰がこの情報を集めてシェアしたんだろうと思いました。感動しました」

滝口さんによれば、ウィキペディア以外でトーゴ大統領選について信頼性のある情報を見つけるのは信じられないほど難しかったと言う。そのウィキペディアの記事がどれだけの安心を与えてくれたかを考え、寄付とメッセージを送ることにしたそうだ。他の多くの日本のウィキペディアユーザーと同じように、滝口さんは大学の課題や普段の検索など多くの場面でウィキペディアを活用している。

ウィキメディア財団への寄付の際、滝口さんは以下のメッセージを添えた。

「私はトーゴのNGOで何ヶ月間かボランティアをしていました。帰国後の2010年にトーゴで大統領選挙がありました。現職の大統領と対立候補との攻防が激しく、議論や、暴動まで起こっているというような悪いニュースを聞きました。トーゴは前回の選挙で激しい暴動がありたくさんの人が殺されたのを知っていたので、今回も同じことが起こるのではないかと心配でした。現地で実際には何が起こっているのか知りたくて、できるだけ多くのニュースサイトをチェックしてみましたが、主要なサイトにはほとんど情報がないことに驚きました。色々と検索をした後に、とうとうウィキペディアで「2010年トーゴ大統領選挙」という記事を見つけました。その記事はとても包括的で詳しくて、最新の情報が載っていました。他のどのニュースサイトよりもたくさんの情報が載っていたんです」

滝口さんは現在東京に住み、視覚障害者支援機器のメーカーに勤務している。今でも、ウィキペディアとあの記事を更新してくれたウィキペディアンには深く感謝しているという。

「勉強や、普段の生活や、そして特にあの時、色々なことで助けてくれたウィキペディアにとても感謝しています。ありがとう!」

紹介: Yoona Ha (ウィキメディア財団コミュニケーションインターン) インタビュー: Victor Grigas (ウィキメディア財団ストーリーテラー)

Image Caption: 滝口怜奈さんはウィキペディアでトーゴ国内の政治状況について知った。この写真は日本の大阪にある四天王寺の敷地内で撮影されたもの。 -->