CIS-A2K/Reports/Newsletter/December 2023
Digital Governance Roundtable[edit]
The Centre for Internet And Society, in collaboration with Meta, is hosting a series of roundtable conferences nationwide, focusing on the impact of digital technologies and online platforms on governance, communication, cultural production, and daily life. These discussions provide a platform for grassroots organizations, cultural institutions, and regional stakeholders to express their interactions, concerns, and needs related to web-based tools and platforms. The sessions also foster dialogue between Meta and these organizations, addressing the role of social media platforms in creating safer online communities and improving access to information. Following a successful Bengaluru event, CIS, in collaboration with Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL), organized a 'Digital Governance' roundtable for non-profit organizations in Pune and surrounding areas on November 3, 2023, at MKCL, Pune. The event was attended by 18 individuals from 15 civil society organizations, with virtual participation from Snehashish Ghosh of Meta and read more....
Indic Community Monthly Engagement Calls: Wikimania Scholarship Call[edit]
On December 9, 2023, a call from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM discussed the Wikimania Scholarship process. With 31 participants, the session began with an introduction by Pavan Santosh from CIS-A2K. Nadzik, Wikimania lead, shared insights into Wikimania 2024's goals. User:Nitesh Gill shared personal experiences, Abhinav discussed effective scholarship applications, and Rachit Sharma (WMF) addressed the low South Asian participant numbers. Sailesh Patnaik shared experiences, followed by breakout rooms focusing on successful scholarship form completion, emphasizing clarity, links, structure, and priorities. The focus agenda of the call was to introduce or demonstrate the read more...
Indic Wikimedia Hackathon 2023[edit]
The Indic Wikimedia Hackathon 2023 brought together contributors with diverse technical roles, including code developers, maintainers, translators, designers, and technical writers. It also welcomed participants not directly engaged in technical spaces but possessing a solid understanding of wiki issues. During the event, contributors collaborated on existing projects, started new initiatives, and worked on resolving technical issues, bugs, and brainstorming tooling ideas. A2K also supported and contributed to this event read more...
A2K Meghalaya Visit Highlights: Digitization and Collaboration[edit]
The A2K Program Officer recently visited Meghalaya, 5th to 11th December, to review project activities. Meetings and training sessions took place at the Jeebon Roy Memorial Trust Library in Shillong, where 360 Khasi language books were successfully digitized. After scrutiny by the local expert committee, this content will soon be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons. Collaborative activities with Ramakrishna Mission in Sohra (Cherrapunji) were reviewed, involving the selection of images and videos related to cultural and historical aspects. Orientation and training sessions were conducted for two volunteers, focusing on content uploading. Initial metadata creation began with a private collection in Sohra, functioning as a museum with rare public domain books in Khasi and other languages, depicting the history of the North East region. A session on Wikimedia projects was organized for four museum members, and meetings were held with two heirs of Khasi writers to discuss relicensing and digitization matters.
Building Bridges: New Hiring in CIS-A2K[edit]
There is a latest additions to our team, Nivas Ramisetty and Chinmayee Ramana. With their unique talents and expertise, they are sure to bring a fresh and dynamic perspective to our collaborative efforts.
Nivas Ramisetty has joined us as a Program Associate (Technical Outreach). In this role, he will leverage his skills and knowledge to facilitate technical engagement, provide essential tech support, and drive forward technological initiatives within the Indic Wikimedia community. On the other hand, we welcome Chinmayee Ramana as our newest intern. Chinmayee will play a vital role in communications and research, actively engaging with our community members. Her focus will be on fostering direct conversations to better understand and address the diverse needs of our community.
Upcoming Events[edit]
Upcoming Call: Disinformation and Misinformation in Wikimedia projects[edit]
The forthcoming community engagement call is dedicated to exploring disinformation and misinformation within Wikimedia projects, as part of the WikiConverse India initiative aimed at engaging and involving Wikimedians. This call will take place on date 19 January 2023 (Friday) at 6:00 PM IST. The call will be hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation’s Trust & Safety team, the session will cover the following key topics: Introduction to the Trust & Safety team and its work, Overview of the T&S Disinformation team's responsibilities, Sharing of work and presentation of case read more...