Wikimedia Armenia/Western Armenian program/Reports/May-July

Western Armenian Program Report
May-July

Western Armenian articles

During these months 130 articles that were written in Summer Wikipedia 2014 by schoolchildren from the Armenian Diaspora in Syria were reviewed and wikified by editors, the remaining 259 articles will be reviewed in next months.

At this moment we have 1784 Western Armenian articles, about 400 new articles are written during this period. The editors now work on the reliable sources which will help to improve the existing articles as well as they will serve as sources for new articles.

Translator's corner

We have enriched ""Translator's corner"" project. A new section was added for translators. Now the editors can choose to translate different sections from Arabic to Armenian, all in all 51 Arabic sections.

During this period 23 sections were translated from Eastern Armenian, 1 from Arabic and another 1 from English languages. We have 3 translators so far who contribute in this project each month. The translators' work is guided and coordinated by the project responsible who reviews the translations, wikifies and add reliable sources to them periodically.

We also work on involving new translators to the project who will enrich Western Armenian Wikipedia program with essential high quality content.

Western Armenian program video

During the training week in Armenia Wikimedia Armenia organized a video shooting which would help to promote Western Armenian Wikipedia program as well as would motivate and involve new editors. After the training week during these months the video was montaged and shared via different social networks.

Workshops

After Wiki training week in Aghveran, Armenia which took place in April 3 - 10 teachers and journalists of the Armenian community returned to Lebanon to share their Wiki knowledge with their students and surrounding, to involve their students in the Wikipedia Education Program.

A number of workshops were conducted in the Armenian schools of Lebanon. The aim of the workshops was to involve students and other professors in Wikiediting process in order they could enrich Western Armenian Wikipedia program with professional articles of their field. During the workshop the editors first of all learned typing in Western Armenian, then how to edit Wikipedia, its rules, editing tools, etc.

Wiki workshop in Armenian Catholic St. Cross-Harpoian college
Wiki workshop in Armenian Catholic St. Cross-Harpoian college
Wiki workshop in Armenian Catholic St. Cross-Harpoian college

Here are the list of the schools where workshops were organized:

Yeghishe Manukian national college
- Workshop trainer - Sevan Mgrian
Sahakian-Mkrtchian college, April 17, 2015
- Workshop trainer - Maro Kasparian-Shorjian
Armenian Catholic St. Cross-Harpoian college, June 12, 2015
- Workshop trainer - Markarid Azadian and Sona Titisian
Armenian Catholic Mesrpian college
- Workshop trainer - Vartan Tashjian
Armenian Evangelical college
- Workshop trainer - Armen Urneshlian
Armenian Evangelical Shamlian-Tatikian college
- Workshop trainer - Seta Kiledjian
Armenian Evangelical Central high School, April, 2015
- Workshop trainer - Ani Balian
Pannational M. & H. Arslanian seminary
- Workshop trainer - Shant Demirdjian
L. & S. Yakoubian national collge
- Workshop trainer - Shant Demirdjian

Summer Wikicamp 2015 Beirut preparations

The main project for this quarter is the Summer wikicamp, which is going to be held in 3-12 August 2015, in Zmmar, Beirut.

WikiCamps are scientific-educational camps, whose main goal is the education of participants through Wikipedia, Wiktionary and other Wikimedia Projects. During Wikicamps participants contribute and enrich one or more of Wikimedia Projects with the help of more experienced Wikipedians, improve their editing, writing, speaking, translation, communication, cultural, computer skills. Along with editing, campers also visit cultural heritage sights, make expeditions, play intellectual and sport games, sing, dance etc. Wikicamps balance between contribution, education and fun.

46 students from from 11 Lebanese-Armenian secondary schools were chosen to participate in WikiCamp 2015 Beirut. 4 high school students from Armenia will join the camp as a present for their active editing and contribution in wiki movement.

The main goal of this wikicamp is to train Western Armenian speaker students to edit Wikipedia in Western Armenian and to encourage them join global wiki movement, thus preserving Western Armenian among youth.

Wiki Camp preparations

Wiki Camp organization team forming and meetings each week․ The organization team was divided into 4 groups:

Financial team - Susanna Mkrtchyan who was responsible for finding sponsors for the camp․
Wiki team - Azniv Stepanian, David Saroyan. They are responsible for sources, lists and the themes based on which articles will be created in Western Armenian Wikipedia, workshops during the camp, summarizing daily relults, etc.
Technical team - Raffi Demirdjian, Armen Urneshlian, Mher Bekaryan. Raffi Demirdjian and Armen Urneshlian are responsible for arrival and departure to the camp (buses, tours), uninterrupted work of the connection. Mher Bekaryan is responsible for wiki camp mug, polo shirts, certificates, bags design and print in Armenia.
Team leaders group is responsible for the division of the campers into groups, their accommodation in rooms, intellectual, sport and leisure games, various contests organization, campers healthcare, etc.
Wikicamp Lebanon leader - Raffi Demirdjian.

Wikicamp main page was created in Armenian Wikipedia, which includes info, work spaces, schedule of the camp. Daily topics were chosen and arranged. There will be 10 working days in total, 4 will be concentrated on translation. Camp schedule was also created.

Sources for articles

Digitization

In order to provide Western Armenian resources for WikiCamp, ten Western Armenian books were digitized and then OCR of digitized books were made. On the base of these books we chose camp day themes and created the list of proposed articles, which later will be written by campers. These books contain biographies of famous Armenians - authors, writers, politicians, priests etc. Digitized books are listed below.

"Literature of Armenian Diaspora", ed. Seda Tsaghikyan-Demirchyan, Michigan, Royal Oak, vol. 1 and 2
"Armenians in Lebanon: Encyclopedia of Lebanese-Armenian community", Sisak Varjapetyan, Beirut, vol. 1, 2 and 3
"Contemporary Armenian writers of Istanbul", Karo abrahamyan, Anthyllis, Lebanon, vol. 1
"Life of Priests", Husik A. Sedrakyan, Stephen Daye press, Boston, vol. 1 and 2
"A century of literature", Telolyan Minas, Aleppo, vol. 1 and 2

Translation lists

Besides creation of articles using sources in Western Armenian, campers will also translate articles from English, French, Eastern Armenian into Western Armenian. Therefore lists of suggested articles were created - 300 in Eastern Armenian, 300 in English. These lists cover topics on Armenian culture, history etc., as well as on different other themes - science, geography, culture, arts etc.

Printing materials

In the end of wikicamp as presents all campers will get wiki-mugs and certificates, design and printing of certificates, wiki-mugs were made in Armenia.

In Beirut

46 students were chosen from 11 schools to participate in Wikicamp.
Negotiations have been conducted to find a suitable place for the camp.
As a suitable location for camp was chosen «Zmmar village, Zmmar Monastery, Beirut».
On 17th July, 2015 a meeting took place with camp participants to answer their questions, explain camp schedule and their needs.
The schedule of the camp was formed.

For the organization of cultural events of the camp Raffi Demirdjian met a number of people who agreed to help during the camp.

Vazgen Moughalian, pantomime teacher (director of 2 theatre troupes, teacher in 3 schools in Lebanon)
Ani Gosdanian, dance teacher (dance teacher who has graduated in Armenia)
Karmen Ajemian, ashugh songs teacher (singer, who has got a diploma from Armenian Ashugh school after Jivani)
The priest Sarkis Sarkissian who is the Religious Assembly Chairman, will have religious talks with the campers.

Education Materials

Translation of wiki guidebooks, brochures and educational materials is of great importance for Western Armenian Wikipedia program. The presence of Wiki education materials in Western Armenian language will promote spread of wiki movement and help readers edit Wikipedia in Western Armenian.

"Welcome brochures" give a basic introduction how to edit Wikipedia, what Wikipedia is and how it works, how to navigate Wikipedia, how and why one should contribute to Wikipedia, important rules that keep Wikipedia reliable, using wiki markup, how to add content, and etiquette for interacting with other contributors. The "Welcome brochures" include a quick reference that helps to remember the most frequently used wiki markup commands.

The translation team was formed soon after Lebanese-Armenian teachers returned home. Translation, publishing preparation and publishing both in printed and electronic versions was started in early May.

The brochure was translated from Eastern Armenian version. Now a Western Armenian version of wiki editing brochure is added to the existing 13 languages.

Western Armenian Program ReportMay-July