Dear Bodhisattwa, Tanmay and Soni,
First of all, sincere apologies for the delay in replying back with specific answers/clarifications.
We really appreciate you all for reading our plans and taking time out to provide feedback. I would like to explain our FLA strategy in response to your question and hope that clarifies as to why our engagement with Bangla community has been at a different level. The Focus Language Area (FLA) structure does have a limited number of Indian languages. This definitely does not mean that we do not engage or work with other Indian Languages. However due to limitations of budget and human resources our interaction and involvement with other Indian language communities is far lesser than we would have wished it to be.
Given below are some of the reasons that have shaped our selection of FLA (https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CIS-A2K/Work_plan_July_2015_-_June_2016#Lang...):
1. Deepening the work. We have decided to continue our work in the language areas chosen last year as we believe that we need to deepen our work to ensure that the momentum we have built will be sustained even after our exit. 2. Networking of institutions and groups. The A2K team has put together a list of knowledge institutions, groups and individuals with whom it has developed connections and believes that it can bring them into the Wikimedia movement. These collaborations will not only result in significant quality-content contributions, but will lead to the diversification and expansion of that particular language Wikimedia community. CIS-A2K intends to broaden the reach of Indian language Wikimedia projects by expanding the intended and target audience. 3. Familiarity of the A2K team members with the language. Each of us are editors/can edit or at least read the discussions in most of the above language Wikipedias. This has given us an insider's perspective of what is happening in that particular language community and the Wikimedia projects.
We do see the possibility of taking up more languages as we are planning to exit from the existing FLAs. A2K would like to withdraw our programmatic support from the current FLAs when those communities manage to sustain on their own.
When we will take up new languages? We are planning to engage with non-FLA Indic languages using consultations and surveys during this plan year (2016-17) to see where our support could add value. These consultations and surveys along with community guidance would help A2K decide new FLA partnerships.
Best! Subha
----- Original Message ----- From: "TANMAY BIR" tanmaybir@gmail.com To: "Wikimedians in and from West Bengal, India" wikimedia-in-wb@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Wednesday, April 6, 2016 9:06:57 PM Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-in-WB] CIS-A2K workplan for 2016-17
you are most welcome
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*http://tanmaybir.blogspot.in/ http://tanmaybir.blogspot.in/*
*http://sarsunacollege.academia.edu/DrTanmayBir http://sarsunacollege.academia.edu/DrTanmayBir *
*http://sarsunacollege.ac.in/ http://sarsunacollege.ac.in/*
*https://sites.google.com/site/nsbdsc/nirbacita-prabandha-sankalana https://sites.google.com/site/nsbdsc/nirbacita-prabandha-sankalana* *উইকিপিডিয়া:বাংলা_উইকিপিডিয়ার_দশম_প্রতিষ্ঠাবার্ষিকী/কমিটি < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Bengali_Wikipedia_10th_Anniversary_Celebrati... *
উইকিপিডিয়া:কর্মশালা/বিদ্যাসাগর বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় < https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AA%...
* Skype id: tanmay.bir
On Wed, Apr 6, 2016 at 7:32 PM, Subhashish Panigrahi < subhashish@cis-india.org> wrote:
Dear Bodhisattwa, Tanmay and Soni,
Thank you so much for sharing feedback and concerns. We really value your feedback and are discussing about the same. We will get back to you all soon.
best, subha
On 4/3/2016 9:53 PM, Soni wrote:
Completely agreed with both Tanmay and Bodhisattwa. We must not have any discrimination towards or against any of the language Wikis on our
country,
especially such a large one.
Another language that has been clearly excluded is English. Even though there are many English speakers in the country and it will be among the first languages for outreach programs in schools and colleges across the country, the language has been completely excluded from all outreach programs and budgets from the CIS. This is not acceptable for the future
of
Wikimedia in India
Regards, Soni
User:Soni
On Sun, Apr 3, 2016 at 11:22 AM, TANMAY BIR tanmaybir@gmail.com wrote:
i do fully agree with mr. bodhisattwa mondal. as the second largest in india and the fifth largest language over the world bengali language should get more and more importance from the CIS-A2K. if bengali wiki community get the right opportunity they will make a revolution in knowledge world, i belief it from my heart. go ahead bodhi, place your justified demand ...
*তন্ময় বীর *
- (TANMAY BIR) *
*http://tanmaybir.blogspot.in/ http://tanmaybir.blogspot.in/*
*http://sarsunacollege.academia.edu/DrTanmayBir http://sarsunacollege.academia.edu/DrTanmayBir *
*http://sarsunacollege.ac.in/ http://sarsunacollege.ac.in/*
*https://sites.google.com/site/nsbdsc/nirbacita-prabandha-sankalana https://sites.google.com/site/nsbdsc/nirbacita-prabandha-sankalana* *উইকিপিডিয়া:বাংলা_উইকিপিডিয়ার_দশম_প্রতিষ্ঠাবার্ষিকী/কমিটি <
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Bengali_Wikipedia_10th_Anniversary_Celebrati...
উইকিপিডিয়া:কর্মশালা/বিদ্যাসাগর বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় <
https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AA%...
- Skype id: tanmay.bir
On Sat, Apr 2, 2016 at 7:45 PM, Bodhisattwa Mandal < bodhisattwa.rgkmc@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi,
CIS-A2K is allocating huge amount of budget on only five Indian
languages.
I dont know how other language communities, including my own Bengali,
will
provide feedback on that. We do not fall in the so-called Focused
Language
Area (FLA) of CIS-A2K and our feedback dont matter at all.
CIS has been requesting millions of dollars from WMF every year on
their
so-called 5 focused language areas and doing all kind of propaganda
about
their so-called progress, in social media, blogs and meta, sometimes claiming volunteer events as their own success. Still I can say, that
other
non-FLA volunteer Indian communities, including Bengali, are working on-wiki silently on their own without any/very little monetary or organizational support and progressing a lot more than funded Wikimedia projects and I am proud of that as a community member.
As India is not a country of only 5 languages, this Focused language concept is completely faulty to me and this shows clear discrimination
to
other language communities.
Regards, Bodhisattwa
On 2 April 2016 at 16:56, Tito Dutta trulytito@gmail.com wrote:
Hello, We want to inform you that CIS-A2K team has submitted workplan and
proposal
for the year 2016-2017. These are the details:
- Link to Workplan :
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CIS-A2K/Work_plan_July_2016_-_June_2017
- Link to proposal :
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG/Proposals/2015-2016_round2/The_Ce...
- Link to strategic plan :
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CIS-A2K/Strategic_plan_June_2016_-_July_2018
- Link to budget :
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CIS-A2K/Work_plan_July_2016_-_June_2017/Budg...
Please provide your valuable feedback here: Regards Tito Dutta Programme Associate CIS-A2K