On 5/26/11 3:05 PM, Milos Rancic wrote:
* If literacy is low and there are no efforts to
improve it, efforts
should go that way.
* Is it about the language without writing system? If yes, efforts
should go that way.
I guess I'd say what efforts "should" be taken should depend on what the
language speakers in question want from us. Are there communities who
would like to create a Wikipedia in their language but cannot, for some
reason that we can assist with? Have they requested our assistance? Are
there other organizations based in the relevant regions that already
have opinions on and projects in areas like literacy, internet access,
writing systems, etc.? (If not, is it because of lack of interest,
political difficulties, or some other reason?)
I'm a bit worried that a more centralized approach will repeat the old
pattern of Europeans and Americans telling people in other parts of the
world what they ought to do with their languages/culture/education. The
19th-century missionaries who inventing writing systems to translate
their materials and "enlighten the natives" (a legacy Ethnologue is
associated with) doesn't seem like what we'd want to repeat. I'd much
rather see us work with initiatives and organizations originated by
people who are actually from a community of language speakers. Plus,
Wikimedia as a generic global NGO dedicated to
education/literacy/development/internetaccess/etc. would be a
significant mission-creep away from things we're actually good at. (All
"imo", of course.)
-Mark