EIOC In-Person Meetup 2025

The dedicated participants of the 'Enhancing Indic Oral Culture on Wikimedia Projects' initiative will gather in Bangalore on the 22nd and 23rd of March, 2025, for an enriching two-day event. This gathering will provide a platform to exchange ideas, receive specialized training, and collaboratively brainstorm the future of this impactful initiative, all while fostering a sense of community and shared purpose. Together, we aim to deepen our commitment to preserving and promoting Indic oral culture in the digital age.

Dates

22 - 23 March, 2025

Organizing Team

• Amrit Sufi - Project Manager
• Yakshita - Project Co-ordinator
• Medini Subbu - Support

Participants

• Sangram Keshari Senapati - Odia
• Santhosh Notagar - Kannada
• Hariprasad Shetty - Kannada
• Reema Jalihal- Kannada
• Kavita Ganesh - Tulu
• Babita Shetty - Tulu
• Vinoda - Tulu
• Saravanan - Tamil
• Anusree Shaw - Magahi
• Gayatri Shaw - Magahi
• Joy Sagar Murmu - Santali
• Nayan - Assamese
• Bikash - Assamese
• Bharatesha Alasandemajalu - Arya BHasha
• Dr. Arya Joshi - Marathi

Program Schedule

DAY 1

Day 1 - 22 March 2025, Saturday
Sl.No	Session Name	Time	Type	Details	Speakers/Facilitators
1	Welcome , Icebreaker and community-building	10:00 AM-10:45 AM (45 minutes)	Introduction	Everyone Introduce themselves and tell a Wikimedia-related or a personal fun fact about other people in the room	Amrit Sufi and Yakshitha
2	Oral culture projects: inception to present	10:45 AM-11:15 AM (30 minutes)	Presentation	How the oral culture projects began and evolved	Amrit Sufi
3	Community Building	11:15 AM-11:50 (35 minutes)	Presentation	Community building as part of oral culture documentation and projects	Nitesh Gill
TEA BREAK 11:50 AM - 12:20 PM (30 minutes)
4	Collaborating and knowledge-sharing	12:20 PM-1:20 PM (60 minutes)	Discussions in groups of 5	Internal discussion	Yakshitha
LUNCH BREAK 1:20 PM- 2:20 PM (60 minutes)
5	Lightening talks by participants	2:20 PM-3:05 PM (45 minutes)	Presentation	Field work methods, experience, and learnings	Saravanan Anusree Shaw Gayatri Bharathesha Sanjib Kavitha, Babitha, Vinoda
6	Communication and blogging	3:05 PM-3:40 PM (35 minutes)	Presentation	Telling your story to the world	Amrit Sufi
TEA BREAK 3:40 PM- 4:10 PM (30 minutes)
7	Wikitongues and its mission	4:15 PM-4:45 PM (30 minutes)	Presentation		Tochi Precious
8	Awareness and project alignment	4:45 PM- 5:15 PM (30 minutes)	Presentation	Introducing Wikitongues, Whose Knowledge, and PARI: organizations working on language and culture Awareness about Annual Internship and small grant opportunities	Amrit
9	Using LinguaLibre to record words from transcript data (Trainee as trainer)	5:15 PM-5:35 PM ( 20 minutes)	Presentation		Sangram Keshari Senapati
10	Field work experience and communication	5:35 PM-5:55 PM (20 minutes)	Presentation		Kannada team (Santhosh Notagar, Hari Prasad, Reema, Jalihal
12	Field work experience	5:55 PM-6:25 PM (30 minutes)	Presentation		Aarya Joshi

DAY 2

Day 2 - 23 March 2025, Sunday
Sl.No	Session Name	Time	Type	Details	Speakers/Facilitators
1	Recap of Day 1 and Transcription training (live transcription)	9:30 AM- 10:40 AM (50 minutes)	Recap		Amrit Sufi
2	Wikisource integration training	10:40 AM-10:50 AM (10 minutes)	Training	How to use Wikisource pages as reference and as an e-library for oral culture text	Amrit Sufi
3	Wikidata training	10:50 AM-11 AM (10 minutes)	Presentation	Create wikidata itesms list based on folk song categories as suggested by participants	All participants
4	Wikipedia integration training	11 AM-11:10 AM (10 minutes)		What makes a good integration and a bad integration	Amrit Sufi
6	Indic languages and/or culture user group brainstorming	11:10 AM-12 PM(50 minutes)	Brainstorming Activity		All participants
LUNCH BREAK (12 PM- 1 PM)

Gallery

Day 1

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  Participant Sarvanan during EIOC Inperson Meetup DAY 1
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  Session on Wikitongues and its mission by Tochi Precious via google meet
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  Participant Bharathesha Alasandemajalu during EIOC Inperson Meetup DAY 1
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  Participants during sctivity on day1
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  Participant Santosh Notagar during EIOC Inperson Meetup DAY 1
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  Participant Babitha Shetty during EIOC Inperson Meetup DAY 1
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  Participant Hariprasad Shetty EIOC Inperson Meetup DAY 1
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  EIOC Meetup March 2025 Day 1
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  Group Activity during EIOC Meetup 2025
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  Participant Anusree Shaw during EIOC Inperson Meetup DAY 1
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  Group Activity during EIOC Meetup 2025
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  EIOC Meetup 2025 13 43 46 918000
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  Participant Anusree,Gyathri and Aarya Joshi during EIOC Inperson Meetup DAY 1
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  Participant Bikash during EIOC Inperson Meetup DAY 1
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  Sweet table on day 1
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  Field work experience shared by Sanjib Chaudhary via recorded video
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  Q & A Session with Tochi

Report

Introduction

The EIOC In-Person Meetup 2025 took place on March 22–23, 2025, in Bangalore, India. This event aimed to facilitate discussions on oral culture projects, Wikisource integration, community building, and knowledge-sharing among Wikimedia contributors.

Day 1 - March 22, 2025

The first day of the event focused on introductions, presentations, and collaborative discussions. Some key highlights included:

• Welcome & Icebreaker – Participants introduced themselves and shared their experiences in Wikimedia-related .

• Oral Culture Projects – A session led by Amrit Sufi explained the evolution of oral culture documentation.

• Community Building – Nitesh Gill discussed strategies for strengthening Wikimedia communities.

• Lightning Talks – Various participants, including Saravanan, Anusree Shaw, and Gayatri, presented on fieldwork methods and experiences.

• Wikitongues & Awareness Sessions – Tochi Precious introduced the mission of Wikitongues, followed by discussions on project alignment and funding opportunities.

• Technical Training – Sessions on LinguaLibre and fieldwork documentation were conducted.

Day 2 - March 23, 2025

The second day of the event emphasized technical skills and knowledge exchange. Sessions included:

• Recap of Day 1 & Live Transcription Training by Amrit Sufi.

• Wiki source & Wikidata Training – Participants learned how to use Wikisource for oral culture preservation and how to create Wikidata items based on folk song categories.

• Wikipedia Integration – A session focused on good and bad integration practices.

• Brainstorming on Indic Languages & Culture User Group – Participants collaboratively discussed strategies for Wikimedia projects related to Indic languages.

Conclusion

The EIOC In-Person Meetup 2025 in Bangalore was a resounding success, bringing together passionate Wikimedia contributors for two days of insightful discussions, knowledge-sharing, and hands-on training. The event provided a valuable platform for participants to enhance their skills in oral culture documentation, Wikisource integration, Wikidata, and community building.

Throughout the sessions, attendees actively engaged in discussions, asked thought-provoking questions, and collaborated on innovative ideas to improve Wikimedia projects. The interactive nature of the event, including brainstorming sessions and group activities, ensured that every participant could contribute meaningfully.

Many participants expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, exchange best practices, and explore new tools to enhance their Wikimedia contributions. The informal networking opportunities during breaks and meals further strengthened the bonds among community members, fostering a spirit of collaboration and shared purpose.

Overall, the event was not just educational but also enjoyable, as participants left feeling inspired and motivated to apply their learnings to their Wikimedia projects. The success of the EIOC In-Person Meetup 2025 sets the stage for future gatherings, ensuring continued growth and impact within the Wikimedia community.