Talk:WikiConference India 2023

WCI 2023 Theme Objectives and Its Importance to the Asian Region

1. I am a Sinhala Wikipedian. Here I have observed that the organizing committee has launched a publicity program in some selected user pages of Sinhala Wikipedia. The conference is said to have been held three times in 2011 and 2016.It says that the theme of WikiConference India is to Strengthening Bonds. To share their ideas or experiences with each other and to cooperate for the development of their communities.it is said The aim of the 2023 conference is to enhance community relations and exchange knowledge and experience between Wikimedia community members across India and other Indian communities in the South Asia region and Indic communities from the South Asia region. However I see and think this as a conference of Indians.
2. As a novice, I have encountered several problems, so I kindly request someone from the organizing committee to come forward and brief me about the places where my observation was not clear. What has been the fruitful service for Sinhala Wikipedians or Sinhala Wikipedia by this conference which continues to be held in India? What is the special significance of this conference for activities in the Sinhala language or Sinhala Wikipedia?What is the percentage of active members from countries other than Indians who participated in the conferences held in 2011 and 2015? What is the percentage of the organizing contribution of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan for WCI 2023? Is this conference gathering on the basis of languages, on the basis of regions, on the basis of SAARC countries or on the basis of all of these mentioned?
3. Since there are more than twenty languages ​​belonging to the recognized sub cultures of India, this conference may used as a conference of their unity, but I do not see any regional significance in bringing other distant countries and Wikipedia languages ​​of Asia to this Indian collection. Rsekanayake (talk) 10:16, 18 November 2022 (UTC)

• I have similar thoughts as of Rsekanayake. I will expand on them in 2-3 days. Regards, —usernamekiran (talk) 16:33, 18 November 2022 (UTC)

  @UsernamekiranI would first like to know your opinion on this matter.I would be happy if you could please tell me what your personal opinion is in this regard without subcultural influence. Thanks. Rsekanayake (talk) 02:07, 16 December 2022 (UTC)

@Rsekanayake: Thank you for asking your questions and patiently waiting for a reply from us.

Overall: While planning the conference we kept in mind that the languages we all are a part of cross borders and the importance of coming together as a region. Also, in order to take some of our work and collaboration forward it is important for us to collect beyond borders. Hence, while this is designed as a national conference we have designated some slots for our movement members from South Asia (apart from India).

Below is our response in chronological order to the questions asked:

1. As already mentioned on the Meta Page, WikiConference India 2023 is a national-level conference. This conference is for Wikimedians who are contributing to Wikimedia projects in the Indo-Arya languages. We don’t want to limit it to Indians as Sinhala, and Nepali languages also belong to this family. Moreover, we are happy to invite the movement members from the South Asian regions and work on shared languages, our vision is to connect and strengthen the bonds.
2. We are working towards building a platform to connect, share your ideas/experiences, and collaborate with other communities which will help the communities to know each other’s work and vision. Having these conversations will help communities to build connections and work together over an idea and achieve a common goal. The programs at the conference are designed theme-specifically to ensure that all language communities will be given equal importance and significance. We are planning to provide scholarships to nearly 10 participants from South Asian countries(apart from India) which is already mentioned on the scholarships page. Please let us know if clarity is missing. This national conference is purely organized on the basis of languages which was already answered in your first question and has no bearing on past conferences which were held multiple years back.
3. As mentioned above for your first and second questions, we are working on giving equal significance and importance to Ino-Arya languages which in turn helps the language communities located in India to work with other language communities belonging to the same family. This is the sole purpose of opening the program and scholarship applications to communities located outside India.

We hope the above reply has answered your questions. Thank you! Best, Nivas10798 (talk) on behalf of WCI COT, 2023.

@Nivas10798 (talk) on behalf of WCI COT, 2023

1. Thank you for your response. While I appreciate your explanation of the conference's goals and intentions, I still have concerns about the inclusion of South Asian language communities from outside of India. I understand that the conference is focused on Indo-Arya languages, which includes languages spoken in countries other than India, but I believe that it is important to clearly specify the intended audience and scope of the conference.In my opinion, a national conference should primarily serve the needs and interests of the national community, and it is still not clear to me how the inclusion of participants from outside of India aligns with that goal. I believe , it would not be more appropriate to organize a regional conference that specifically targets language communities from the South Asian region, including them as an afterthought at a national conference.
2. The Dravidian language family is the largest language family in the Indian subcontinent, and it is not related to the Indo-Aryan language family. The Dravidian language family consists of around 20+ languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. Also , The Austroasiatic language family is another major language family in the Indian subcontinent, and it includes languages such as Santali, Mundari, and Ho, which are spoken in eastern and central India. The Tibeto-Burman language family includes languages such as Tibetan, Burmese, and Ladakhi, which are spoken in the Himalayan regions of India, and also in Nepal, Bhutan, and China. This is just a small sample of the many languages spoken in India that are not part of the Indo-Aryan language group. India is home to a diverse and vibrant linguistic landscape, with over 700+ languages. Moreover we know that The Indo-Aryan languages (or sometimes Indic languages) are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family. I strongly believe that Sinhala language in my case cannot be put into this union of Indian sub continental languages; Sinhala language has its own unique identity separate from the Devanagari language group.(ask me why if )
3. The spread of Proto-Indo-Iranian was likely facilitated by the expansion of the Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent The Indus Valley Civilization is thought to have had a complex system of trade and communication that would have allowed the Indo-Iranian language to spread to other parts of the region. It is worth noting that the origins and spread of Proto-Indo-Iranian are still subjects of debate among linguists and historians, and there is ongoing research into the history of this language and its relationship to other Indo-European languages. Proto-Indo-European is the common ancestor of all Indo-European languages, while Proto-Indo-Aryan is a stage in the development of a specific subfamily of Indo-European languages, the Indo-Aryan languages. The Indo-Aryan languages include many of the languages spoken in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, such as Hindi, Bengali, and Punjabi.....
4. Ethnic identity refers to the cultural characteristics that define a group of people, such as shared language, customs, traditions, and ancestry. Language is often a central part of an individual's cultural identity and can be an important marker of their ethnic identity. part of a community that shares a common language, culture, and history.In some cases, language can be used to suppress or marginalize certain ethnic groups. For example, in societies where one language is considered dominant or superior to others, speakers of minority languages may face discrimination or exclusion. In these cases, preserving and promoting linguistic diversity can be an important aspect of promoting ethnic identity and cultural pride.so language and ethnic identity are often closely interconnected, and preserving linguistic diversity can be an important way to promote cultural diversity and respect for ethnic identity. In order not to damage it, it should never be, each one's identity should be kept as it is and it should be prevented from assimilated into the majority.i think It is the root of Wikipedia acting for deferent minority language groups, which underlies Wikipedia as a foundation for various languages. I will not present the matter at length as it may break the balance by presenting more details in this regard.

so I do not agree with your assertion that the inclusion of non-Indian participants is necessary in order to "collect beyond borders" or to "strengthen the bonds" between language communities. I hope this helps to clarify my perspective on the issue. Thank you for considering my concerns. As a participant in the conference, I am looking forward to engaging in meaningful and productive discussions with my fellow Wikimedians, and I hope that the conference organizers will take my concerns into consideration as they continue to plan the event.--Rsekanayake (talk) 17:20, 29 December 2022 (UTC)

Header translation

@Nivas10798, @Nitesh Gill and others. I've just prepared and marked the header for translation so that it could appear in the language of the translated page and make the readers convenient. Please translate it and get it translated. Template:WikiConference India 2023/Header. Best, ─ The Aafī ^(talk) 08:12, 19 November 2022 (UTC)

I've myself translated it into Urdu. ─ The Aafī ^(talk) 08:13, 19 November 2022 (UTC)

Did so because WikiConference India 2023/Scholarships is already marked. Please let me know if I can help in marking the pages for translation. ─ The Aafī ^(talk) 08:14, 19 November 2022 (UTC)

@TheAafi: Thank you for translating the pages. Regards, Nivas10798 (talk) 18:51, 9 December 2022 (UTC)

Can I still apply for Scholarship form

Scholarship form and the Program submissions will be open from 11 November 2022, 00:00 IST and the last date to submit is 27 November 2022, 23:59 IST. Can I still apply for Scholarship form?. JogiAsad (talk) 15:35, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Hi @JogiAsad, I would like to inform you that the deadline has been extended to 14 December 2022 by the Organising Committee. 511KeV (talk) 16:06, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Thanks for the update, I would like to be part of organizing team and share our community progress. JogiAsad (talk) 20:33, 2 December 2022 (UTC)

Hello @ 511KeV, thank you so much for your response, we really appreciate that. Thanks Nitesh Gill (talk) 18:35, 4 December 2022 (UTC)

I've submitted application but still haven't received any emails for confirmation of application. JogiAsad (talk) 12:50, 10 December 2022 (UTC)

Language

How will understanding be achieved on the basis of language? -- Karsan Chanda (talk) 03:30, 3 December 2022 (UTC)

Hi @Karsan Chanda could you explain your question a bit further. It is not very clear in which context you are asking. As such, clarification of this would be appreciated. 511KeV (talk) 10:37, 5 December 2022 (UTC)

Main page up for translation

Hi everyone. I have went ahead and prepared and marked the main page for translation. The translations would ease people of other language who do not feel fit with English. CC: @Nitesh Gill, @Akbarali, @511KeV, @JogiAsad, @Nivas10798 and all others. ─ The Aafī ^(talk) 12:58, 5 December 2022 (UTC)

Thankyou @TheAafi, Getting ready to translate it in Kashmiri. 511KeV (talk) 13:34, 5 December 2022 (UTC)

Done Akbarali (talk) 19:06, 10 January 2023 (UTC)

scholarship vs

If someone doesn't get approved for scholarship, can they still attend the conference? If so, how? What would be the process? I couldn't find information regarding that. —usernamekiran (talk) 04:41, 6 December 2022 (UTC)

I don't have a Google account

Hi,

I would like to apply for the wikimedia conference 2023 scholarship but I am not able to as I don't have a Google account. Neither I would create one as Google is a surveillance company which I don't endorse. Is there any way such a person can apply for a scholarship? (Libreravi (talk) 06:28, 11 December 2022 (UTC))

Dear Libreravi, Could you give us your email address, so, we can share the document with you and you can apply for the scholarship? Regards Nitesh Gill (talk) 15:47, 14 December 2022 (UTC)

My email address is <redacted> as I didn't receive any reply. (Libreravi (talk) 06:59, 19 December 2022 (UTC))

Program/ Session formats

Among the session formats are Lightning talk (5 mins) and Lecture (15 mins). In most conference programs, both these durations (5 and 15 minutes) are usually lighting talk formats. Also, there is no format for a 30 or 45-minute presentation by one or two presenters that would include interaction with the participants. The only 45-minute format is "panel discussion". I request that the submission formats be revised based on more prevalent formats used in Wikimania and similar conferences. -- Rohini (talk) 15:48, 12 December 2022 (UTC)

I completely agree with @Rohini. The COT should take a look at this and consider revising the session formats. ─ The Aafī ^(talk) 17:12, 12 December 2022 (UTC)

Missed messegae for google meet

I missed your message at the right time. I have not received any mail. What should I do in this case? DelwarHossain (talk) DelwarHossain (talk) 08:00, 22 December 2022 (UTC)

Scholarship committees and program agenda

I was told in the previous online meet that scholarship and program committees have been formed but not updated on the website. It was also mentioned that day that they will be updated soon. It is now more than a week but still I don't see any update about the committees. When will they be updated. Also when will the committee finalise on scholarships and program schedule?--Pavanaja (talk) 05:24, 29 January 2023 (UTC)

Hi @Pavanaja: I am really sorry for this inconvenience. I am myself distressed not to find any team details available. Hopefully, this would be done in a few days. Relevant details about scholarships and program schedules would be shared timely. Best, ─ The Aafī ^(talk) 16:53, 3 February 2023 (UTC)

Hello @Pavanaja: and @TheAafi:, Thank you for patiently waiting for the reply from the COT. To safeguard the privacy of all committee members, the COT of WikiConference India 2023 has decided to not share individual details on Meta or any other public forums for conference-related updates. This has been done in consultation with various members of the COT including Trust and Safety to ensure the privacy concerns of our community members are addressed appropriately. However, the COT will be making space for voluntary disclosures for those who are comfortable presenting their association. The program team is progressing and will be onboarding a few experienced Wikimedians for bringing it a shape (which will be done by the end of this week). By the end of this week, we will be finalizing all the committees and send updates on the status of selection to all those who have shown interest to be a part of the organizing committee. As already mentioned above, the voluntary disclosures of those volunteers can be seen by the end of this week on the conference meta page. Hope this answers your question :). Regards, Nivas10798 (talk) (on behalf of WCI 2023 COT)

What is the result of Scholarship Application?

May I know the result of WCI Scholarship? Whether I am selected or not?

With Regards, Sukanta Das (User name: Sumasa) Sumasa (talk) 16:48, 16 February 2023 (UTC)

भारतीय भाषा का चयन

नमस्ते सर्वेभ्य: मैं पहले रविवार को होनेवाली गुगल मीट चर्चा में जुड़ा था किंतु उसमें चर्चा का माध्यम विदेश की भाषा में होने के कारण बहुत बड़ी समस्या हो रही है। अब अगली ऑनलाइन चर्चा १६ अप्रिल को आयोजित की गई है। यदि यह कार्यक्रम भारतीय विकिपिडियन के लिए है तो भारतीय लोगों को समझ आए ऐसी और भारत की भाषा में वार्तालाप हो ऐसी विनती है। भारत की हिन्दी भाषा एशिया की प्रमुख भाषा और विश्व में ५वे स्थान पर सबसे ज्यादा बोले जाने वाली भाषा है और यह भाषा भारत में सबसे ज्यादा बोली और समझी जाती है किंतु भारत के सम्मेलन में हिन्दी का न दिखना आश्वेय की बात है। वार्तालाप में हिंदी को रखने की कृपा करें। सप्रेम।- आर्यावर्त (talk) 09:54, 14 April 2023 (UTC)

Question?

hi. Are there plans to hold a conference in 2024? Muzaffar Turgunov (talk) 11:40, 16 December 2023 (UTC)