Dear all: This is in the proposal stage. Seeking your support and ideas. ~~~~
Introduction: It is proposed to seek affiliation for a Wikimedia User Group Goa. Goa is the smallest State in India (population 1.6 million, area 3700 sq km), with an unusual past. It is located on the west coast of India, and has been a Portuguese colony for four and half centuries. Even prior to Portuguese times, it has been a meeting centre for cultures, a trading port, and much more. Hence it has a rich and interesting history. Among other things, it has a very rich archive, whose documents are connected with many parts of the world, including East Africa, West Asia, and Far East Asia. The proposed Wikimedia User Group Goa aims to be an open group, welcoming all languages and people of all cultures, anyone who could add to the content from and about Goa.
Contents
Objectives
- To build content related to Goa, in all languages possible and in as many Wikipedias as possible.
- Text and photos are specially welcome too.
- To conduct trainings, including online, for newbies.
- Our goal is to reach out to as many people interested in creating content on Goa, in all its diverse forms.
- We would like to possible hold occasional events in Goa (we have occasionally got space in the recent past, late 2018, from the Krishnadas Shama Central Library, Panjim for this).
- We also have a WhatsApp group which shares ideas and info on this. See next para.
- Our goal is also to help build and sustain the Konkani Wikipedia http://gom.wikipedia.org
Activities
- WhatsApp group to share ideas, inspiration and build Goa-related content (via +91-9822122436)
- Two face-to-face meetings held in October and November 2018 in Panjim.
- @The Discoverer and others have been able to activate Konkani Wiktionary (under incubation)
- Video, voice and phone chats have been held among interested members.
- Collaborations to build content related to Goa is underway.
- Attempts at re-building networks of those on Konkani Wikipedia/Goa issues active earlier.
- See Konkani Village Pump (Tinto): https://gom.wikipedia.org/s/44a
- Still a nascent group very open to building ideas and initiatives.
History
- Konkani Wikipedia was proposed in 2009, when it went into incubation.
- In 2015, http://gom.wikipedia.org went live
- Workshops and training programmes held in Goa.
- Difficulties and challenges for a small group to build content.
- 2018: attempts to promote more translations across languages, as a means to build content.
Contact information
- Fredericknoronha (fredericknoronha2 at gmail.com) or +91-9822122436. We welcome you to our WhatsApp network via the earlier number. At the time of suggesting its formation, the WUGG has among its active members The Discoverer (Administrator of the Konkani Wikipedia), Fr Luis Gomes (Administrator of the Konkani Wikipedia), Darshan Kandolkar and Isidore Dantes1 (active translator from Konkani to English, who has also released under the Creative Commons a English-Konkani dictionary he co-authored with the late Joel D'Souza). There are many others who have contributed to the Konkani Wikipedia, and Wikipedia posts in general on Goa, especially students of Goa University (Konkani Department) and Nirmala Institute of Education (a teachers' training college) between 2012 and date, the very determined network Hariette Vidyasagar and others. All are welcome and invited to be part of this venture. Please add your names here. Or if you know someone who has been active earlier, kindly point them to this page.
Interested in participating
- With other language groups having a common interest in Goa issues (Portuguese, Marathi, Kannada, etc).
- In Wikipedia-related events in India especially.
- Joining in edit-a-thons, contests, etc of relevance and interest to Goa.
- In joining or building photo events related to Goa.