Volunteers are the real strength of linguistic communities : Tanveer Hasan

Volunteers are the real strength of linguistic communities : Tanveer Hasan

-International experts provided training at a two-day workshop by the Punjabi Wikimedians User Group

Chandigarh 21 April ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : The real strength of any linguistic community lies in its aware and active volunteers. When a strong culture of volunteerism exists, only then does the reach of language and knowledge increase. These views were expressed by Tanveer Hasan. He was addressing the inaugural session of a two-day skill development workshop organized for volunteers by the Punjabi Wikimedians User Group.

Providing information about the workshop, the group's volunteer media advisor Aman Arora said that under the leadership of senior Wikimedians Nitesh Gill and group coordinator Kuldeep Burj Bhalaike, international-level experts provided training to volunteer Wikimedians on various subjects during the workshop held in Chandigarh. Tanveer Hasan also said that the long-term success of linguistic communities is possible by engaging new volunteers, continuously training them, and developing leadership capacity among them. He emphasized that capacity building and language promotion must be advanced together as a key need of the time, so that the community can continue to progress.

Movement Communication Manager at the Wikimedia Foundation, Rachit Sharma, provided detailed information about the organization’s annual plan and various communication tools. He said that effective communication is essential for the success of any movement and that proper use of digital platforms can significantly increase community reach and participation. Senior Trust and Safety Community Governance Specialist at the Wikimedia Foundation, Manavpreet Kaur, discussed the Universal Code of Conduct and stated that a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment is the foundation of any online community. She emphasized that adherence to the code of conduct by all members is necessary to build a trustworthy and collaborative environment.

In addition, during various sessions of the workshop, Lead Partnerships Manager at the Wikimedia Foundation, Praveen Das, spoke about strategic planning and project design; Senior Research Manager at the Open Knowledge Initiative, Sneha PP, spoke about research areas in Indian Wikimedia communities; Content Enablement Manager at the Wikimedia Foundation, Satdeep Gill, spoke about the use of various digital tools; and founder of Heritage Lab, Medhavi Gandhi, provided training on the role of digital platforms in heritage preservation. Other prominent experts also contributed during the workshop. Senior Wikimedians including Charan Gill, Dr. Stalinjeet Brar, Dr. Gaurav Jhammat, Nishan Singh Virdi, Gurmel Kaur, Tamanpreet Kaur, along with more than two dozen volunteers, received training at the workshop.