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What will you add to Africa’s Wikipedia? – open thread What will you add to Africa’s Wikipedia? – open thread
(2 months later)
A businessman from has announced plans for an African Wikipedia. Describing it as an African “ark” that will collect and preserve the continent's endangered languages and traditions Gaston Donnat Bappa hopes it will become the first port of call for African arts, medicine, religion – anything that can be defined as tradition.A businessman from has announced plans for an African Wikipedia. Describing it as an African “ark” that will collect and preserve the continent's endangered languages and traditions Gaston Donnat Bappa hopes it will become the first port of call for African arts, medicine, religion – anything that can be defined as tradition.
The African Traditions Online Encyclopedia (Atoe) is the result of two important parts of Bappa’s life, as a chief of his village and career as a senior IT consultant. He told the Guardian’s David Smith "ICT is the only way to store traditions for the next generations. Between now and 2100 there will be 4 billion people in Africa; if we don't know our traditions, we won't be able to manage our economic development." The African Traditions Online Encyclopedia (Atoe) is the result of two important parts of Bappa’s life, as a chief of his village and career as a senior IT consultant. He told the Guardian’s David Smith "ICT is the only way to store traditions for the next generations. Between now and 2100 there will be 4 billion people in Africa; if we don't know our traditions, we won't be able to manage our economic development."
Do you agree? Does Africa need it’s own version or are existing platforms up to the job? If you were to use the Atoe what’s the one thing you’d preserve? How else should we be preserving African cultures? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.Do you agree? Does Africa need it’s own version or are existing platforms up to the job? If you were to use the Atoe what’s the one thing you’d preserve? How else should we be preserving African cultures? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
If you have any problems posting you can tweet @GuardianAfrica, or email maeve.shearlaw@theguardian.com, please state if you’d like to remain anonymous.If you have any problems posting you can tweet @GuardianAfrica, or email maeve.shearlaw@theguardian.com, please state if you’d like to remain anonymous.