Zero to Digital

Published on 23 December 2021 by Andrew Owen (1 minutes)

As a volunteer editor for Translation Commons, I worked on the Indigenous Languages: Zero to Digital guidelines, created in partnership with the United Nations as part of its Language Digitization Initiative.

Language is the primary method of communicating information and knowledge and native language is a key to cultural identity and expression. To communicate, learn and work in one’s own language is a human right. Unequal development of our digital domain is driving many languages to extinction. Only 1,000 out of world’s 7,000 native languages are supported online. This is because most of these languages are not yet digitized. Our mission is to provide a roadmap and create resources for a digital ecosystem where all languages are equal and speakers can pursue educational, cultural and economic opportunities.