[A12n-forum] "Promote African Languages On Internet" (column in Zimbabwe paper)

["Don Osborn" <dzo@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The following item from the Harare paper, The Herald, was seen on
AllAfrica.com at http://allafrica.com/stories/200612111042.html . It is
interesting to note in the beginning of the article the discussion of
naysayers with regard to African language computing. There is an odd dynamic
one observes sometimes in the area of IT: One person says "Wouldn't it be
great if..." (like the author of the article), and another says "No, that
wouldn't work for this, that, and the other reason" (like Dr. Hapanyengwi
and Mr. Fairall in his story). And then a third comes along and says "Hey,
you know, someone's already doing something like that..." Back 5-7 years ago
there were already some DOS-based wordprocessors in Somali, Oromo, and N'ko,
but unfortunately neither the author nor the naysayers in Zimbabwe (and a
lot of other places) knew it (which highlights the need for better
communication on localization that the PanAfrican Localisation project is
intended to facilitate).

The quotes attributed to me later in the article are actually from webbased
material I wrote - which is fine that that gets some good use.

Don Osborn
Bisharat.net
PanAfrican Localisation project


Zimbabwe: Promote African Languages On Internet
The Herald (Harare)
http://www.zimbabweherald.com/
OPINION
December 11, 2006
Posted to the web December 11, 2006

Sifelani Tsiko
Harare

SOMETIME in February 1999, I wrote an article examining the possibility of
having computer software in African languages.

During that time, I spoke to University of Zimbabwe Computer Centre director
Dr Gilford Hapanyengwi and Computer Society of Zimbabwe executive director
Geoff Fairall just to get expert advice on the possibility of using local
languages in computers.

I also interviewed other information and computer scientists on whether it
was possible to use local languages in business applications like automated
teller machines to help increase awareness and appreciation of the role that
computers can play in aiding humans in their work.

This is what Dr Hapanyengwi said in 1999: "English is the vehicle for
communication. We can't do programming in Shona but for application its
possible."

He said Zimbabweans should ask themselves whether they were prepared to
invest more money in having computer applications and programming in local
languages.

"We can use them in cases where we feel it can help preserve local culture
or in situations which would actually make more people start using
computers," he told me in an interview.

Fairall said even though nobody had given this much thought, it would be
extremely difficult to have programming in local languages in developing
countries like Zimbabwe.

"There is very little scope in having programming in local languages as
Zimbabwe is basically a user country and not a developer," he said.

But one computer scientist at the time sounded a note of unusual optimism
about this issue.

"If we have failed today it doesn't mean future generations will also fail,"
he said.

And true, news that Shona has become the sixth African language into which
users of the Google search engine can now use Zimbabwe's widely spoken
language to search for information vindicates the prospects which
information and computer scientists once predicted way back in 1999.

This is a timely and exciting development that will help speed the evolution
and impact of information communication technologies (ICT) in Zimbabwe and
Africa as a whole.

Other African languages include Zulu, Swahili, Xhosa, Yoruba and Afrikaans.

According to a report that was carried out in a Bulawayo-based daily, the
domain has instructions in Shona language and will help researchers,
students, foreigners and new learners for the language.

Mr Si Brindley, a Briton married to a Zimbabwean, developed a Shona podcast
to assist in the learning of the language.

This podcast is a radio show that can be downloaded on the Internet and then
listened to on a digital music player to aid the learning of Shona.

Developments taking place in the IT sector that are facilitating the
engagement of ICT in African languages are paving the way for the future
development of online language dictionary, lexicographical database to
support and enhance the theoretical, descriptive and historical importance
of African languages.

Worldwide information and computer scientists warn that the predominant use
of English on the worldwide web needs to be checked before it crowds out
other languages.

They fear forms of cultural knowledge accumulated over centuries of human
progress could be lost forever if nothing is done to promote other languages
apart from English and other Western languages.

Information and computer scientists estimate that about 90 percent of 6 000
languages in use today are not represented on the Internet.

"These people could be left out in the desert of no information and no
knowledge," one expert said.

Oral traditions and cultural heritage of most African countries that could
be tapped for research and education purposes may never reach the broader
world, experts say.

"A large part of the population are voiceless because they cannot share the
information," Adama Samassekou, the president of the African Academy of
Languages once remarked.

Don Osborn of Bisharat, an organisation dedicated to localising ICTs to
African languages and Arabic, says much of a peoples' cultural and
intellectual heritage, especially in rural areas, is contained within and
expressed through the local language.

"Limiting people to the use of ICTs in a foreign language tends to worsen
the "digital divide", makes ICT adoption long, difficult, and expensive, and
impoverishes local cultures," he said.

But, Osborn said, localising software and Internet content presents complex
challenges in Africa.

"A major one is scope: there are an estimated 2 000 African languages. As a
consequence of population movements and the imposition of arbitrary
administrative boundaries during the colonial era, most countries have no
majority language -- in some countries, dozens or even hundreds of languages
and dialects are spoken," the ICT expert said.

Osborn said in Arabic, a great deal of adapted software and content already
exists but very little has been localised to the needs and cultures of rural
Africans.

"The isolation of most African localisation experts compounds these
problems, they have no means of exchanging information or collaborating with
colleagues," he said.

The evolving idea on the importance of mother languages in sustainable
development and the enormous potential of new ICTs is critical for language
development, research, advocacy and networking in the use of African
languages software and web content.

Africa is still marginalised from the benefit of ICTs and the majority of
computer software are developed in English language and based on Western
culture.

A very small percentage of the African population properly speaks English
and most have their own diverse cultures that need to be exposed on the
Internet.

More resources are required for the promotion of computer application
software in African languages given the fact that this is a mammoth task
that requires time and expertise.

The widespread embracing of Western cultures and languages in Zimbabwe and
Africa presents another formidable psychological barrier that needs to be
overcome.

"What we have done so far is to demonstrate that people can operate
computers in their own language. This removal of the language barrier in the
operation of computers would enable a lot of people to exploit its benefits
and not to be marginalised," said Dr Boniface Manyame who was part of a team
comprising medical doctors and social scientist that translated some
computer applications into three African languages (Shona, Ndebele and
Buganda) in 1999.

This was an important milestone in the advancement of African languages that
are now under threat and facing extinction in most parts of the continent.

Today, it is encouraging to hear that Microsoft and Internet giants have
multi-billion dollar programmes to promote software application in a number
of African languages.

However, Africans need to go beyond being merely software users (or markets
for Google, Microsoft, Yahoo) by utilising its vast ICT talent and resources
to develop programming in local languages.

Almost all software is developed in English and a few other Western
languages. As a result, Osborn said, most Africans cannot access software in
their mother tongue.

"Educated urban Africans have the option of using English, French, or
Portuguese, the pan-African languages imposed by colonialism. In rural
areas, where most Africans live, very few people speak European languages,"
he said.

This, he said, demands that Africans make ICTs more accessible and relevant
to rural African people through localisation, the adaptation to local
languages, cultures and preferences, of computer software and Web content.

"This will in turn make technology a much more powerful tool for social and
economic development," Osborn said.

African information and computer scientists say there is need to create a
Highway of African Multilingual Information (HAMI) fund to finance the
production and maintenance of web sites in African languages.

They also point to the need to create a vocational training fund for African
data processing specialists to continuously train system administrators
whose tasks are to configure, support and maintain the web hosting server
sites in African languages.

The African experts say that all the initiatives on African language coding
for computerisation be listed in order to direct the communalities and
address difficulties and challenges encountered.

They also call for the creation of national structures and associations for
applications development in national languages supported by international
organisations to promote an African Dot Force whose essential mission would
be to encourage the convergence of the present standards in African
languages.

Multilingualism should be promoted and cultural diversity maintained as the
driving force for the process of developing content for local and
international use.

The rich cultural diversity of Africa should be showcased and widely
disseminated in the cyberspace.

Economic, political and technological will is critical for language
development in the information society in view of making it possible for
Africans to develop their own content focusing on applications and software
solutions, using their local languages.

"Africa Bole!, Africa can' just to borrow a popular Malaysian chant.

l Feedback-email to sifelani.tsiko@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Copyright C 2006 The Herald, Herald House, George Silundika Ave/Second
Street PO Box 395, Harare, Zimbabwe
263-04-795771


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