Vol 1 Issue 5 (pdf – 3.53MB) - CNGL

Action Week for Global Information Sharing (AGIS’11)CNGL researchers at theUniversity of Limerick coorganisedAGIS’11—The AconWeek for Global InformaonSharing—earlier this month inEthiopia. Here, Reinhard Schälerof UL reviews the conference...Did you know that, over the pastdecade, six of the world’s tenfastest‐growing countries wereAfrican; and that with 600 million mobilephone users, Africa has overtaken Americaand Europe? It is because of our ignoranceof Africa that the hoest connent is sll noton the radar of mainstream localisaon. Thisbecame clear at the recent GALA‐ andLocalizaon World‐supported Acon forGlobal Informaon Sharing event (AGIS ’11),hosted by the UN’s Economic Commissionfor Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa, coorganisedby the Localisaon ResearchCentre (LRC) and supported by CNGL.Africa is the cradle of humanity, thebirthplace of human language and, withclose to 3,000 languages, the world’s mostdiverse linguisc connent. Earlier thismonth close to 200 delegates gathered inthe Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, tocelebrate the Third Acon for GlobalInformaon Sharing (AGIS ’11). The UN’sEconomic Commission for Africa hosted theevent, which was opened by the EthiopianMinister for IT; the Irish Ambassador toEthiopia; the Director of ICT Science andTechnology (ECA); and the Director of theLocalisaon Research Centre (LRC) at theUniversity of Limerick.For the first me, AGIS ’11 connectedAfrica’s language industry, decision makersand researchers with the mainstreamlocalisaon and translaon industries andresearchers. Ethiopia’s Minister for IT, in hisopening address, stressed theimportance of Ethiopia’s two hundredlanguages for the economicdevelopment of his country. The IrishAmbassador stressed the important roleour country, with a populaon smallerthan that of Addis, sees in the economicand cultural development of Ethiopia,and pledged Ireland’s connued supportfor a mullingual Africa. Ireland’ssupport of AGIS ’11 was acknowledgedby many speakers, among them thesecretary of the Academy of AfricanLanguages.Pictured right are Reinhard Schäler, Chris Extonand Solomon Gizaw of CNGL with HansFenstermacher of GALA and local farmersLocalisaon (CNGL), withMullingual Compung as themedia sponsors.Delegates agreed that AGIS ’11 willsignify the beginning of a number ofcollaboraon iniaves andestablished the AGIS Network tofacilitate informaon andknowledge exchange. UNECA andthe LRC signed a Memorandum ofUnderstanding to support thesedevelopments; a furthermemorandum is planned with theAcademy of African Languages inthe near future.The eventwas jointlyIreland’s support of AGIS’11 Concrete discussions areorganised byalready on the way to explorethe United was acknowledged by manyjoint acons to promote theNaons’ ECAspeakers, among them the work of Africa’s vibrant(UNECA), CDAClanguage and localisaonPune, and thesecretary of the Academy ofcommunies within GALA,LRC/CNGL. It African Languagesand to involve GALA muchwas supportedcloser in the preparaons for AGISby a wide range of African organisaons,’12. AGIS ’12 will take place in Sriincluding the African Network forLanka on 10th‐11th December 2012.Localizaon (ANLoc), the AfricanSave the date!Language Technology Network (AfLaT),and the Internet Society (Africa); Read Reinhard Schäler’s fullWestern organisaons supporng the review of AGIS’11event included the world’s largestNote: AGIS ’11 would not haveindustry associaon, the Globalizaonhappened without the dedication andand Localizaon Associaon (GALA), thesupport of Solomon Gizaw, a CNGLworld’s largest industry event organiser,Localizaon World, and the worldleadingCentre for Next GeneraonPhD student at the LocalisationResearch Centre of the University ofLimerick.www.cngl.ie8