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Digital technologies have significantly bridged physical and psychological gaps in the digital era. They have emerged as powerful tools for contributing to the preservation of indigenous languages, countering the loss of languages worldwide. However, over the past decade, the polarization of the internet has led to a reduction in the availability of languages online.

As an example, Nigeria boasts over 500 oral languages, and their transmission through digital means is a key focus for UNESCO’s efforts to ensure their preservation. The recently published Digital Initiatives for Indigenous Languages toolkit outlines eight key principles to achieve these goals: 

Facilitating - Multiplying - Normalizing - Educating - Reclaiming - Imagining - Defending - Protecting

One key principle involves "multiplying indigenous language online”. The promotion of Indigenous languages goes beyond disseminating linguistic content. It aims to reshape societal attitudes towards these languages and the communities that speak them. The toolkit emphasizes leveraging social media, such as content creators' campaigns, meme challenges and videos. It includes a case study of Kimeltuwe in Chile, a collaborative effort that started in 2015, amassing over 216,000 followers on Facebook through initiatives like the “Mapuche interpretation of commonly used emoticons”.

Each key approach within the toolkit has been meticulously developed, offering stakeholders a resource to amplify Indigenous voices in the digital sphere. The toolkit invites indigenous language defenders to seize these strategies and contribute to the dynamic tapestry of linguistic diversity.