The third Armenian language Wikicamp in the Diaspora took place from 12 to 20 August 2017, at La Bourboule, France. The aim was twofold: to write Wikipedia and Wiktionary articles in Western Armenian to augment the presence of the language online, and to generate excitement about the language as a medium of creativity.

55 participants took part, 44 of them were young Wikipedists (ages 16-24). Contributors had come from Athens, Beirut, Brussels, Istanbul, Lisbon, Los Angeles, Lyon, Marseille, Paris and Yerevan.

The camp created an environment that enabled participants to use Western Armenian spontaneously, both in authoring articles and in social communications with peers. The intended outcome was not only writing as many articles as possible, but to generate a milieu in which Western Armenian was used actively as an inspiring language. A dynamic team of facilitators, trained in building such environments and familiar with the Armenian Communities Department’s language revitalisation programme, worked tirelessly with individuals and with small groups to create an enriching experience.

In addition to the Wiki writing sessions, activities were designed to increase the participants’ confidence in the use of the language, to encourage teamwork and to foster lasting friendships. Readers’ and writers’ workshops, art related sessions and collective discussions devoted to issues of translation and language adaptation immersed participants in a fun and dynamic environment that motivated them to learn more in and about Western Armenian.

Wikicamp ended with an excursion to Lac Pavin, a meromictic crater lake, and a tour of the medieval town of Bess located in the Puy-de-Dôme, one of the most visited sites in the Auvergne region.

“Wikicamps are unique opportunities for young Armenians in the Diaspora to enhance their Western Armenian writing abilities,” said Razmik Panossian, the Director of the Armenian Communities Department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. He added, “It’s a win-win situation: more articles online, more young people enjoying themselves in Armenian, more interest in the language, and, importantly, more use of the language in writing about new subjects.”

Western Armenian Wikicamps in the Diaspora are organised by Wikimedia Armenia, with the support of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

Below you can find the Armenian and French versions of this article.