This is how the workshops and the first edit-a-thon in Tucumán went

Two days of communication workshops concluded with a collective edit-a-thon of LGBT+ content on the Spanish Wikipedia. It was the first edit-a-thon of its kind in Tucumán.

Workshops Present TUCUMANIMG_4FD4AC2DCA26-16

February 27, 2019

Photos: Mariana Leder Kremer

It was a two-day series of communication workshops for journalists and LGBTQ+ activists, culminating in a day of collaborative editing of LGBTQ+ content on the Spanish Wikipedia. This was the first edit-a-thon of its kind in Tucumán.

More than 80 attendees in total – 42 journalists and 46 activists – joined the proposals organized by Wikimedia Argentina and the Presentes Agency within the framework of the Wiki LGBT Human Rights project.

On Friday, February 22nd, a workshop for communicators was held, coordinated by María Eugenia Ludueña (co-director of Agencia Presentes along with Ana Fornaro). Students from the communication and journalism programs also participated.

Throughout the afternoon, the participants analyzed the media's treatment of LGBT news and collectively reflected on the practices from a human rights perspective.

“We want to express our gratitude for this learning opportunity and to be able to return to our spaces with different perspectives and more tools,” said Emilse Nieva and Andrea Romanowski, two communicators from the town of Monteros who traveled to the capital of Tucumán to participate in the workshops and the edit-a-thon.

“I leave very satisfied because for someone like me, who doesn’t use the internet much, it helped me to learn about these things and to have these tools to talk about what happens to us,” said Norma Salica, from the lesbian group Las Tucumanesas, at the end of Saturday’s session, which was aimed at activists.

On that second day, the meeting began at noon, and until 3 p.m., members of different LGBT+ organizations in the province worked on communication tools that allow them to transmit what is happening in their territories.

Later, the Wikipedia article editing workshop - coordinated by Luisina Ferrante, head of education at Wikimedia Argentina - brought together activists and journalists, who worked on the content of the world's largest online encyclopedia.

It was two days of exchange, where the debates continued during breaks to share a coffee or lunch, provided by Pangea (a bar managed by workers, which also defines itself as a feminist and diverse space).

“I was able to learn many communication tools and also how, from my position as an activist in the trans community, I can reach and access many more people through communication,” said Claudinna Rukone from the LOTO group (Organized Trans Freedom and Pride).

“I feel it was incredibly enriching, and I am so grateful for the generosity of the women from Presentes and Wikimedia who patiently and lovingly shared their knowledge. It was super productive,” added the activist and leader from Tucumán.

"This is the first edit-a-thon organized by Wikimedia Argentina in the province of Tucumán. And we think it's important that it was held precisely within the framework of the WikiDDHH LGBT+ project," said Luisina Ferrante.

The Wiki DDHH LGBT+ project - which emerged from the alliance of Wikimedia Argentina and Presentes - in San Miguel de Tucumán was managed by a team that included the communicators Estefanía Cajeao and Gabriela Cruz, and in Buenos Aires, Paula Bistagnino.

“We are surprised by the enormous turnout and participation. Despite being a conservative and even anti-rights province—where, while we were coordinating these workshops, a raped girl was being denied her right to a legal abortion—it is also a territory of resistance. There is a strong movement of sexual diversity and feminist organizations working for the freedoms and rights of all,” said M. Eugenia Ludueña.

The workshops and edit-a-thon in San Miguel de Tucumán were held at Buró Coworking. This space houses a feminist radio station, Radio B, and various other projects.

This activity is the third held as part of the WikiDDHH LGBT+ project, a project supported by the Canadian Embassy to build inclusive and respectful communication about diversity. The first took place at TEDIC in Asunción, Paraguay, and the second at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires.

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