World Endangered Writing Day II, January 23rd, 2025

A day of talks, discussions, activities, and awards in support of the world’s minority and indigenous scripts and their communities

The world has 300 writing systems, but 90 % of them are threatened—not used for official purposes, not taught in schools, ignored or actively suppressed.

This crisis is almost universally ignored. There are no degree programs in writing systems or script loss, no government agencies dedicated to addressing the issue, no funding available for script research or revival.

First launched on January 23^rd 2024, World Endangered Writing Day is hoping to change all that.

The inaugural event introduced community members from all over the world working to save their cultures by saving their scripts, scholars studying rare writing systems and typographers designing fonts for minority languages.

The second edition of World Endangered Writing Day, on January 23^rd, 2025, will:

· premiere a documentary about a remarkable script from the Philippines used by Mangyans to carve their own unique form of poetry into bamboo;

· showcase a new syllabary from South Africa based on the artwork traditionally used to paint logograms on houses;

· present a gallery of calligraphers who are reviving their scripts through art;

· discuss the development of fonts for the world’s least-used languages;

· explore the emerging world of Wikipedia sites created by minority communities—in their own languages and scripts;

· learn about the revival of the Amazigh people of North Africa;

· analyze forms of writing from all over the world that expand our understanding of what writing is, and what it can do.

Once again the Endangered Alphabets Project will be presenting certificate awards in several categories to people who are doing outstanding work to revive their scripts and cultures, and giving away books in or about minority scripts.

Livestream

The live events begin at 8:00 EST. Join people across the globe to celebrate and support efforts in preserving writing systems as part of humanity’s intangible cultural heritage.

Registration

World Endangered Writing Day is a creation of the Endangered Alphabets Project. Launched in 2010 in Vermont, USA., the Endangered Alphabets mission is to support minority communities all over the world by research and advocacy, and by creating educational materials, artwork, and games.

For more information, contact admin@endangeredalphabets.com. Cover photo: Tim Brookes.

Tim Brookes is the founder of the Endangered Alphabets Project and the creator of World Endangered Writing Day.

A day of talks, discussions, activities, and awards in support of the world’s minority and indigenous scripts and their communities

Livestream

Registration

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