Hello from last-minute Christmas gift shopping hell where I am struggling to figure out how to wrap awkwardly shaped-parcels and packages. Presumably, though, you, you madly capable shopper, you have all your gift shopping long since done and over with. In fact, by the time you're reading this all your Christmas shopping has been done for days and you have as much need of a gift guide as you do an extra hole in your head. But, SubStack says our readers love gift guides and far be it from me to go against the directives of our genial but problematic1 overlords.
More seriously, this isn't a gift guide per se. I'm not going to tell you what you ought to buy; capitalism is doing just fine without our contributions. What this "gift guide" is then, is a list of charitable organizations and groups that I think are worth supporting. What you’ll notice is that every organization on this list falls into one of two categories: language preservation or free speech protection.
Language Preservation
There are approximately 7000 languages in the world being spoken today. A lot of them are in danger of dying out completely as fewer and fewer native speakers are taught the language. Language preservation takes a lot of different forms but the common factor is that it takes a lot of time and effort to document, archive, and figure out how to teach languages. Organizations dedicated to doing so are chronically understaffed and underfunded.
Free Speech
Sometimes it's not enough to just preserve or revitalize a language, sometimes we have to fight just to be able to use our language in the way that we want to do so; a lot of fuss gets made over the United State’s first amendment - the one that guarantees citizens the right to free speech - and for a good reason: it’s important. So important, in fact, that it’s worth fighting to turn it into a universal human right. The organizations listed here are doing just that.
So, if you need a last minute gift, maybe you can make a donation in someone else's name, maybe make one in your own, either way, the gift here is your time, money, and effort going to supporting a worthwhile organization's hard work to protect or save endangered languages. So, please do read and thank you.
The Language Conservancy
TLC is a boots-on-the-ground organization, employing experts and the latest tech to preserve and revitalize endangered languages. They work directly with communities in danger of losing their language to figure out the best methods for saving the language. Their work so far has been in North America, but they are always looking to expand to other communities in need. Support them here.
Indigenous Language Institute
The ILI takes a less hands-on approach and instead focuses on providing information and resources that allow communities, specifically Native American ones, to choose the best methods and efforts for preserving their languages. In particular, if you are looking to study a language native to North America or to help in the preservation of one, this is the place to start. Support them here.
7000 Languages
7L focuses less on preservation than they do on teaching and revitalizing. Through their work, they have begun to set up online programs for the teaching and learning of dozens of lesser-known or endangered languages. Most importantly, they do this without charging for lessons and without charging the language communities looking for learners. Support them here. (And sign up for Cherokee lessons while you're at it!)
Wikitongues
WT works to preserve languages by archiving their media and making them accessible to a wider audience. Simultaneously, they work to empower endangered language speakers to revitalize their language by providing a toolkit designed to be accessible to everyone regardless of linguistic training. Support them here.
Endangered Languages Project
The ELP does a bit of everything. They work to preserve, archive, educate, and revitalize thousands of languages all across the globe. If you're one of the tens of people who may not actually live in the United States, this is a good place to start finding out more about the endangered and lesser-known languages around you and how you can help them to grow. Support them here.
The Rosetta Project
This project is built and supported by The Long Now Foundation. It aims to create a library of all the world's languages that will still be accessible and readable thousands of years from now. This one is a personal favorite and one day I'm going to actually become a lifetime member. Support them here.
Electronic Frontier Foundation
In their own words, the EFF defends, "digital privacy, free speech, and innovation." And thank all the gods that they do. If you enjoy using the internet, especially if you're American, then you owe the EFF a debt of gratitude for working to block unfair or cruel laws, cyber harassment and doxxing, lawsuits aimed at preventing someone from taking advantage of their right to free speech, and much, much more. Support them here.
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
I first heard of the CBLDF back in the mid-90s when they worked to prevent comic book shop owners from being sued out of existence or even arrested merely for selling comic books. Their work has continued unabated over the intervening decades; they work still to ensure that comic book authors, artists, and retailers alike are protected while they create and sell their works. Support them here.
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is just what it sounds like - it's an archive of everything that has been on the internet, or at least as much as they can grab. Given how inherently changeable the internet is, having a place where moments are captured, preserved, and catalogued is more important than ever. Support them here.
And that's that! Save a language, protect free speech, have a big Christmas dinner and go to bed secure in the knowledge that you have helped make the world a better place for one more year.
This has been a problem for a while now. And while I am generally all for freedom-of-speech - in fact, some of the items on this gift guide are all about it - I find the idea that SubStack profits from hate speech to be more than just problematic. However, I don’t really know what to do about it yet.