"On Asia": Multicultural and Multilingual Website for Asian Writings

• Thematic framework: Multilingualism and Cyberspace
• Geographical outreach: Regional
• Types of project:Awareness-raising
  
  
• Beneficiary countries: Asia
  
  
• Main responsible:
  Asia Culture Network
  102-70, Heukseok-dong
  Dongjak-gu
  Seoul
  Republic of Korea

Summary of the activities
In 2007, three institutions in the Republic of Korea - the Asia Culture Network, the Daum Foundation, and the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, cooperated to launch a multicultural and multilingual website On Asia. The works of Asian writers in the fields of literature, arts, and social issues, the main source of which is a quarterly print magazine Asia, are published on this website.

The site is comprised of both a separate webzine for the published literary works of Asian writers and a venue for more casual writings including those by amateurs. Mindful of the promotion of linguistic diversity online, On Asia presents the works in their original script, along with their Korean and English translations. Efforts are underway to publish more original texts in order to have a wide range of languages represented.

On Asia is geared towards providing a forum for the expression of Asian thoughts by Asian people, as well as harnessing ICTs to eliminate barriers against communication and fostering cultural and linguistic diversity in cyberspace. This goal is mindful of UNESCO's Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expression (2005) and the Recommendation on the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace (2003).

Main partners
The website is administered by Asia Culture Network, in partnership with the Daum Foundation and the Korean National Commission for UNESCO at its initiation.