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2024:Program/The future of grassroots organisations in Wikimedia and the roles of hubs

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Session title: The future of grassroots organisations in Wikimedia and the roles of hubs

Session type: Workshop
Track: Governance & Strategy (alternatively, Governance or Strategy)
Language: en

Based on the example of building the CEE Hub, how can other regional and thematic networks learn from this example and how could their approaches to building their networks look like within the existing Wikimedia framework?

Description

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How does the future of international collaboration and support structures in Wikimedia look like?

This workshop aims to work on other regions' approaches to building networks, identifying strengths and gaps in their setting and working on taking advantage of them or solving them by various means, be it support from other networks or tapping into other resources available to them. We have a few examples like Wikimedia Europe, WikiFranca, the CEE Hub and other regional efforts to see what is working and what is not, and how we can get other international collaborations to the same level, and what kind of opportunities this would allow us to pursue, like for example a global network of communities similar to the Global Council of the Movement Charter, supported and facilitated by hubs and other networks.

The workshop is designed for people comfortable with leading international conversations and meetings, who take the local context of communities in their region/topic into account and want to work on a strategic approach for the next step in the journey of their network.

Session recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtaTgx73oZo&t=1702

How does your session relate to the event theme, Collaboration of the Open?

Fostering collaboration between regional networks, learning from each other about approaches to common issues, building understanding and common goals together that will get us closer to the original aims of the 2030 strategy.

What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?

Average knowledge about Wikimedia projects or activities

Etherpad link

https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/WM2024_Day2_Tbilisi_-_Room_7

Resources

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Speakers

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  • Klára Joklová (WMCZ)
I live in Prague and I have been a member and Executive Director of Wikimedia Czech Republic since March 2018. I have been a member of the CEE Hub steering committee since the CEE Meeting 2022 and have long been an active member of the CEE community. I am one of the initiators of the CEE Youth group.
In Wikimedia Czech Republic, we run three main programs - EDUcational Programs, Programs for Community and Programs for Partnerships.
I studied social policy and social work and I used to work as a program manager and director at different Czech NGOs and also at the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
  • Barbara Klen
CEE hub coordinator.
Passionate about nature and animals protection.
  • Olaniyan Olushola
Olaniyan Olushola, a Nigerian media strategist, entrepreneur, and open knowledge advocate has significantly shaped the landscape of knowledge dissemination in Nigeria. Since founding Wikimedia User Group Nigeria in 2015, he has served as the chairman of the board of trustees of Wikimedia Nigeria Foundation and has been a longstanding Wikimedia editor. His extensive work spans various facets of open knowledge advocacy, including education, event organization, and editing Wikipedia.
In 2017, Olushola co-produced a groundbreaking Wikipedia Campaign in Nigeria featuring prominent artists, which garnered over 17 million views worldwide within three weeks and earned a nomination for the best video at the African Excellence Award 2018. His influence extends to policy discussions, as he engaged with the Nigerian Senate in 2018 to highlight the benefits of open knowledge in enhancing the country's visibility.
Pioneering initiatives such as WikiFanClub, initiated in 2018 at the University of Ibadan, aim to recruit Nigerian undergraduate students into the Wikimedia Movement. As of 2024, the project operates in over ten Nigerian tertiary institutions, benefiting over 1000 undergraduates. Olushola's commitment to preserving indigenous languages led to the documentation of over 150 audiovisuals by 2023, enriching Wikipedia and sister projects.
In 2023, he was crucial in introducing the African Journalism Award, contributing over two thousand reliable sources to enhance African-related content on Wikipedia. Recognized for his impact, Olushola was featured as a panelist at the 2023 Wikiindaba in Agadir, Morocco, discussing the project's success in engaging professionals with Wikimedia initiatives.
  • Ruby D-Brown
My name is Ruby D-Brown a Wikimedia volunteer with close to 5 years experience in the movement. Currently the representative for WikiWomen Usergroup and Co-founder of Africa Wiki Women. Also the sub-Saharan regional coordinator for wiki for human rights 2023 and 2024.
  • Yop Rwang Pam
Lead Strategist, movement Strategy
  • Dody Ismoyo
  • Andrew Lih
Andrew Lih has been a Wikipedia editor since 2003 and that year was one of the first academics to use Wikipedia in the classroom as student assigned work. He is the author of the 2009 book The Wikipedia Revolution: How a bunch of nobodies created the world’s greatest encyclopedia. He currently serves as the Wikimedian at Large at the Smithsonian Institution and Wikimedia Strategist at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. He is an administrator on English Wikipedia and Wikidata. In 2022, he was named a Wikimedia Laureate for his lifetime work with Wikipedia, and in 2016, he was named the U.S. National Archives Citizen Archivist of the Year.
  • Toni Sant
Member of the CEE Hub Steering Committee and founding board member of Wikimedia Community User Group Malta.
Wikimedian since 2010.
Especially keen to network with other Wikimedians working on small languages.