Wikimania:Expressions of Interest/2024/Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Expression of interest: Tanzania

Abstract/description

In a few sentences tell us about your submissions. What made you and your community want to host the next Wikimania?

Wikimedia Tanzania is one of the WMF affiliates from East Africa, and since its recognition in 2018 has been actively contributing to Swahili Wikipedia and other WMF projects, as well as collaborating with other Wiki affiliates, communities and individuals across the region and in the global movement at large. Our user group has been also playing an active role in contributing to the growth of other Wiki communities within the East Africa region in terms of capacity building and knowledge exchange. Hence, It has been one of our key goals for our User group to welcome the diverse family of WMF projects contributors from the region and from across the globe to the East Africa Region (Tanzania) so that we can come together to celebrate, get connected, share what each of us does in the movement, learn and experience the Swahili community culture around East Africa region, have funny and of course get a time to set the way forward for the future of our movement. As part of experience, Wikimedia Tanzania was set to host the Wikimania 2020 Pre-conference where 11 countries (Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Somalia, Congo, South Sudan, Zambia, Botswana and Ethiopia) agreed and were set to attend (unfortunately due to technical problems including the surge of COVID 19 pandemic, wasn't possible for the participants to travel to Tanzania). Given that COVID 19 restrictions are generally lifted up for most of the areas around the globe, we are super excited to welcome the global family of Wikimedians to East Africa, to Tanzania (The home of Swahili language), Karibuni sana!

Organizers

Who is submitting this expression of interest? List individuals or groups.

• This submission is generally being made by Wikimedia Tanzania User Group

Key preliminary list of Organizers includes:

• Antoni Mtavangu (organizing team member of Wikimania 2022)
• Paul Mandele
• Otto Nyongole
• Pellagia Njau
• Eid John
• Alex Menthod
• East African Wiki communities Representatives (tbc)
• ...tbc
• ...tbc
• ...tbc

Requirements

Interested community groups do not need to have a venue selected, contracts drafted or sponsors lined up. This is why we are starting the process early. Please provide solid information about the points below to help our decision making. We will be taking into account various factors about potential sites and hosts especially the cost, accessibility, security, global rotation of Wikimania, and the strength of the organizing team. We hope to announce the location of the 2024 Wikimania by March, 2023. If you are interested in hosting a Wikimania in 2025 or later, you can submit your expression here as well.

Venue + lodging

• Currently we think to host Wikimania 2024 at [https://hotelwhitesands.com/ Whitesands Hotel aka WhiteSands Resort and Conference Centre, one of the beautiful sites in Dar es Salaam specifically for Conferences, its a large area with 16 venues enough to accommodate up 300 people each venue has important facilities that we will need for the conference which includes individually controlled air-conditioning and modern conferencing technology.

Travel + visas

• Tanzania is one of the friendly country around the globe where there is friendly policies for the foreigners to visit Tanzania. The whole of the East African countries generally requires no Visa to visit Tanzania, also its quite easy for foreigners from other countries to apply and get Visa. More visa info can be found here

Facilities + services

• At whitesands, Wikimania participants will enjoy accessing the one of the Tanzania's beautiful Beaches, Water Sports, Water World, The Touch Spa and Wellness Centre, Gym. More info can be found Here. Additionally, for those who for some reasons may extend their stay in Dar es Salaam, they can get an opportunity of visiting Zanzibar where they can have great moment vising the Stone town of Zanzibar and other amazing tourists attractions there.

Safety + security

• Generally Tanzania is one of the peaceful countries in the world, despite that, this is one of the famous sites where people from different diverse backgrounds prefers to stay, so of course Security for this place is there and to the best of our knowledge, its enough to make sure the conference is done peaceful and successful.

Alternate locations

• Dar es salaam has a different beautiful places that perfectly matches for Wikimania. Alternate places that so far we have put our thoughts includes

1. DoubleTree By Hilton Dar Es Salaam - Oyster Bay
2. HOTEL GOLDEN TULIP DAR ES SALAAM
3. Hyatt Regency Dar es Salaam, The Kilimanjaro
4. Serena Hotel Dar es Salaam

Time

• Our Regional time zone is EAT (UTC+3)
• We are able to organize Wikimania at anytime as maybe planned by the Wikimania COT/Steering team
• We are flexible to host Wikimania in any future time apart from 2024 (except in 2025 - There will be a general elections in this year in Tanzania)

Additional

Any other details that you think would be helpful for the Wikimania Steering Committee.

• Wikimedia Tanzania believe and have confidence to host this Conference if given a chance. If it happen, this will be the first Wikimania ever in East Africa region and we can't wait to see that happen, however, We will remain positive for any decision the team will come up with. Hakuna Matata, Karibuni Tanzania!

Resolution

• After several communications, considerations, and discussions made among Wikimedia Tanzania, Wikimedia Rwanda, and Wikimedia Kenya user groups;
  Wikimedia Tanzania will be supporting Wikimedia User Group Kenya to host this conference preferably in 2025. Additionally, We are currently working to explore more rooms for East African Wiki communities and affiliates (EARTH HUB) to be involved in this process. More info will be shared with communities periodically.Jadnapac (talk) 17:26, 16 May 2023 (UTC)