Content Partnerships Hub/The Grand Tour of Wikimedia
Content Partnerships Hub
Improving the Wikimedia movement’s work with content partners
The Grand Tour of Wikimedia
An exchange of ideas, plans and actions: That is what we want to achieve!
The Grand Tour of Wikimedia will be a pilot of an inter-affiliate exchange program, where volunteers and staff travel between affiliates to learn, share and build a stronger movement.
Sharing knowledge is at the heart of this journey. That means the travelers will not only be passive receivers of knowledge, but rather engaging in and even helping the hosting affiliates to develop their own work within the designated field of work.
Small and big affiliates alike are needed for this to become a true exchange. Different conditions and circumstances are needed to broaden the horizons of the movement as well as of the participants, as we learn more about the experiences of others.
The travelers will engage in a number of possible tasks, from study visits to meeting volunteers, help to build up a knowledge base, following local boards or staff in their daily Wikimedia activities, listening in on seminars, and many more. They will learn, share their own knowledge, and bring knowledge between the countries on the tour.
Our aim is to learn from this pilot, creating a concept that can be applied in and between other regions, as well as globally.
What is the current plan?
Help us in continuing our planning, this is where we are in our thinking process right now:
- 2-4 people will travel to different affiliates (probably by train).
- Several affiliates will host the participants, planning their stay. Including finding accommodation as well as creating a valuable schedule.
- Each stay will be around 3–5 days.
- Each travel round will share the same theme, participants will have to engage in planning the outcomes of their journeys.
How will the Grand Tour be funded?
The economic model for this will have to be developed further, but this is our initial thoughts:
- Wikimedia Sverige will work on the initial project planning, including making the first Grand Tour happening.
- A funding model will be developed, where the movement together finds solutions to the long-term financing.
- The receiving affiliates cover the costs of hosting the participants and sending them forward.
- Employees will get their salaries from their employers as usual.
- We will look into solutions for financial aid if a volunteer needs to take time off work for participating in the Grand Tour.
How will it be decided who takes part?
In order for the project to be long-lasting, a program committee will be created. This committee will make decisions that form the continuation of the project, including deciding on themes for the upcoming tours, choosing participants if there are more applicants than spots available, and making financial decisions.
The idea is that the theme for the first Grand Tour is “GLAMwiki content partnerships”. In the future, we see that other projects might be education, organizational development, software development, Wikidata or other kinds of themes important to the movement.
Are you interested in knowing more, or even participating as a traveler or a host? Let us know! Please email grandtour
wikimedia.se.