Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Alliances Fund/ReCreate South Africa/Final Report
Report Status: Accepted
Due date: 29 February 2024
Funding program: Wikimedia Alliances Fund
Report type: Final
This is an automatically generated Meta-Wiki page. The page was copied from Fluxx, the web service of Wikimedia Foundation Funds where the user has submitted their midpoint report. Please do not make any changes to this page because all changes will be removed after the next update. Use the discussion page for your feedback. The page was created by CR-FluxxBot.
General information
editThis form is for organizations, groups, or individuals receiving Wikimedia Community Funds or Wikimedia Alliances Funds to report on their final results.
- Name of Organization: Black Stripe Foundation NPC
- Title of Proposal: ReCreate South Africa
- Amount awarded: 50000 USD, 771010 ZAR
- Amount spent: 100800 ZAR
Part 1 Understanding your work
edit1. Briefly describe how your proposed activities and strategies were implemented.
1. Objective 2. Comment 3. Success Rating
1.1 Ensure that the Copyright Amendment Bill (CAB) is gazetted into law
1.2 On 29 February 2024, the CAB was passed by Parliament, and now awaits the President’s signature to become an Act. ReCreate has continued to be the main civil society voice keeping the copyright reforms on track; this task has only intensified as intermediaries push back through media campaigns and behind the scenes lobbying. Formally, ReCreate has made over 90 submissions to national & provincial legislative bodies along with our affiliates. Informally, we have provided consultation for civil society organisations, creatives and policy makers.
1.3 =5
2.1 Organise in 9 provinces & 10 constituencies to build a social movement for free access to knowledge
2.2 With the support of the WF grant, ReCreate has been on the ground in all 9 provinces throughout 2023. ReCreate is continuing to build these relationships through meetings and workshops. As we near the passing of the CAB, ReCreate will continue to facilitate civil society engagement in the drafting of regulations, and eventually implementation. 2.3 =4.5
3.1 Promote public awareness of how copyright exceptions benefit the public good
3.2 ReCreate has facilitated over 30 articles & 15 broadcasts in the mainstream media promoting public awareness about the benefits of access to knowledge & the importance of copyright reform in SA. ReCreate is currently focusing our attention in the public arena to correct misinformation being spread about the Bills. The overall public is still largely unaware of their benefits and protections. 3.3 =4
4.1 Upload info onto Meta Wiki
4.2 Pages have been created for ReCreate ZA, the International series on the Right to Research, and the Right to Research in Africa Conference 2023. These pages include educational and original content Co-Produced by the Black Stripe Foundation (ReCreate), with extensive amounts of information about copyright practices all over the world provided by tens of the world's foremost academics and Researchers in the field. We have also created pages to share the work we are doing to monitor copyright reform on the continent (Copyright Reform in Africa). The Best Practices in Copyright Reform page showcases the learnings from the work we are doing, and is designed to share with the Wiki Community as a template for further reform. 4.3 = 4
5.1 Promote the broader objectives of the Wikimedia Movement including broadening participation in knowledge creation and access.
5.2 During 2023, we co-convened 3 major public discussions with Wikimedia leaders on topics including (i) Freedom of Panorama, (ii) the need for government information to be provided & licensed in a format which enables it to be used by Wikimedia editors and (iii) the principle that Public Resources Create Public Information. These public sessions formed part of a conference that was attended by more than 300 people online & in person, and featured leaders from Wikimedia South Africa & Germany. 5.3 =4.5
6.1 Produce a best practice guide for Wikimedia chapters engaged in copyright reform efforts.
6.2 During 2023 we focused primarily on information gathering including conducting more than 30 interviews and recording the seminars we curated for the Right to Research in Africa conference. We also produced a series of videos in partnership with PIJIP. We are in the process of compiling our best practices guide, the centrepiece of which will be a film of and for activists. A first draft of the best practices guide has been uploaded onto Meta Wiki. 6.3 = 4
2. Were there any strategies or approaches that you felt were effective in achieving your goals?
Below are the strategies & activities from our proposal, with some initial thoughts on what has been effective:
Our educational workshops nationally & provincially have deepened the understanding of copyright, copyright reforms, free & fair access to knowledge principles and the limitations of the current system of copyright which favours commercial rights holders. We held 17 workshops in 2023.
The Wikipedia example: linking theory to practice. There has been much to learn from Wikimedia as a national and global network, with a robust system of practices and theories. We are currently navigating and integrating our movement on Wiki Commons and Meta Wiki.
A campaign in the media & on social media has helped to raise public awareness of the value of free access to knowledge, fair use & freedom of panorama. ReCreate has been using social media to address misinformation and keep the public updated about the progress of the Bills. Our mainstream media coverage focused on a few key moments, including a protest with Blind SA, a press release to address misinformation about Fair Use and the Bills, and more recently our statement of support on the passing of the CAB through the National Assembly.
Briefings with lawmakers have ensured that they are supported with knowledge on the benefits of the current reforms and the extent of support for these reforms in communities across the country. This has included formal submissions and presentations as well as informal briefings with legislators.
Focusing very closely on the immediate needs of our constituencies: Organising in partnership with groups who have very immediate targets and goals has helped with the overall effectiveness of our organising and strategies.
Helping to organise underrepresented voices: In some cases we have identified new constituencies which are not well organised. We have then identified international partners to help us organise constituencies here in South Africa.
Joining users & creators: A unique feature of our organising model is that we have brought together creators and audiences of copyrighted material to support both free access to knowledge and fair royalties.
3. Would you say that your project had any innovations? Are there things that you did very differently than you have seen them done by others?
ReCreate is an unprecedented coming together of users & creators of copyright. This partnership highlights the intersections between these different organisations, for example that creatives also need access to information, or that Blind persons can also be artists. This mutual support for the reforms also proves that there can be progressive copyright that balances the needs of ownership and access.
ReCreate also brings together experts, activists, creatives and marginalised communities in a way that facilitates cross sectional learning and support. This often leads to innovations such as a person in need receiving expertise and guidance.
Facilitating dialogue through workshops, meetings and conferencing has been extremely innovative in such a broad space as access to knowledge and copyright. The potential is truly limitless when the right interests and expertise are brought together, and an overall support for progress and human rights underpins all these innovations.
ReCreate also furthers the access to knowledge movement through the creation of educational videos and content that are openly shared, including on Meta-Wiki.
4. Please describe how different communities participated and/or were informed about your work.
NCOP: ReCreate organises multiple organisations to participate in the South African copyright legislative process. This participation takes place formally through written submissions and presentations, as well as informally through seminars, workshops & dialogues. ReCreate is constantly in dialogue with organisations for and against the CAB & Fair Use, and building new relationships.
Workshops & Consultations: ReCreate regularly provides educational workshops and consultative meetings in partnership with our affiliate organisations, as well as with new groups that are growing increasingly interested in copyright & copyright reform.
Conferences: The Right to Research in Africa conference was a great way to expand our reach and the conversation around access to information. The conference took place in Cape Town and Pretoria, in South Africa. Students, experts, activists and community members were encouraged to join. The seminars were also live streamed and are available online, and now Meta-Wiki, making them widely available. As part of the conference we also flew in researchers, experts and policy makers from around the continent to participate, with the assistance of American University.
Newsletter: In collaboration with Scholarly Horizons, ReCreate occasionally sends out newsletters to a database of over 5000 people interested in copyright updates
Website and Social media: ReCreate manages a Website, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube page to disseminate accurate information, and engage in public dialogues about copyright reform.
Campaigns: ReCreate partners with our affiliate organisations to spread important messages through targeted media campaigns. In the case of Blind SA, this campaign involved demonstrations and court action focused on access. These campaigns help reach targeted & representative audiences, and occasionally receive national coverage.
5. Documentation of your impact. Please use the two spaces below to share files and links that help tell your story and impact. This can be documentation that shows your results through testimonies, videos, sound files, images (photos and infographics, etc.) social media posts, dashboards, etc.
- Upload Documents and Files
- Here is an additional field to type in URLs.
- Data Collection
List of Videos: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vAavG1xjvzE-j47EaSEU1jBUOgZesMVeqQo0pNkkLgw/edit#gid=901348678&range=1:1029
Media coverage. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vAavG1xjvzE-j47EaSEU1jBUOgZesMVeqQo0pNkkLgw/edit#gid=1003248696&range=A1
6. To what extent do you agree with the following statements regarding the work carried out with the support of this Fund? You can choose “not applicable” if your work does not relate to these goals.
| A. Bring in participants from underrepresented groups | Strongly agree |
| B. Create a more inclusive and connected culture in our community | Strongly agree |
| C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups | Strongly agree |
| D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives | Strongly agree |
| E. Encourage the retention of editors | Not applicable |
| F. Encourage the retention of organizers | Agree |
| G. Increased participants' feelings of belonging and connection to the movement. | Strongly agree |
7. Is there anything else you would like to share about how your efforts helped to bring in participants and/or build out content, particularly for underrepresented groups?
Our affiliate organisations mainly comprises NGOs that represent marginalised groups. This includes SADTU, the biggest teacher union in SA. They represent educators in public schools that predominantly serve underprivileged learners. We help keep them informed about copyright reform in the country with workshops & expert analysis, and facilitate their participation in the legislative process.
ReCreate has been very active in supporting Blind SA in their fight for access to reading materials & translation for the visually impaired.
SAGA is a representative body for actors that need increased rights in SA. We have been working closely with SAGA for 5+ years. In 2023 this also entailed supporting their media campaign & the creation of content to spread awareness.
ReCreate works with additional orgs - Right2Know, who are focused on access to information, Artists Unite, a campaign that brings together creatives that support fair royalties & fair use, Research ICT Africa, a digital policy think tank that supports developmental innovation & Wits Gender Equity Unit, org with an intersectional & feminist copyright agenda.
This year new groups have joined ReCreate, incl the COSATU the largest trade union federation in SA, SAFREA, an org that advocates for freelance workers in media & communications & we are currently working with Authors Alliance to form a SA chapter
ReCreate works with various other representative groups to provide information & expertise on copyright reform.
Part 2: Your main learning
edit8. In your application, you outlined your learning priorities. What did you learn about these areas during this period?
Constructive approaches are most effective: stay focused on collaboration, dialogue & education about fair and balanced copyright
Participation goes a very long way: we often find that inputs made by ReCreate affiliated organisations or individuals make their way to be directly referenced by govt. Without our organisation & participation, the NCOP public inputs would have been steered almost entirely by intermediaries that are not in favour of fair use or the CAB.
Many artists & creators are financially and socially vulnerable and need support to participate in copyright reform
The importance of ground work & community involvement: relative to the previous point, this is needed to bridge the huge gap between copyright legislation and the people it directly impacts
A human-rights approach & a focus on inequality is fundamental to this work: As one of the most unequal nations in the world, SA should be supporting laws that enable access to information for marginalised groups. In the long run this will improve society as a whole and boost the economy.
It is important to develop a continental & global right to research network: Through our facilitation of the Right to Research in Africa conference, ReCreate is helping to establish multiple networks to have these important conversations
Passing of the Bills into law is only the first step: Education and Implementation are key
9. Did anything unexpected or surprising happen when implementing your activities?
Uploading and documenting items on Wiki Commons and Meta Wiki is providing a channel to succinctly summarise and connect the multiple Right to Research initiatives, and other ReCreate endeavors, and will continue to be an avenue for this.
This has also provided valuable oversight, and a simple mechanism to share what is essentially an extensive amount of information.
Perhaps the most surprising and unexpected moments have been navigating the twists and turns as the Copyright Amendment Bill makes its way through the National Council of Provinces, and the National Assembly.
Lobbying from intermediaries who are against the Bills has led to multiple instances where ReCreate has had to hold interventions to remind officials the purpose the Bills serve, and the support they have garnered over the years.
Government officials have also sought out ReCreate themselves for this purpose.
10. How do you hope to use this learning? For instance, do you have any new priorities, ideas for activities, or goals for the future?
Documentation through Meta Wiki and Wiki Commons will continue to provide oversight and facilitate interlinking ReCreate's work with the broader access to knowledge movement.
ReCreate will continue to learn from our partnerships with civil society organisations, experts, government and policy makers, and will utilise these relationships during the implementation phases of copyright reform.
ReCreate will also continue to build and learn from our broader partnerships, that span the country, continent, global South and globe, focused on access to knowledge, right to research and a progressive balance of access and ownership of copyright.
11. If you were sitting with a friend to tell them one thing about your work during this fund, what would it be (think of inspiring or fascinating moments, tough challenges, interesting anecdotes, or anything that feels important to you)?
Copyright reform is a path to economic and social progress in Africa, and South Africa in particular can be a leading example to the continent and world.
South Africa is already en route to passing one of the most progressive copyright legislations in the world. The Copyright Amendment Bill addresses the plight of creatives and legislates fair royalties, equitable remuneration and regulation of the sector, while simultaneously promoting access to information and innovation.
By building an in-depth understanding of the needs of our societies, like a need for a right to research, and building a strong network of those in support, ReCreate is facilitating not only the passing of this legislation, but the future of progressive copyright law & practice on the continent.
12. Please share resources that would be useful to share with other Wikimedia organizations so that they can learn from, adapt or build upon your work. For instance, guides, training material, presentations, work processes, or any other material the team has created to document and transfer knowledge about your work and can be useful for others. Please share any specific resources that you are creating, adapting/contextualizing in ways that are unique to your context (i.e. training material).
- Upload Documents and Files
- Here is an additional field to type in URLs.
- Social Media
Website: https://www.re-createza.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaRecreate
Meta- Wiki
ReCreate https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Recreate_ZA
Right to Research in Africa 2023:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Right_to_Research_in_Africa_Conference_2023
Right to Research in International Copyright: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Right_to_Research_in_International_Copyright
Copyright Reform in Africa: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Reform_in_Africa
Best Practice Guide on Copyright Reform https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Best_Practice_Guide_for_Copyright_Reform&veaction=edit
YouTube Right to Research in Africa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5qYZsoOOpk&list=PLuk2SmOxN5RK76R-0RHHzzGg4q7f7YAG3
Right to Research International: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nhsi_WrYvk&list=PLuk2SmOxN5RLpFEXCjM1K61lt5rkAiEWx&ab_channel=pijipvideo
Part 3: Metrics
edit13a. Open and additional metrics data
| Open Metrics | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | 466 | Participants
We expect to reach a large group of people in person with our community organising and outreach. In addition we expect our campaigns to reach many thousands through social media and the mainstream media. Direct participants will be 400 - 500. People reached through our campaigns will be 25,000 + Note that we will need custom metrics given that our objective is movement building and advocacy Number of workshop attendees Target: 500 Result: 466 Link to Workshop details: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vAavG1xjvzE-j47EaSEU1jBUOgZesMVeqQo0pNkkLgw/edit#gid=1892925129&range=A1 Analysis: The bulk of attendance took place through the Right to Research in Africa conference, which featured a range of topics, including access to information for health, climate and natural language processing research, as well as a number of Wikimedia ZA hosted sessions. The remaining workshops all focused on targeted interventions with specialised groups, such as policy makers, creatives, media free lancers etc. and they took place online on Zoom |
The workshops took place online, and in-person at the Right to Research in Africa conferences, including Pretoria and Cape Town conferences. This was measured through a registry and online participation. The remaining workshops all took place online, the numbers reflect actual attendance and do not include any shared recordings. |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | 25 | Organizers
We will have movement organisers for our advocacy work. These will be working in all 9 provinces and across many constituencies. This number reflects an estimation of the number of representatives we had mobilising, making written submissions and doing presentations, in all 9 South African Provinces. We worked with 9 organisations and multiple representatives. This does not include conference organisers. |
The number is a fairly accurate estimation, based on the NCOP proceedings that took place in all 9 provinces. |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Additional Metrics | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of editors that continue to participate/retained after activities | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Number of organizers that continue to participate/retained after activities | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Number of strategic partnerships that contribute to longer term growth, diversity and sustainability | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Feedback from participants on effective strategies for attracting and retaining contributors | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Diversity of participants brought in by grantees | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Number of people reached through social media publications | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Number of activities developed | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Number of volunteer hours | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
13b. Additional core metrics data.
| Core metrics | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | We expect to reach a large group of people in person with our community organising and outreach. In addition we expect our campaigns to reach many thousands through social media and the mainstream media. Direct participants will be 400 - 500. People reached through our campaigns will be 25,000 +
Note that we will need custom metrics given that our objective is movement building and advocacy |
400 | 766 | The bulk of attendance took place through the Right to Research in Africa conference, which featured a range of topics, including access to information for health, climate and natural language processing research, as well as a number of Wikimedia ZA hosted sessions. The remaining workshops all focused on targeted interventions with specialised groups, such as policy makers, creatives, media freelancers etc. and they took place online on Zoom. This does not include participants by extension of organisations reached. | The workshops took place online, and in-person at the Right to Research in Africa conferences, including Pretoria and Cape Town conferences. This was measured through a registry and direct online participation. The remaining workshops all took place online, the numbers reflect actual attendance and do not include any shared recordings. |
| Number of editors | N/A | 0 | This is something we can look into in the future, in collaboration with WikiMedia ZA | ||
| Number of organizers | We will have movement organisers for our advocacy work. These will be working in all 9 provinces and across many constituencies. | 20 | 25 | This number reflects an estimation of the number of representatives we had mobilising, making written submissions and doing presentations, in all 9 South African Provinces. We worked with 9 organisations and multiple representatives. This does not include conference organisers. | The number is a fairly accurate estimation, based on the NCOP proceedings that took place in all 9 provinces. |
| Wikimedia Project | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
14. Were there any metrics in your proposal that you could not collect or that you had to change?
No
15. If you have any difficulties collecting data to measure your results, please describe and add any recommendations on how to address them in the future.
We could work on measuring the broader reach of our initiatives through data analysis on social media and content sharing platforms, and better understand our impact through surveys.
16. Use this space to link or upload any additional documents that would be useful to understand your data collection (e.g., dashboards, surveys you have carried out, communications material, training material, etc).
- Upload Documents and Files
- Here is an additional field to type in URLs.
- NCOP:
Media coverage. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vAavG1xjvzE-j47EaSEU1jBUOgZesMVeqQo0pNkkLgw/edit#gid=1003248696&range=A1
Part 4: Organizational capacities & partnerships
edit17. Organizational Capacity
| A. Financial capacity and management | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| B. Conflict management or transformation | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| C. Leadership (i.e growing in potential leaders, leadership that fit organizational needs and values) | This has grown over the last year, the capacity is high |
| D. Partnership building | This has grown over the last year, the capacity is high |
| E. Strategic planning | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| F. Program design, implementation, and management | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| G. Scoping and testing new approaches, innovation | This has grown over the last year, the capacity is high |
| H. Recruiting new contributors (volunteer) | This has grown over the last year, the capacity is high |
| I. Support and growth path for different types of contributors (volunteers) | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| J. Governance | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| K. Communications, marketing, and social media | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| L. Staffing - hiring, monitoring, supporting in the areas needed for program implementation and sustainability | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| M. On-wiki technical skills | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| N. Accessing and using data | This capacity has grown but it should be further developed |
| O. Evaluating and learning from our work | This has grown over the last year, the capacity is high |
| P. Communicating and sharing what we learn with our peers and other stakeholders | This has grown over the last year, the capacity is high |
| N/A | |
| N/A |
17a. Which of the following factors most helped you to build capacities? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors.
Formal training provided by a Wikimedia Movement organizing group (i.e., Affiliates, Grantees, Regional or Thematic Hub, etc.), Peer to peer learning with other community members in conferences/events, Peer to peer learning with other community members in community/ies of practice* (structured and continuous learning and sharing spaces)
17b. Which of the following factors hindered your ability to build capacities? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors.
Lack of staff time to participate in capacity building/training, Lack of financial resources
18. Is there anything else you would like to share about how your organizational capacity has grown, and areas where you require support?
ReCreate has been doing impactful organisational and educational work regionally, and beyond The scope of the conversation and those involved has grown tremendously, including at an institutional level, involving policy makers and change makers.
In order to keep doing this work we require funding for staff, software and activities. Support in the form of collaboration with the local and global Wiki movement has also given us access to additional tools and insight.
ReCreate is primarily made up of volunteer representatives from affiliate organisations. Our core administration team is small, and focuses on organising and supporting existing efforts.
We host weekly status meetings to ensure members are aligned and supporting the each other and the broader movement.
19. Partnerships over the funding period.
| A. We built strategic partnerships with other institutions or groups that will help us grow in the medium term (3 year time frame) | Strongly agree |
| B. The partnerships we built with other institutions or groups helped to bring in more contributors from underrepresented groups | Strongly agree |
| C. The partnerships we built with other institutions or groups helped to build out more content on underrepresented topics/groups | Strongly agree |
19a. Which of the following factors most helped you to build partnerships? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors.
Permanent staff outreach, Volunteers from our communities, Partners proactive interest
19b. Which of the following factors hindered your ability to build partnerships? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors.
Lack of staff to conduct outreach to new strategic partners, Lack of staff capacity to respond to partners interested in working with us, Limited funding period
20. Please share your learning about strategies to build partnerships with other institutions and groups and any other learning about working with partners?
Common goals and principles lead to pro-active and fruitful partnerships: ReCreate has a human rights approach to copyright reform and access to knowledge. This has led to fairly organic growth in partnerships and sometimes unpredictable positive outcomes that are a result of our alignment in values.
Organising existing interest: ReCreate is essentially an organisational initiative to coordinate existing movements and bring them together, thus maximising their reach and impact.
Show up as much as possible: usually when ReCreate has workshops, or is involved in an initiative, representatives from multiple ReCreate organisations will show up, even if their organisation is not directly involved. This builds mutual support, and strengthens the push for both fair use AND fair royalties.
Part 5: Sense of belonging and collaboration
edit21. What would it mean for your organization to feel a sense of belonging to the Wikimedia or free knowledge movement?
Wikimedia ZA Co-founded ReCreate in 2018, and since then ReCreate has participated in a number of Wikimedia ZA initiatives and vice versa.
The Right to Research conference is a wonderful example, where the global Wikimedia community participated and Wikimedia ZA held workshops. The entire conference was about building an access to knowledge movement on the continent, and the contents of the conference have now been made accessible on Meta Wiki, under the banner: Right to Research in Africa Conference 2023
This year, 2024, the Wiki iNdaba will be held in Johannesburg South Africa, and ReCreate looks forward to collaborating with the Wiki movement to share the work we have been doing together.
22. How has your (for individual grantees) or your group/organization’s (for organizational grantees) sense of belonging to the Wikimedia or free knowledge movement changed over the fund period?
Increased significantly
23. If you would like to, please share why it has changed in this way.
ReCreate has been building relationships with the global Wikimedia movement, and we have been learning along the way. We feel more aligned now than ever with the goals of Wikimedia and the free knowledge movement, and have enjoyed having these conversations on a regional as well as global scale.
24. How has your group/organization’s sense of personal investment in the Wikimedia or free knowledge movement changed over the fund period?
Increased significantly
25. If you would like to, please share why it has changed in this way.
Wikimedia as a tool for sharing knowledge has also become integral part of ReCreate's documentation. When building this content we often reflect on how the Wiki community will receive it, and are increasingly reflecting on how Wikimedia is able to facilitate this process.
The funding Wikimedia provided couldn't have come at a more crucial time, and has really solidified the global Wiki movement, in addition to Wikimedia ZA, as a key partner in our movement.
26. Are there other movements besides the Wikimedia or free knowledge movement that play a central role in your motivation to contribute to Wikimedia projects? (for example, Black Lives Matter, Feminist movement, Climate Justice, or other activism spaces) If so, please describe it below.
All of the ReCreate affiliates motivate us to share their story and document the movement for fair copyright in South Africa, including The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU), Blind SA, Artists Unite, SA Free Lance Association (SAFREA), SAGA, Scholarly Horizons, Wits Gender Equity Unit, and more.
Our global collaborators such as Washington University's Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property Electronic (PIJIP) & Information for Libraries (EIFL), and the movements we have identified on the continent and beyond, such as Masakhane and The Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (CIPIT), continue to inform our movement and provide mutual support for progressive reform and implementation.
Supporting Peer Learning and Collaboration
editWe are interested in better supporting peer learning and collaboration in the movement.
27. Have you shared these results with Wikimedia affiliates or community members?
Yes
27a. Please describe how you have already shared them. Would you like to do more sharing, and if so how?
The Right to Research in Africa Conference has regional and global Wikimedia participation.
Meta Wiki has also become an avenue for sharing with the Wikimedia community. There is much room for growth with this medium and our collective movement.
This year the Wiki Indaba will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, and ReCreate is looking forward to discussing how we can share the work we are doing in collaboration with Wikimedia ZA at the event.
28. How often do you currently share what you have learned with other Wikimedia Foundation grantees, and learn from them?
We do this regularly (at least once a month)
29. How does your organization currently share mutual learning with other grantees?
ReCreate hosts a status meeting every Monday, in which a Wikimedia ZA representative regularly attends and gives input.
ReCreate would like to continue sharing with the local and even global Wiki movement through the appropriate mediums.
This work does require support through collaboration and financial support for projects such as the mapping of the Africa Copyright Reform project, or the educational videos being produced by ReCreate and shared on Meta Wiki.
All of our work is fundamentally aligned with the access to knowledge movement, and we are confident that our partnerships with Wikimedia will yield many positive outcomes.
Part 6: Financial reporting and compliance
edit30. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency.
100800
31. Local currency type
ZAR
32. Please report the funds received and spending in the currency of your fund.
- Upload Documents, Templates, and Files.
- Report funds received and spent, if template not used.
- ReCreate Budget for WMF (2023): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1z8p7O7eeRvGG1W3ntw1n1g8q-IKNvBBo2jXFai2_L5M/edit?usp=sharing
33. If you have not already done so in your budget report, please provide information on changes in the budget in relation to your original proposal.
N/A
34. Do you have any unspent funds from the Fund?
34a. Please list the amount and currency you did not use and explain why.
N/A
34b. What are you planning to do with the underspent funds?
N/A
34c. Please provide details of hope to spend these funds.
N/A
35. Are you in compliance with the terms outlined in the fund agreement?
As required in the fund agreement, please report any deviations from your fund proposal here. Note that, among other things, any changes must be consistent with our WMF mission, must be for charitable purposes as defined in the grant agreement, and must otherwise comply with the grant agreement.
36. Are you in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as outlined in the grant agreement?
Yes
37. Are you in compliance with provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Code (“Code”), and with relevant tax laws and regulations restricting the use of the Funds as outlined in the grant agreement? In summary, this is to confirm that the funds were used in alignment with the WMF mission and for charitable/nonprofit/educational purposes.
Yes
38. If you have additional recommendations or reflections that don’t fit into the above sections, please write them here.
We are still in the process of consolidating our lessons and producing our Best Practices Guide
ReCreate is certain that continued funding from Wikimedia will further our existing collaborative movement as there is still so much work to be done!
This includes, and is not limited to, monitoring the passage of the CAB into law and facilitating its implementation, ensuring the work is well-documented on Meta Wiki, designing a work programme for 2024 - 2027, continuing our international conversation with global forces in copyright, and encouraging our constituencies to become Wikipedia editors