Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Alliances Fund/Wiki Digital Volunteering Club - Palestine
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Applicant information
editA. Organization type
- Mission-aligned organization
B. Organization name
- I'lam - Arab Center for Media Freedom, Development, and Research
E. Do you have an account on a Wikimedia project?
- No
E1. Please provide the main Wikimedia Username (required) and Usernames of people related to this proposal.
- N/A
G. Have you received grants from the Wikimedia Foundation before?
- Applied previously and did not receive a grant
H. Have you received grants from any non-wiki organization before?
- Yes
- H1. Which organization(s) did you receive grants from?
- HSS, CSSF, DISRUPT foundation, New Israeli Fund, Welfare Foundation, OSF
- H2. Please state the size of these grants from the following options.
- Other
- H3. What type of organization (s) did you receive grants from?
- Government, National NGO, International NGO
- H4. What percentage of your program budget do other funders contribute to?
- Between 30 and 75%
1. Do you have a fiscal sponsor?
- No
1a. Fiscal organization name.
- N/A
2. Are you legally registered?
- Yes
3. What type of organization are you?
- Non profit organisation
4. What is your organization or group's mission and how does it align with the Wikimedia movement?
- I’lam – The Arab Center for Media Freedom, Development, and Research (I’lam) was founded as a non-profit in 2000 by Palestinian intellectuals and journalists active in civil society, media, and research. I’lam aims to contribute to the development of a well informed public with the tools and knowledge needed to advance itself and advocate for its rights, including access to information, increased awareness, anddigital literacy development.
5. If you would like, please share any websites or social media accounts that your group or organization has. (optional)
https://www.facebook.com/IlamMediaCenter https://www.instagram.com/ilamcenter/
Grant proposal
edit6. Please state the title of your proposal.
- Wiki Digital Volunteering Club - Palestine
9. Where will this proposal be implemented?
- Israel
10. Indicate if it is a local, international, or regional proposal and if it involves several countries?
- Local
10a. If you have answered international, please write the country names and any other information that is useful for understanding your proposal.
10b. Are there any specific sub-regions or areas where your proposal will be implemented?
- The proposed action will be implemented in Palestinian Arab towns in Israel with participants from a variety of location within Israel.
11. What is the challenge or problem you are addressing and why is this important?
- In 2019, I'lam Center launched a new program as part of its strategy to cultivate and mobilize young impactful leadership among the Palestinian society in Israel. Understanding the importance and potential societal impact the free encyclopedia can have, the program focused on training Palestinian students on the uses of Wikipedia, with the aim of developing their digital literacy.
During the implementation of the project, the steering committee, which included prominent researchers including Prof. Amal Jammal, Dr. Jhony Mansour, Dr. Muhanad Mustafa, Dr. Sharaf Hassan, Dr. Mtanes Shehadi and others, surveyed the available articles and values on Wikipedia and its different projects and found a significant informational gap regarding the Palestinian society and history, specifically as a national minority in Israel. The committee members found a lack of information on Palestinian towns and cities in Israel, Palestinian artists and politicians, and the history of the Palestinian minority in Israel.
The steering committee has found that there are many issues with the existing information; poor translation, inaccurate data, misinformation, and the complete lack of articles regarding specific subjects related to the Palestinian society, specifically women and culture. This was further highlighted when examining information regarding the Palestinian society in Israel and the different Palestinian regions and towns. This informational gap is a result of the lack of awareness, among other challenges, of the Palestinian society to the potential implementations of Wikimedia projects such as Wikidata, Wikisource, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikinews, as well as its integration into the education system as both a learning and teaching tool, which was evident by the absence of Wikimedia related academic courses.
At the conclusion of the first year, we established the Wiki Digital Volunteering Club - Palestine team, composed of 24 members who are continually active until today, and provided support and training to the participants that followed. The participants of the first cycle managed to contribute to over 700 values and Articles. Wiki Digital Volunteering Club - Palestine community is an active one, with a strong group of contributors with the motivation to be an active part of the global Wiki community. However, the gap remains significant, and there is a need to invest in additional methods to integrate Wikimedia projects and tools into the education system. Doing so will not only increase the contributions to the free knowledge ecosystem, but it will also provide students and teachers with innovative and practical tools for the learning process.
12. What is the main objective of your proposal? Please state why you think partnering with Wikimedia Movement helps to achieve this objective?
- The proposed action aims to expand the current Wiki Digital Volunteering Club - Palestine community and its capacity to contribute to the global knowledge ecosystem by providing information on the Palestinian society, particularly in Israel. Additionally, it aims to contribute to the digital literacy development of young Palestinians in Israel by preparing the foundation for the design and implementation of an large-scale educational program.
13. Describe your main strategies to achieve this objective?
- Training:
The first phase of the project will include Training Of Trainers (TOT) to 9 previous participants, who are still very active contributors. At the conclusion of this training, the participants will be able to train and mentor their own group of non-Wikimedians. The training will be provided by Dr. Alaa Najjar, an active editor in the Levant Wiki group. This will enable the Wiki Digital Volunteering Club - Palestine community to continue its development and expansion with the support of a strong group of trainers. The first group will consist of 20 university students, who will receive training in how to navigate the free encyclopedia and contribute to the free knowledge ecosystem in accordance with Wikimedia standards. Considering I’lam’s experience in the world of media, the second group selected will be composed of journalists and photojournalists who will be able to provide additional Wiki projects with information on the Palestinian society in Israel. By introducing journalists with the tools offered by Wikimedia, we are directly contributing to the strengthening of a well informed society, and contributing to the free knowledge ecosystem at the same time. The training will be conducted by the new Wiki trainers, who will mentor the new participants as they begin their contribution to the free encyclopedia, and provide them with the support needed to produce Wiki-standard content on the Palestinian society, with a specific focus on the Palestinian citizens of Israel, their history and their culture. The participants will receive an intensive 3-day training program, followed by additional monthly training sessions. Furthermore, new participants, as well as experienced Palestinian Wiki Editors will participate in a full-day Edit-thon.
Contribution: Each of the new participating university students will contribute 20 new articles on the Palestinian society in Israel in the context of their field of study. Additionally, they will each improve or update 50 existing articles relating to the Palestinian society. The journalists will each write 10 Wikinews articles in Arabic, and photojournalists will each provide photos of 5 subjects related to the Palestinian society. Additionally, the Edit-thon event will allow for 100 new contributions to Wikimedia projects, and 200 contributions to existing values.
Preparation for Expansion: As part of our mission to contribute to the media literacy of Palestinian youth, I'lam will design and prepare a detailed training program for students and teachers, introducing Wikimedia as both a teaching and learning tool. To that end, we intend to consult with different Wiki groups and projects to prepare an impactful and engaging program that will not only contribute to I'lam's mission, but will create an enabling environment in which the Palestinian society in Israel is an active player in the free knowledge ecosystem.
14. Are you running any in-person events or activities?
- Yes
15. Please state if your proposal aims to work to bridge any of the identified content knowledge gaps?
- Geography, Language, Socioeconomic Status, Important Topics (topics considered to be of impact or important in the specific context), Cultural background, ethnicity, religion, racial
16. Please state if your proposal includes any of these areas or thematic focus.
- Education, Climate Change and sustainability, Culture, heritage or GLAM , Diversity
17. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select all categories that apply.
- Gender Identity, Geographic , Ethnic/racial/religious or cultural background, Socioeconomic status, Age, Digital Access
18. Please tell us more about your target participants.
- The selection of participants will be largely based on their level of motivation for contribution, this is to ensure their continued activities following the completion of the project. Following the conclusion of the project, we will continue to organize Wiki-thons, and online “mini-training” for the participants and other Palestinian Wikimedians. Focusing on university students allows us to target a group that has high potential of contribution, and will enable us to establish a strong active community that will contribute to its development. Establishing a core training team will allow us to expand our scope of work, and introduce Wikimedia and projects to a larger community.
By working with journalists, we are investing in an audience who are aware of the benefits of free knowledge, and are both personally and professionally predisposed to understanding the concept of Wikimedia and its implementation. Investing in journalists also has the added benefit of a ripple-effect, as they have a wide reach within their society and can promote the use of Wikimedia projects among the Palestinian public in Israel. With the curious nature of journalists, and youth enthusiasm, we ensure that we select participants with the highest retirement potential. Our experience from previous cycles has proven that this selection process is beneficial to the retainment and participation levels of the participants.
To ensure equal gender representation, at least half the participants selected will be women. This aligns with I’lam’s gender inclusive and feminist approach, which is present in any activity we implement.
19. Do you have plans to work with other Wikimedia communities, groups or affiliates in your country, or in other countries, to implement this proposal?
- Yes
19a. If yes, please tell us about these connections online and offline and how you have let Wikimedia communities know about this proposal.
- We intend to reach out to different Wiki communities with successful education programs, as well as make use of Wiki education tools to help us design a comprehensive tool-kit for teachers and students.
We hope that this will help us learn from other programs, and to extract lessons and experiences that will help in the program development process.
19b. If no, please tell us the reasons why it has not been possible to make these connections.
- N/A
20. Will you be working with other external non-Wikimedian partners to implement this proposal?
- Yes
20a. If yes, please describe these partnerships.
- Mada al-Carmel Center: Mada al-Carmel The Arab Center for Applied Social Studies - an independent, non-profit research institution, founded in 2000 and located in Haifa. The center focuses on human and national development in society, and aims to encourage applied and theoretical research on the Palestinian society. Mada al-Carmel focuses on the social, educational, and economic needs of Palestinians in Israel, including national identity and democratic citizenship. Mada al-Carmel’s role in the project will be to provide the necessary resources for the values selected, some of which are absent from the free encyclopedia while others are selected for updating.
20a. If yes, indicate sharing of resources from these partners (in kind support, grants, donations, payments).
- Their contribution to the project includes staff member who coordinates between the participants and the required informational source, access to their academic database, and general academic support for the project. This is to ensure the quality and accuracy of the content produced by the participants.
21. Please tell us how your organization is structured.
- Please see attached document.
22. Do you have the team that is needed to implement this proposal?
- Project Director - Kholod Massalha will guide and monitor the implementation of the proposed activities. This will include providing progress reports to the funding partners, coordinating communication between the partners, and providing support to project’s staff to ensure a timely execution of the activities. This position is not budgeted for this project, as it will be a volunteer position.
Project Coordinator - Danya Bassem, an active Wiki editor, will be responsible for coordinating and organizing all project activities, including but not limited to: securing training locations, coordinating participants and trainers, arranging refreshments and accommodation, and providing the Project Director with regular updates and reports on the progress of the activities.
Dr. Al-Najjar (username: علاء النجار), a member of the Levant user group, will provide TOT to 9 participants from previous cycles.
The programs training staff will include the 9 new trainers, as well as Dr. Al-Najjar and two additional academic consultants.
A financial officer- Ola Hallaq will monitor and document all project expenditure, as well as provide funding partners with financial reports.
Reporting - Maram Sliman will prepare all project related progress reports.
23. Please state if your organization or group has a Strategic Plan that can help us further understand your proposal. You can also upload it here.
- No
Learning, Sharing, and Evaluation
edit24. What do you hope to learn from this proposal?
- Goal 1: Increased number and improved accuracy of articles and values related to Palestinian society, history and culture.
How many articles and values were updated? Which Wikimedia project received the most contribution? How many articles and values were updated during the Edit-thon? How many photos were added to Wikimedia Commons? How many Wiki News articles were added?
Goal 2: Strengthen and contribute to the development of a consistently active group of Palestinian Wikimedians.
How many new Wikimedians joined the community?
What is the average contribution rate per participant?
Were participants committed to attending all training sessions? if not, to which extent were they?
How may we improve the training material to better fit the needs of the participants?
How may we improve the training conditions to better fit the needs of the participants?
What are the required conditions to ensure the continued contribution of participants post project completion?
What is the contribution rate of the participants 6 months following the conclusion of the project?
How many participants joined the Edit-thon?
Goal 3: Prepare a comprehensive Wiki Education program What are other Wiki communities doing? What are the most suitable tools and programs for the needs of our society? What other avenues of cooperation can we establish with other Wiki communities?
Core Metrics
edit25. Enter a description of the metric and a number in the target field. If the metric does not apply to you, enter N/A for not applicable.
| Core metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | Returning participants: 9 members of the existing Wiki Palestine community will receive TOT which will allow them to provide training to the two other groups of participants.
20 University students: we will work with university students, introducing them to the different Wiki projects and Wikimedia contribution policies and editing guidelines. 20 Journalists and Photojournalists: This groups training will focus on WikiNews and Wikimedia Commons, and other Wiki projects, as professional tools for dissemination and a source of information. |
49 |
| Number of editors | New editors: 40 project participants will register and open Editor accounts with Wikimedia.
Returning Editors: 9 returning editors from previous cycles will provide training to the new editors, as well as continue their contribution to Wikimedia projects. |
49 |
| Number of organizers | Project Director - Kholod Massalha will guide and monitor the implementation of the proposed activities. This will include providing progress reports to the funding partners, coordinating communication between the partners, and providing support to project’s staff to ensure a timely execution of the activities. This position is not budgeted for this project, as it will be a volunteer position.
Project Coordinator - Danya Bassem, an active Wiki editor, will be responsible for coordinating and organizing all project activities, including but not limited to: securing training locations, coordinating participants and trainers, arranging refreshments and accommodation, and providing the Project Director with regular updates and reports on the progress of the activities. Dr. Al-Najjar (username: علاء النجار), a member of the Levant user group, will provide TOT to 9 participants from previous cycles. The programs training staff will include the 9 new trainers, as well as Dr. Al-Najjar and two additional academic consultants. |
14 |
| Wikimedia Project | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 400 articles created
1000 articles improved |
1400 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 20 photos of 50 different locations related to the Palestinian society in Israel. | 1000 |
| Wikinews | Each journalist will publish 10 articles on WikiNews Arabic | 100 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
25a. If for some reason your proposal will not measure these core metrics please provide an explanation. (optional)
- N/A
26. What other information will you be collecting to learn about the impact of your work? (optional)
- Participation rate per editor.
contribution rate per editor.
27. What tools would you use to measure each metric selected?
- Although we are familiar with Programs & Events Dashboard as a measurement tool, additional support would be appreciated.
28. How do you hope to share these results so that others can learn from them?
- Make a short presentation of the experience, Share results on social media, Share results with our communities, Develop learning material for other users, I would like to receive support from the Foundation to discover how I can share my learning
Financial Proposal
edit29. What is the amount you are requesting from WMF? Please provide this amount in your local currency.
- 297488 ILS
30. What is this amount in US Currency (to the best of your knowledge)?
- 81616 USD
31. & 32. Please provide a budget for the amount of funding requested.
33. What do you do to make sure there is a good management of funds?
- All project expenses will be monitored and pre-approved by our in-house financial officer.
The project coordinator will submit all related receipts to the financial officer, who keeps records of all expenses. Furthermore, all of the organization’s accounts are monitored by a licensed accountant.
34. How will you contribute towards creating a supportive environment for participants using the UCOC and Friendly Space Policy?
- We will impalement the recommended UCOC and friendly space policies.
Participants will agree upon a code of conduct, and any complaint will be dealt with immediately and with consideration.
35. Please use this optional space to upload any documents that you feel are important for further understanding your proposal.
- Other public document(s): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gSl6DtgJOIL2u2OowSAm3bAJqVdjrLSl/edit#gid=635312922
Final message
editBy submitting your proposal/funding request you agree that you are in agreement with the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and the Universal Code of Conduct.
36. We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.
- Yes
Feedback
edit- Please add any feedback to the grant discussion page only. Any feedback added here will be removed.