Grants:Simple/Applications/Wikimedia Colombia/2020

Application or grant stage: withdrawn
Applicant or grantee: Wikimedia Colombia
Amount requested: US$45,000.00
Amount granted: US$45,000
Funding period: JANUARY 1, 2021 - DECEMBER 31, 2021
Midpoint report due: July 15, 2021
Final report due: 31 January 2022

Background edit

Introduction edit

Wikimedia Colombia is the local chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation in Colombia.

After being initially recognized by the Wikimedia Foundation as the Wikimedist user group in Colombia, through resolutions of the Affiliations Committee on June 2, 2014 (initial recognition) and August 26, 2015 (extension of recognition for an indefinite term), it became officially approved as the Wikimedia Colombia chapter by the Board of Directors of the Wikimedia Foundation on June 14, 2019.

The work of the group is completely voluntary, and focuses mainly on the organization of activities and initiatives related to free knowledge, culture and education, especially if they are related to Wikimedia projects. Below we present 5 proposals for activities that we will develop in the year 2020.

Taking into account the activities carried out by volunteers, we establish four active lines of action: gender, local culture, community and diversity of knowledge.

Annual Plan edit

The proposed activities have been replicated in the context of previous years and volunteers have been responsible for their planning, development and evaluation.

More information: Link to annual plan Wikimedia Colombia 2020

Strategic Plan edit

Wikimedia Colombia will work through the following lines of work and priorities

  • Diverse communities: To build inclusive and diverse communities, with a strong sense of belonging, where Wikimedia projects are seen as a place where community members can express a great diversity of themes.
  • Local knowledge: Promover the access and creation of high-quality, reliable, diverse and locally relevant knowledge.
  • Capacity Building: : Generating abilities, skills, tools and contextualize trainings to advance and expand our local community.


Programs edit

Therefore during 2021, we will carry out the following programs.

Transversal line of work edit

Gender and diversity is the line of work that cuts across the three WMCO programs. This is going to be translated into:

  • Monitor and evaluate all our initiatives with a gender perspective.
  • Promote parity of participation in our projects and activities.
  • Work to increase the participation of women as editors in the Wikimedia projects.
  • Promote the development of safe spaces for contribution and participation
  • Promote and prioritize the development of content creation activities on women and other underrepresented groups.

Wikimedia Colombia will work during the year 2021 in three lines of action: education, culture and community. Likewise, the gender line will be transversal to all activities. Some of the activities that have been replicated in the context since previous years and the volunteers have been in charge and responsible for planning, development and evaluation of them. However, the expansion and development of activities in each of the lines, involves constant work.


Education Program edit

The education program of Wikimedia Colombia responds to all the initiatives and activities that we carry out with the teaching community both in urban and rural spaces with the aim of disseminating, positioning and promoting the Wikimedia projects as pedagogical tools. To this end, during 2021 we have defined the following objectives:

  • To analyze and identify the teaching needs in order to design projects in accordance and adapted to their demands.
  • Train teachers in the use and philosophy of Wikimedia projects
  • Designing contextualized learning projects to accompany teacher training in rural areas.

To carry out these objectives we will promote the following projects:

  • Colombia Learns
  • Offline Wikipedia

Activities edit

  • Carry out a survey to survey the needs of the teaching communities, both in urban and rural areas. This will allow us to design training proposals according to their interests and needs.
  • In alliance with the Ministry of Education, we will design virtual training activities for teachers in urban contexts. This project is national in scope.
  • We will participate in spaces of discussion, diffusion and dissemination of the Wikimedia projects and their pedagogical uses.
  • Begin to articulate the development of a local teaching community; identify new leaders and involve them as part of the community
  • Design new educational material to strengthen teacher learning, adapted to both the urban and rural context.
  • In alliance with the organization Causa y Efecto, accompany the implementation of Kiwix in rural contexts and design workshops and training proposals in a face-to-face manner.

Metrics and targets edit

To involve 150 teachers in the virtual training spaces. Carry out 10 virtual training workshops, nationwide Conduct 5 workshops in rural areas with at least 50 teachers.

Program guidelines with the 2030 strategy edit

WMCO's education program is aligned with recommendations 1 and 6 of strategy 2030 because

  • We will work to broaden and involve new people within the movement, in particular, also communities that have historically been excluded. Incorporating new people as part of the movement is key to its future sustainability.
  • The program is focused on training and developing the skills of local communities.


Culture Program edit

The culture program refers to all the activities and initiatives that we carry out with institutions and organizations working in culture and human rights, with the aim of improving the representation of Colombian history, culture and context in Wikimedia projects, creating new local content and promoting the incorporation of open policies (open science/citizen/participatory, open access, open education, open data, use of open licenses, etc) in the institutions. To this end, during 2021 we will work through the following objectives:

  • To influence the public policy agenda with respect to the culture of the open (open science/citizen/participatory, open access, open education, open data, use of open licenses, etc)
  • Raise awareness of the need to create projects, programs and initiatives in cultural and human rights institutions that promote public domain, access to knowledge, access to local and heritage information.
  • Identify and expand our local community with institutions and organizations, communities and new leaders working in culture and human rights to encourage the growth of the program.

To carry out these objectives we will promote the following projects:

  • GLAM
  • Human Rights Project

Activities edit

  • Design and implementation of training workshops on Wikimedia projects for partners in institutions, organizations and communities and new leaders working in the field of culture and human rights.
  • Production of editatones on Colombian history, culture and context.
  • Carry out thematic contests to create diverse, relevant content with a local perspective.
  • Promote the participation of Colombian society in the creation of diverse and locally relevant content.
  • Accompany and advise institutions, organizations and communities in the release of content.
  • Begin to establish new alliances with institutions, organizations and cultural and human rights promotion communities at the national level.
  • Follow up on national public policies related to openness and the promotion of the public domain, access to knowledge, access to local and heritage information.

Metrics and targets edit

  • 5 training workshops and editatons with institutions, organizations and communities and new leaders working in the field of culture and human rights
  • 2 thematic competitions
  • Improve at least 100 articles in the Wikimedia projects
  • Generate 3 new alliances with institutions, organizations and cultural and human rights promotion communities at the national level.


Align the program with the 2030 strategy: WMCO's culture program is aligned with recommendations 1, 6 and 8 for the following reasons:

  • We will work to expand our local community and incorporate new people and alliances to foster the growth of the Wikimedia movement.
  • We will design contextualized training and skills development spaces for both local cultural institutions and the WMCO community on open policies (open science/citizen/participatory, open access, open education, open data, use of open licenses, etc).
  • We will work to incorporate currently missing knowledge, in alliance with cultural and human rights promotion institutions, organizations and communities to position and make visible locally relevant information for Colombian society.


Community Program edit

WMCO's community program includes all initiatives and activities focused on supporting, accompanying and expanding our local community as well as strengthening our relationship with wikimedia organizations at the regional level. To this end, during 2021 we will work through the following objectives:

  • Support, accompany and diversify the volunteers of Wikimedia Colombia
  • Generate spaces for participation and work at a regional level

To this end, we will carry out the following projects in 2021:

  • Local community sustainability
  • Regional positioning


Activities edit

  • Bimonthly meetings to promote learning and improve the capacities of the local community, as well as to socialize and strengthen ties.
  • Generate and develop new volunteer opportunities at the local level to expand the local community.
  • Hold meetings and editing spaces to involve more women as editors and community volunteers.
  • Carry out activities to reduce the gender gap in Wikipedia and create content that represents the history and diversity of Colombian women in Wikipedia.
  • Iberoconf 2021[1]

[1] The grant to carry out Iberoconf will be requested externally to this planning


Metrics and targets edit

  • Conduct 6 local community meetings
  • 4 activities with a gender approach
  • Involve 10 new active volunteers as part of the local community
  • Hold a regional conference.


Align the program with the 2030 strategy:

WMCO's culture program is aligned with recommendations 1, 6 and 8 for the following reasons:

  • We will work to expand our local community, with new editors and volunteers, especially women. We will also work to strengthen the region with Iberoconf 2021. Our goal is to contribute to diversifying the Wikimedia movement.
  • We want to strengthen the training and leadership of our local community.
  • To contribute to reduce the gender gap in Wikipedia as well as to improve the representation and participation of Colombian women.


Global priorities - Strategy 2030:

Wikimedia Colombia will participate in the global discussions of Strategy 2030 to accompany its implementation. We hope to do so in coordination with the region and according to our capacities.