Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2018-20/2019 Community Conversations/Strategy Salons/Reports/Benin UG/Parakou/EN

This report is available in French here.

Ce rapport est disponible en français ici.

Date & location

Date : 24th of August 2019
Location: Distance Learning Center in Parakou, Benin
Theme : Community Health

Participants list

20 participants (12 men, 8 women)

Nerus KOLADE (talk) Organisateur
Fawaz TAIROU (talk) Présentateur
SAGBO Rodéric
HOUANYE Gédéon
TOURE Jihane
Gildéric BALARO
DOSSA Dorice Belvis
GLELE AHANHANZO Hermione
ASSOGBA Eric
ATCHI Wilfrand
HOUEDOTE Ida
KAKE Géoffroy
ABOUA Carine
IBRAHIM AMADOU Daouda
TOHOUEDE Rubain
AMADOU BAHLEMAN Farid
HOUDOU Mohammar
ANANON Sonia
AIDJO Armand
SIDI Zoulfaou
MOUTOUAMA Honorine
MONTCHO BIO Taariq

What happened?

To begin the salon we watched the Wikimedia 2030 presentation video, the strategy process slides and the Community health slides. After this, participants slipt up in groups to reflect on various questions. Then we shared thoughts and synthesized them.

Discussion points

Tematic area : Community Health

Question 1 : What are the things within your community or project that create barriers to involvement for you or for other people due to personal identity?

Access to the internet (internet network coverage)
Volunteer time / availability (professional commitments, quest for a better life and personal well being)
Lack of equipment and adequate context for contribution
Religion (E.g. writing articles about traditional religious cults leads you to ask questions about religion, speak with dignitaries and guides in the region. Once the information is collected, very often these people don't see us well.)
Wikimedia platforms are difficult to handle

Question 2 : What do you think would improve participation in your community?

Create permanent heaquarters for the community in BENIN
Have a program of activities within the community
Organize capacity building sessions
Internet access
Increase visibility of our community in the ecosystem of existing organizations
Create reward mechanisms within the community (follow the evolution of contributors and, through periodic activities, reward the best contributors)

Question 3Who is responsible for taking action against bad behaviour now? Who should be responsible for taking action against bad behaviour?

No one is currently responsible (No delegation of authority at this level)
A representative should be elected by the community (or a volunteer approved by all) to take care of these issues

Question 4 What do you think would improve civility in your community? What prevents contributors from taking action against bad behaviour?

Respect of the community charter (establish internal principles)

Question 5 What prevents contributors from taking action against bad behaviour?

They are unaware of ways they can report or sanction bad behaviour.

Question 6 Who is responsible for the individual health of contributors in your community?

No one (there is currently no hierarchy), except themselves.

Question 7 What do you think would improve the individual health of contributors in your community?

Organize regular activities
Organize contests
Offer the community gadgets bearing the movement's brand (USB sticks, notepads, pens)

Question 8 What else do you suggest to improve overall community health in the Wikimedia community?

Follow-up of community members
Provide technical and financial resources
Sessions of intercommunity experience sharing
A synergy of actions with well-defined objectives
Set up an internal motivation strategy to reward the best contributors