Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2018-20/2019 Community Conversations/Strategy Salons/Reports/UG Tanzania Youth Salon

Date and location edit

  • Date: 03rd August 2019
  • Location: Buni Innovation Hub
  • Duration: 08:30 am-04:00pm (EAT)


What Happened edit

 
Some of participants on Youth Strategy Salon in Tanzania

On 3rd August 2019 Youth Strategy Salon event was done in Tanzania at Buni Innovation hub which allowed for meaningful and creative discussions about the future of Wikimedia movement.The event was attended by youth from organizational entities including Buni Innovation Hub, Creative Commons Chapter of Tanzania, Aga Khan University and University of Dar es Salaam .The participants attended was distributed into 4 groups to discuss Wikimedia strategic direction through discussion on two thematic topics which Capacity Building as well as Product & technology. Each individual group leader documented the key points discussed then presented shortly to all participants to let all know what they Discussed.Then there was a follow up event on 10th August which refined what was discussed on 03rd August and came up with the report as shown below.

THEMATIC AREA O1ː PRODUCT & TECHNOLOGY edit


QN: How can we better attract, support and retain diverse technical contributors particularly: building and supporting local developer communities and prioritizing projects which will engage technical contributors?

Answers:
ATTRACTː

  • Inclusion of different experts in Wikimedia user groups; Wikimedia user groups has to include experts from different fields such as editors, historians, geographers, librarians, doctors, and educators to manage their content with the support from IT technical personnel such as analysts/technologists, designers, and software developers by working collaboratively with other developers and participate in developer communities like Google Developers Groups,Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook developers.
  • Publicity: Building awareness to the community, for instance, using social media and various participatory and interactive web 2.0 tools to create awareness to people around the community on the values of the community. The use of different media channels like community radio, television programs to create awareness of what has been done so far.
  • Forums and meetups: these will link between the stakeholder i.e. people who are in the Wikimedia user groups and the communities like creative commons members, open access initiative affiliates and many others to collaboratively work together.
  • Outreach programs: preparing the digital-ready generation to promote free knowledge and forming of clubs in educational institutions such as colleges and secondary schools. This will lead to more people to participate as they will have the culture of contributing to the community. Creation of primary and secondary schools clubs to benchmark and train youths on the writing skills to enable them become future contributors.
  • Campaign: making use of different social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram to reach out different stakeholders on some media campaign or events that will base on specific topics for example “#Wiki Loves Health”

SUPPORTING

  • Training: Wikimedia user groups have to be exposed to basic training on the technical part and be updated on the changes happening in the technological world.
  • Mentorship: supporting the individual projects from local communities to build a strong link between Wikimedia user groups and the Wikimedia Foundation. Also providing online mentorship (Webinar) to local contributors in monthly basis.
  • Wikimedia Foundation to provide the necessary tools and gadgets that can be used to interact with WMF projects.
  • Funds: WMF should listen to local developers' ideas and support local projects that support free knowledge for instance funds to access gadgets to keep records of the projects.
  • WMF should provide support to local developers to develop local language Wikipedia functionalities that meet their local Wikimedia Project

RETAINING:
Recognition: There should be recognition of founders of Wikimedia projects, active contributors and local developers both locally and internationally so as to motivate their effort of volunteering into WMF projects. Eg. Best technical contributor within the User Group, and Best technical Contributor in EA and globally. There can be country programs on awarding best contributors on different sectors/disciplines Praises, awards and Competitive Challenges: Establishment of competitive challenges that will aim at providing awards and prizes to individual technical contributors/local developers for example “Wiki innovation challenge”


QN 2: Should software/tech be considered as a possible revenue-generating avenue? If the movement is to become “the essential infrastructure of the ecosystem of free knowledge”, should this position be leveraged financially?

Answers:
Yes, software/tech should be considered as a possible revenue-generating avenue by the following ways: Reliability of Information: There should be an increase in high-quality information and reliable to attract, increase, engage, and retain users. Also there should be a partnership with sponsors (through generally moral considered ads) and the designed software by different volunteers should be creative to attract more wiki users.

QN 3: What are comparable planning and development processes that help similar groups and organizations to set the right priorities and assure efficiency?
Answers:

  • To ensure community participation: There should be involvement of small groups(user groups and other non-Wikimedia affiliated group that has the same mission of promoting free knowledge) in planning and executing of Wikimedia projects.
  • To understand the preferences and culture of the community by respecting the diversity of the community.
  • To understand user requirements by doing research on what people need to be done.
  • Development of local content, content that relates to the local community


QN 4: What is the role of technology in preserving/protecting access to free knowledge, free speech, free software and open internet platforms and standards?

While discussing we referred to four freedoms as free knowledge, free speech, free software, and open internet platforms and standards. In our context technology has a greater role to play in preserving and protecting the access to these freedoms. The technology has to ensure there is openness, trust and security in creativity, innovation and growth of the four freedoms at the same time respecting the diversity. It is of necessity to look at our online community to adhere to the culture and personality of the society of which technology serves. Whereby in preserving the technology will have to play the three major functions as noted below;
i. Educate
The society needs to be educated on the importance of the four freedoms, and why have them and how they can access them. People are still not aware of the availability of the four freedoms hence, awareness programs are needed.
ii. Empower
In empowering the tech has to ensure it is not biased and is inclusive. People With Disabilities and Special Needs also have to be of consideration to the access to four freedoms as well as marginalized communities for example people with low vision or visual impairment or people with auditory impairment. Having webinars for people who can not attend physical events and meetups.
iii. Engage
Is tech solving the problems of the community or amplifying the existing one?
Human Centered Design to be used in making sure that the tech solves the right problem to the community rather than for example to provide exact knowledge that will shape the community and not just a replica of what works elsewhere. It has to be innovative and adhere to cultural norms through community engagement and acceptance. Ease to use and usefulness of the technology results into the actual use of technology.

With success in preservation the tech can protect access the four freedoms byː
(a) Give the message out: ensuring whatever is happening in the community is being reported the right way and not being biased to only some of the information and neglect the other.
(b) Meet and discuss: give a panel for people to freely meet and discuss with ensured autonomous and voluntary participation of individual community member
(c)Develop new ideas: new ideas have to be welcomed on how the tech can be improved and help in delivering the four freedoms to the community at large.
(d)Work collaboratively: There should be the inclusion of user groups and other entities.


THEMATIC AREA O2ː CAPACITY BUILDING edit


QN 1: How do we make capacity building inclusive and equitable?

1.Through training and learning like online, peer to peer and events
2.Through the participation of all groups, for example, user groups and other non-Wikimedia affiliate groups.
3.To enhance the promotion of the existence of Wikimedia projects activities done by the Wikimedia communities across the globe via different media like social media
4.The use of local language while conducting capacity building programs to ensure the targeted audience understand deeply the particular programs.


QN 2: Which stakeholders should be a part of capacity-building efforts, and how?
Individuals: These are users of Wikimedia projects and notable people. They are needed in the provision of skills (assist in the writing of the content and technical assistance)

b. Education institutions: Improvise access to study material for referencing such as the library for books and articles to contributors .Building of different clubs within institutions and communities

C. Organizations: The organizations that have the same mission as Wikimedia of free knowledge to provide technical expertise on the content development and generation.
Example: The Astronomical Association of Tanzania gives much content related to Astronomy in Tanzania and Buni Hub which gives the space and developer community relationships with Wikimedia Community User Group Tanzania.
d. Media and media associations: bloggers, journalist, photographers that will aid in the publicity of the Wikimedia projects in media channels such as social media and Newspapers
e. Government: reach out policy makers for the creation and provision of supportive environment for the public to access free knowledge

QN 3: What resources are needed to do the capacity building?

Capacity buildings are communication and activities done in order to build, obtain, strengthen, retain, share knowledge, beliefs, tools, skills and resources. Meanwhile, resources are essential needs that are needed to support the establishment or growth of a program or project
Two types of resources are needed in capacity building;
1.Financial resources
i. Funds to buy the equipment necessary to perform the community job, like gadgets
ii. Sponsoring of events, meetups and hackathons
2.Human Resources
i. Skilled personnel to assist in fact-checking and running of the community i.e. economist, researcher, IT technician, communication experts.
ii. Experts in different fields and diverse knowledge i.e. software developers
iii. Time: To be able to participate fully to some people time is of necessity in consideration, what time are community meetups done, or when meetups are called and interference to other activities.
iv. People: Are needed as resources because they are the consumers (users) of the content produced
v. Space: Formal space is needed to facilitate the meetups, edithathons and meetings

QN 4: What tools and methods work best locally, regionally and internationally?
Locally:

  • Peer to peer consultation; meeting and discussing the Wikimedia projects
  • Training and workshop: conduct training on various tools in Wikimedia projects such as webinars and online sessions.
  • Technical Assistance: access to technical assistance when needed while contributing and developing Wikimedia projects.


  • Regionally and internationally:
  • Inter regional meetups and events


Photos and Videos edit

Statement on your budget edit

The total budget for the event was 1460 USD which covered local transport, food, snacks, drinks, stationery, event logistics,projector rent,bank charges and internet for both main event and the follow up event.