Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2018-20/Blog posts/ESEAP Strategy Salon
Since returning from my first Wikimedia event, the ESEAP Region Strategy Summit in Bangkok a few weeks ago, I have been asked many times by family, friends and workmates “so, what was it like?”. And every time I (figuratively) scratch my head, wondering how to describe the unique experience of two days spent with 30 Wikimedians representing a remarkable 14 countries - that is, one or two Wikimedians from each of the ESEAP member communities.
I could tell people about the goal of the weekend: for participants to exchange stories from their Wikimedia communities and provide the movement strategy Working Groups with a response on movement strategy discussions. I could also describe the activities we engaged in: sharing stories and mapping them to thematic areas such as capacity building or roles and responsibilities on the Saturday, and generating recommendations for working groups on the Sunday. These discussions led us to explore a wide range of innovative ideas related to all aspects of the 2030 strategy.
At times I must admit I began a session thinking “I have no idea what I could contribute here” but after listening to others and through the facilitators’ encouragement, I was generally able to find a meaningful experience to share or a suggestion to make. I was also impressed with the way people from such diverse backgrounds were able to respond to each other’s problems and experiences with meaningful suggestions. It wasn’t unusual, for example, for someone from one country to describe a need in their editing community which a Wikimedian from somewhere else had already experienced and could provide a possible solution to.
But these answers are not the whole picture. In addition to the organised activities and planned outcomes, there was much more to the event. There were new friendships, for example - I found I had much in common with the women from Taiwan, who have created a strong network of editors writing about women (their meet-ups are called “A Room of WikiWomen's Own”), and also with the members from Australia, who wonder how to engage offline with editors in rural and remote parts of the country.
In addition, there was the generous sharing of expertise for people working on development projects. This was a particularly exciting aspect of the event for me, as in New Zealand the editing community is small and largely unconnected and there are great opportunities for community growth. I was able to spend time with Wikimedians from communities such as Indonesia and Thailand which had already been through similar growth patterns, and hear their thoughts and suggestions, and hear their responses to New Zealand’s plans. I also learnt a great deal about the workings of these more developed communities and could reflect on whether our New Zealand community would follow a similar development path or something slightly different.
So, all in all, a very worthwhile event which provided much inspiration and insight into the movement as a whole. I definitely feel much more aware of the “big picture” of Wikimedia’s goals and strategies and more connected to communities in the region. So inspiring in fact, that since my return home from the event, the New Zealand editing community has now finalised our plans for a User Group and made an application to the Affiliations Committee for recognition. We look forward to becoming a strong group making solid contributions to the 2030 strategy.
And in terms of answering that omnipresent question of what a Wikimedia event is like, I’ve now settled on a concise New Zealand response - “awesome”!