ESEAP Conference 2022/Report/Buszmail

The ESEAP Conference 2022 is a regional conference of the Wikimedia Foundation held in Sydney, Australia on 19–20 November 2022. I was given a scholarship to attend this as President of my affiliate, Philippine Wikimedia Community UG, along with our Board Chairman.

About the participant

Buszmail belongs to Wikipedia’s esteemed Fifteen Year Society, an informal grouping of editors who have been contributing to the Wikipedia project for fifteen years or more. He was in the Wikimedia Conference in Berlin in 2015 when ESEA was crytallized, which developed into the ESEAP we know today. He served as an officer (President, 2014-2015) (Vice-Chairman, 2015-2016) of the former Wikimedia Philippines (that became the Wiki Society of the Philippines). In 2022, he was voted president of the PhilWiki Community User Group; his tenure concluding at year-end, in favor of co-founding and heading the startup Pilipinas Panorama Community on December 2, 2022, and his engagement in the Movement Charter Ambassadors Program.

Source: Juan Bautista H. Alegre

Participation

I participated closely in the formulation of the ESEAP Hub Workshop materials prepared by WM MSG (Movement Strategy and Governance), that sprung from the 2022 Wikimedia Summit conversations in Berlin. These materials in several parts were presented to the attendees of the ESEAP Conference 2022. I also expressed my own personal views and suggestions. Oh! and yes I almost forgot, I sang a song for everyone at the opening of the conference.

Learnings at the Conference

Matriculation was key to my attendance in the Conference: during the presentations, in the ESEAP Hub workshop breakout session, and in the casual one-on-one conversations I had the privilege to have. I realized that the "hub" concept itself hinged on the "how". Concerns about Language translation, Help Desk staffing, headquarters hosting and so on emerged, which were -- in my perspective -- beneficially transformative for all concerned. On the whole, I was much taken by the diversity of interests in the conference, and I returned home afterwards with a firmer foundation for my possible next steps, both as a Wikimedian and ESEAP member.

Forward Plans

I look forward towards attending Wikimania 2023 in Singapore, to be held on 15-20 August 2023. In relation to the ESEAP Conference 2022, the presentation to be given by the newly-organized ESEAP Interim Hub Committee will surely be a highlight of the forthcoming event. Inasmuch as I am currently in the Movement Charter Ambassador Program, there will be much enthusiasm generated among us in the months to come with the Movement Charter update, with which I am so honored to be engaged.

Gallery

Pru Mitchell & Johnny Alegre, ESEAP Conference 2022, Sydney, Australia
Graham Pearce & Johnny Alegre, ESEAP Conference 2022, Sydney, Australia
Rosie Stephenson-Goodknight & Johnny Alegre, ESEAP Conference 2022, Sydney, Australia
Johnny Alegre & Venus Lui, ESEAP Conference 2022, Sydney, Australia
Rachmat Wahidi & Johnny Alegre, ESEAP Conference 2022, Sydney, Australia
Joyce Chen & Johnny Alegre, ESEAP Conference 2022, Sydney, Australia

Miscellaneous Suggestions

For future conferences, in no particular order:

Inclusion of a Covid19 health kit for attendees
A welcoming group for arrivals at the international airport
Printed summary handouts of the presentations
A post-conference walking tour of the host city