ESEAP Conference 2024/Report/Buszmail

ESEAP Conference 2024, Kota Kinabalu arrival

The bid for Manila to host the ESEAP Summit 2025

Joint Statement

Below is a joint statement from the Philippine communities that agree to host the ESEAP summit in Manila in 2025.

It is hereby resolved by the Wikimedia communities in the Philippines that Wiki Advocates Philippines User Group, a recognized affiliate of the Wikimedia Foundation, will host the ESEAP Summit 2025 in Metro Manila, Philippines, along with the support of other communities in the Philippines, recognized and otherwise, and independent Filipino Wikimedians.

(signed)

Wiki Advocates Philippines User Group:

We, from the Wiki Advocates Philippines User Group (WAPUG), gladly take on the responsibility of being the legal entity to partner with the Wikimedia Movement in hosting the ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025 in Manila, Philippines. Provided that financial matters will be handled through fiscal sponsorship, by Shared Knowledge Asia Pacific, Inc. and participatory groundwork specific to Manila to be collaborated with and by the Pilipinas Panorama Community, along with the composite of other user groups/communities, and supported by Filipino Wikimedians.

This opportunity is both an honor (to share our Filipino hospitality) and a challenge (to show that we are unified in pushing forward the Movement’s purpose) to the different Filipino Wikimedia communities; and Wiki Advocates Philippines User Group’s volunteers are willing to take part in making this event a success.

Shared Knowledge Asia Pacific, Inc.:

Shared Knowledge Asia Pacific, Inc. ( SKAP) will always choose cooperation and collaboration with other communities and strategic partners in whatever legitimate activity we will be needed.

We signify our intention to support the hosting of the ESEAP Summit in 2025 to showcase the Filipino warmth and hospitality. It is also a way to let participants experience the unique Filipino culture in a short span of time.

Since we are sought to be the fiscal sponsor for the summit; if qualified, we will try our very best to be of service to contribute to a successful summit.

Pilipinas Panorama Community:

The thematic organization, Pilipinas Panorama Community (PPC), pledges its wholehearted support in this notable and historic endeavor. We await with optimism the groundwork and specific tasks that our own community shall be so necessitated to provide.

Wiki Society of the Philippines:

The Wiki Society of the Philippines (WikiSocPH) would like to extend its support to any event that serves to forward the best interest of the Wikimedia community in the Philippines as a whole. As much as possible, these should be led by groups which are motivated to serve both our local community and the Wikimedia movement at large. The people and affiliates – both official and unofficial – behind the push for the ESEAP Summit in 2025 are deeply committed to the movement and advancing this ideal, and as such we are glad to lend our support accordingly.

We strongly believe that it is in the best interest of the movement in the Philippines to get together and collaborate on issues of common concern and of projects which advance our shared vision and values. Getting together to organize and host the ESEAP Summit is in our common interest. The existing divisions within the community in the Philippines may persist, but these should not hinder us from working together where we can and must. The movement is bigger than us, and should always be.

WikiSocPH looks forward to collaborating, supporting and growing together with all the groups involved in this endeavor, and to not only showcasing our warmth and hospitality, but also our continuing collective commitment to the Wikimedia movement in the Philippines and beyond.

Programme Presentations

Post-conference blog: ☸ the Movement we need is on our shoulders
by Buszmail, 17 May 2024

Q & A

1. Things learned at the conference

As a WM Movement Charter Ambassador and EPC council member, I appreciated how vital DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) is for ESEAP Conference participants. To make our languages and areas of interest, ages, gender mix, skillsets and cultural backgrounds a whole greater than the sum of its parts, will make ESEAP very unique, indeed.

2. Things this participant contributed or participated in or since the conference

I found areas of focus for my lecture+conversations, specifically Freedom of Panorama (key to my community's cultural heritage mission) and the Movement Charter (pertinent to the unfolding Global Assembly) and ESEAP's own Charter draft. My presentations thereof — henceforth — would be my best contributions to the Conference.

3. Plans after the conference (from what was learned or contributed in the conference)

Pilipinas Panorama Community, my thematic organization, is unabashedly pursuiing unity in diversity. The obstacles are obvious to us but our Board and membership are equipped with the talent to navigate those. The most pronounced are twofold, namely our desire to offer the hospitality of our country; bring regional cognizance of the Pearl of the Orient. The second is for our community to grow both by headcount and range of activities towards GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives and museums) of which our city is unparalleled.

4. Comments/ suggestions about the conference

The ESEAP Conference is a success! So much to offer for body, mind and spirit. I would have given full pre-conference and post-conference knowledge-exchange days — if the conference budget would have allowed. I am also appreciative of the hotel and airport shuttle the COT provided — to smoothen our travel and layover hours; that was very kind. Suggestion? A photobooth would have been nice!