ESEAP Conference 2024/Report/Fify Joseph

The ESEAP Conference 2024 is the third regional conference for Wikimedia communities in the East, Southeast Asia, and Pacific (ESEAP) region. It took place in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on May 10th to 12th, 2024. The conference aims to bring together ESEAP contributors for three days of meet-up, training, workshops, and discussions to strengthen collaboration within the community. The theme for this year conference is "Collaboration beyond the horizon.

Sponsorship

In this oppurtunity, i would also like to thank Wikimedia Foundation for granting me the full sponsorship to attend this conference and to stand as one of the organising team throughout the event. It had been a great oppurtunity.

Roles

During the conference, I carried out roles as state below:

Logistic team, ESEAP Conference 2024

Things learned at the conference

Day 1 (10th May 2024)

Wikimedia Foundation's Annual Plan Conversation
ESEAP Hub Introduction

"On the first day, I worked in the Sayat-sayat Room alongside other team members. My main responsibilities included managing the live session and assisting presenters. Specifically, I handled the Zoom and YouTube applications during the sessions. The session I attended was titled 'The Wikimedia Foundation's Annual Plan Conversation with ESEAP.' This discussion aimed to foster engagement between WMF and ESEAP members, focusing on improving the ESEAP movement. I realized that significant efforts are required to strengthen the Wikimedia movement in the ESEAP region.

Cultural Village Trip

During the Cultural Village trip, I reconnected with fellow Wikimedians. We shared our experiences and journeys within the Wikimedia community, which was enlightening. Meeting people from diverse backgrounds highlighted the benefits of being a Wikimedian and reinforced the value of volunteerism, benefiting both individuals and local communities worldwide."

To conclude, my first-day experiences were both enriching and inspiring. I gained valuable insights, formed meaningful connections, and motivated specifically, about preserving and promoting the Kadazandusun language and culture. As a Wikimedian, I take pride in introducing and globalizing Kadazandusun culture through the Wikimedia platform, which champions free knowledge. This effort helps address the current lack of online references about the Kadazandusun community.

Day 2 Summary (11th May 2024)

ESEAP Hub meet-up (2)

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During the session, we discussed the ESEAP Preparatory Council Update, covering communication, questions, comments, ideas, and community capacity building to strengthen ESEAP. Afterward, I was assigned to the Mahua Room, where I gained valuable insights. Notably, the presentation on 'Indonesian Vulgarities in Wiktionary' by RXerself sparked new ideas for a Wiktionary project within my Kadazandusun community. Other than that, i get to listen and discuss in more lightning talk such as Women@Work: More than Just a Wikimedia Contribution and How to Encourage Women in Mainland China to Actively Participate in the Wikimedia Global Movement. Through this various sessions, I generated initiatives to implement in my community post-conference.

In session H at the Sayat-sayat Room, I discovered the significance of collaboration with partners, including Wikimedia ESEAP's partnerships with Sweden, UNESCO, and the 'Data Partnership 2024 and Beyond' by Alan Ang. These collaborations facilitate knowledge sharing. I also gained insights into Wikidata, understanding its role in providing information needed by Google. This inspired me to start editing in Wikidata and learn more about contributing in the future.

Finally, in the Timpohon Room, the 'Community Spotlight: Japan' session featured presentations such as the 'Report of Questionnaire of Japanese Wikimedians 2023' and the experience of a 70-year-old Wikipedian discussing 'The Charm of Libraries.' I also heard from the 2023 Wikimedian of the Year winners, Taufik Rosman and Eugene Ormandy. The day ended with a karaoke party, creating a sense of belonging within the ESEAP community.

Day 3 Summary (12th May 2024)

I also got to know a new tools called OpenStreetMap (OSM). OSM incredibly able in enhancing structured content and references. Recognizing the interconnectedness of these diverse tools, I appreciate how they expand information availability across various Wikimedia platforms, benefiting users seeking relevant content. I see great potential in leveraging OSM for my local community, particularly in Sabah, where detailed information about many areas is lacking. I'm eager to contribute and edit on this platform, providing comprehensive references for future users.

Before the closing ceremony, all participants of the Wikimedia ESEAP 2024 conference gathered in the Sayat-sayat room to discuss the future plans for the ESEAP hub, including voting for the ESEAP Summit 2025 and ESEAP Conference 2026.

During the closing ceremony, WikiCelebrate recognized Jaturawit Rodcheewan, a long-time contributor who has been actively editing since 2002. His ongoing commitment to liberating knowledge motivates me to follow in his footsteps.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to be interviewed about my ESEAP 2024 experience. Moving forward, I aim to deepen my involvement in wiki editing and contribute more to the Wikimedia movement. My goal is to expand the Wikimedia community in Sabah through the Kent Wiki Club following this conference.

Results

Through this conference, I am able to:

learn many things from the sharing of fellow Wikipedian through their presentations. There is this one presentation from the Philippines Community that left a great mark on me which entitle Women@Work by Imelda Brazal (Username: Ballardmaize).

This presentation got the best of me since the situation is very close to what's happening around me.

It is proven that ESEAP Conference 2024 had help me to see the oppurtunity and key into makin a world a better place to live with it openness and free knowledge.

Through The conference, I became more eager to contribute and share knowledge to the world in order to help others to see the whole world through Wiki's Project.