ESEAP Conference 2024/Report/Pakoire

ESEAP 2024, Kota Kinabalu - report of User:Pakoire (Lisa Maule) from Aotearoa New Zealand.

Learning from the conference

It was insightful to learn about Wiktionary on the first day. This was a great workshop where we achieved some goals. I was curious to discuss some words similar in Kadazan and Pacifica and Māori languages.

Spending time focusing on Wikipedia related things always produces learning. Partly this is the conversations that happen with others. It was very insightful to spend time in Sabah, and to spend time talking and listening with Wikipedians about the region, many new experiences and cultural learnings for me. I had some great conversations on the tours, the lunch breaks and breakfasts, sometimes with people I knew already as we de-briefed and shared what we were experiencing, and some with other people I was just meeting. There were also many familiar faces from Wikimania Singapore so it was good to talk more with some people I had briefly met there.

I was able to meet the student's from Auckland s internship initiative and their presentation was excellent. As I was unable to attend this years New Zealand WikiCon I hadn't met them before.

Other 'Wiki' things I learnt:

more categories in Wikimedia Commons
more about Wikidata and MixnMatch (refresher)
so many different uses and connections to Indigenous languages and cultural knowledge across the region

Contribution and participation at the conference

Presentations

Slides from Lisa's Wikipedia Bookclub and other initiatives from Aotearoa New Zealand

I had two lightening presentation accepted to the conference programme. The fist one was in an education stream. The second one was about the affiliation from Aotearoa I am part of.

Lisa's Wikipedia Bookclub and other initiatives from Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

The Wikipedia community in Aotearoa New Zealand is at the stage of forming projects. This talk will be a snapshot of some projects including the Lisa's experimental Wikipedia Reading and Writing Book Club - Wellington.

Notes

I was able to contextualise a little of our countries colonial past, and some interesting projects happening. Unfortunately although I had been allocated 25 mins and had reworked the presentation, my time was cut to 10 minutes as I was walking up on stage so I had to adjust in the moment. This also meant no time for reflection or questions.

What is WANZ? An update from the Aotearoa New Zealand committee

Abstract

Aotearoa New Zealand is part of the South Pacific with a British colonial history and an Indigenous culture that springs from the nations of the Pacific region. Wikipedia Aotearoa New Zealand (WANZ) is a new legal entity grappling with the combined histories, The Treaty of Waitangi, content about our country and the potential of expanding an editor base.

Notes

The structure of the presentation was about the contributions each committee member made. Sophia Coghini and Dianne Skelton were able to speak to some of their experiences and work in the committee also. I think I missed the opportunity to better place the question 'what are ways Wikimedia groups engage with decolonisation?' I was not able to gauge the level of interest or engagement with the presentation by others, and I would like to be better at asking socially afterwards. IE. noticing who was there and going and talking to them later.

Participation

The library, photo walk and gallery session pre-conference were wonderful experiences, and a good way to get to know some of the amazing local editors ad other visitors, as were the opening and dinner and the tourist visit to the villages that I attended. I attended many conference sessions and the ESEAP meeting on the last day.

Plans post-conference

I will follow up to try find the group coming to the South Island later in the year to talk with some Māori academics about Wikipedia as it would be great if WANZ can be part of this conversation too.

The other events, organising and projects I am doing feel aligned to the goals of the region and the Wikimedia Foundation.

New Zealand and Australia in our Western and current settler coloniser states feel like we have more in common than other parts of ESEAP so I think it is good for us to keep exploring what that means in the movements relationship to our Indigenous nations and in relationship to South East Asian nations.

Comments & suggestions about the conference

I found at times not knowing which things were scheduled and on time and which things had been postponed and wondered if some summary announcements before lunch and at the end of the day of what was coming up would have helped the participants be in the right place at the right time. I thought the session hosts did a good job on the whole in the sessions.

I had a lovely little working group help me folding up the handout's / zines I had made. Many thanks all! I wonder if some craft activities in future conference's would be another way for people to meet and talk with each other.

Thanks everyone - it was a massive effort to organise and I found the conference very valuable.