Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Conference Fund/1st ESEAP Public Policy Network Meetup
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Applicant details
[edit]- A. Are you applying as a(n)
Wikimedia Affiliate (chapter, thematic org., or user group)
- B. Full name of organization presenting the proposal.
Wikimedia Thailand
- F. Do you have an account on a Wikimedia project?
Yes
- F1. Please provide your main Wikimedia Username.
Athikhun.suw
- F2. Please provide the Usernames of people related to this proposal.
Athikhun.suw B20180 Azoma
- G. Are you legally registered?
No
If you are applying as an individual or your group is not a legally registered nonprofit in your country, we require that you have a fiscal sponsor.
- I. Fiscal organization name.
N/A
Objectives and Strategy
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal.
1st ESEAP Public Policy Network Meetup
- 2.1. When will the event begin? Please enter the event start date.
2025-07-18
- 2.2. When is the last day of your event?
2025-07-20
- 3.1. When will you begin preparing for your event?
2025-03-01T00:00:00Z
- 3.2. When will you expect to complete your last event payment?
2025-04-30T00:00:00Z
- 4. In which country will the conference take place?
Thailand
- 4.1. In which city will the conference take place?
Bangkok
- 5. Is it a remote or in-person event?
In-person event
- 5.1. What will be the total number of participants at the event? (including scholarship recipients + organizing team + other guests + self funded guests) (required)
25
- 6. Please indicate whether your work will be focused on one country (local), more than one or several countries in your region (regional) or has a cross-regional (global) scope.
Regional
- 6.1. If you have answered regional, please write the country names and any other information that is useful for understanding your proposal.
ESEAP countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Japan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, New Zealand, China, and others.
- 7. If you would like, please share any websites or social media accounts that your group or organization has.
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Thailand https://www.facebook.com/WikimediaThailand/?locale=th_TH
- 8. Do you work with any thematic or regional platforms such as WISCom, CEE, Iberocoop, etc.
Yes
- 8.1. Please describe what platforms and your work with them.
ESEAP
- 9. Please describe the target participants for this event.
The target participants for this event are representatives from Wikimedia affiliates with experience in governance, public policy, and advocacy. Preference will be given to those with a background in Movement Strategy, as well as individuals actively involved in policy-related initiatives within their communities.
- 10. Please provide the link to the event's page if you already have one.
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Establishing_an_ESEAP_Public_Policy_Network
The following questions (11-14) will refer to the Community Engagement Survey which is required in order to submit a proposal. Here is the survey form that you can copy and use (if the link does not work): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ieEI8EFf2vxjD9wN_h8-srYeRCp4fhSp7_1_wiR2jh8/edit. This survey is required to access a Conference grant.
- 11. How many people did you send the community engagement survey to?
30
- 11.1. When did you conduct the survey, and for how long?
We started the survey in January 31, 2025, although the event was already discussed during the ESEAP Community call last November 2024 and received support from leaders
- 12. How many people responded to the survey?
11
- 13. What are the main objectives of the event?
The main objective of the event is to establish, strengthen, and formalize the ESEAP Public Policy Network as a dedicated support group for policy discussions, impact assessments, and risk mitigation. This network will help address regulatory challenges that may threaten the culture and practice of open knowledge. Additionally, we aim to foster active engagement in policy development, collaborate with policymakers, and ensure Wikimedia communities have a collective voice in legislative and regulatory discussions affecting free knowledge and digital rights in the ESEAP region.
- 14. Based on survey responses, what are the most important things your community should do at the conference to achieve these objectives?
The survey indicated that the community should focus on defining the organizational structure of the ESEAP Public Policy Network, ensuring it is sustainable and effective. Key discussions should include collaborative public policy projects, strategies for engaging with policymakers, and mechanisms for sharing knowledge across affiliates. Additionally, there is the need to explore intellectual property laws, copyright policies, and cross-border policy issues that impact Wikimedia communities in the region.
- 15. Please state if your proposal aims to work to bridge any of the identified CONTENT knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select up to THREE that most apply to your work.
Important Topics (topics considered to be of impact or important in the specific context), Cultural background, ethnicity, religion, racial
- 15.1. In a few sentences, explain how your work is specifically addressing this content gap (or Knowledge inequity) to ensure a greater representation of knowledge. (optional recommended).
Public policy engagement in ESEAP remains limited, with few programs and projects delving deeply into policy advocacy. While we actively participate in initiatives like WikiForHumanRights, policy-focused efforts are still rare. Given the region’s cultural, racial, ethnic, and religious diversity, there is a critical need to strengthen public policy initiatives within the Wikimedia movement. To address this gap, we aim to establish a dedicated support system—an active observer group that can monitor, discuss, and respond to legislative and policy developments affecting Wikimedia and open knowledge. Notable existing initiatives include SKAP’s Online Digital Child Safety Project in the Philippines and the Digitization of Philippine Municipal Laws and Ordinances, which has been running for two years. However, these and other policy-related efforts in ESEAP need greater visibility, expansion, and community participation to ensure impactful and sustained engagement.
- 16. Please state if your proposal includes any of these areas or THEMATIC focus. Select up to THREE that most apply to your work and explain the rationale for identifying these themes.
Advocacy, Human Rights, Public Policy
- 17. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities?
Geographic
- 18. Do you intend to invite or engage with non-Wikimedian individuals or organizations? If so – can you explain your intention for this outreach?
Yes, we do. The proposed meetup coincides with an International Legal Forum to happen in the same days and attendees are given access to attend during the public policy schedule of the summit.
- 19. What will you do to make sure participants continue to engage in your activities after the event?
We will identify priority areas per representative and continue the active discussion post-event by committing to a quarterly newsletter, growing the community of public policy advocates by tapping legal professionals, law students and other policy advocates outside of the Movement
- 20. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select a maximum of THREE options that most apply.
Increase the Sustainability of Our Movement, Identify Topics for Impact, Innovate in Free Knowledge
Logistical Aspects
[edit]- 21. Do you have any proposed venue for the event?
We do not have a confirmed venue yet, but we plan to host the meetup in central Bangkok, a well-connected hub with diverse venue and accommodation options. As one of Southeast Asia’s top destinations, Bangkok offers excellent infrastructure for international events. We will collaborate with the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) to facilitate local logistics.
- 22. Is the event venue and hotel accessible for people with physical disabilities?
Yes
- 23. How many scholarships would you like to offer?
Twenty scholars, ideally one from each affiliate/ chapter but should they decide to send two or more, then they may self fund.
- 24. What expenses will the scholarship cover?
Airfare or travel costs Accomodation Venue for the meetup Lunch and snacks during the meetup Stipend for the policy conference ( minimal )
- 25. How will scholarship recipients be selected?
The scholars will be selected by the affiliates or may volunteer to attend.
- 26. In which ways can Wikimedia Foundation staff support your event onsite?
Speaker/ Resource Person Capacity building ( if possible) Lead sessions and share best practices, policies, case studies Other support deemed allowed
- 26.2. Do you intend to invite any WMF staff members to your event? (please note that all WMF staff travel and accommodation costs will be covered by the foundation). Please indicate what is the limit number of WMF staff members you would like to welcome at your event.
Yes, we do. One or two from the Public Policy Advocacy or from the WMF Legal will do.
- 27. Please outline the roles and responsibilities of the organizing team for the conference.
Wikimedia Thailand/ Athikhun Suwannakhan - Co-organizer/ host -scholarships Ramzy Muliawan- co-organizer - Communications Vanj Padilla - Conference Program/ Logistics Yolynne Medina- Volunteer Coordinators Wafiq Aquil- ( to be discussed ) Foundation Liaison- ( vacant) We leave this vacant for anyone who wants to help
- 28. Do you have plans to co-organize the event with other Wikimedia communities, groups or affiliates?
Yes
- 28.1. If yes, can you please explain how you are going to co-organize the event and what responsibilities each partner will have.
Wikimedia Thailand / Athikhun Suwannakhan – Co-organizer/host, overseeing scholarships. Ramzy Muliawan – Co-organizer, responsible for communications. Vanj Padilla – Conference program and logistics lead. Van also brings valuable experience as a former Wikimania Singapore Core Organizing Team (COT) member. Yolynne Medina – Volunteer coordinator. Wafiq Aquil – (Role to be discussed). Foundation Liaison – (Vacant, open for anyone interested in contributing).
- 29. What kind of risks do you anticipate and how would you mitigate these?
We are anticipating risks such as being monitored or observed by authorities if we are building a group that will be adversarial to the host country. But because we are not planning anything negative about any government, we are confident that we can manage the risk. Weather is another risk, hopefully heavy rains will not be in time with our proposed meetup. If weather is a problem, we will minimize movement and stay safe and dry. Since the meetup involves very few people from the ESEAP region, those who are really involved in public policy, changes in governance and leadership is less of a risk. If WMF approves our proposal, participants will not entirely rely upon their chapter/ affiliate budgets or apply for scholarships just to attend, unless there will be more applicants from one chapter/affiliate. One risk is state surveillance in countries where public policy discussions are not allowed for its citizens and joining the public policy network might bring harm to attendees. If such is the case, we will try to do a video recording to accommodate those who are restricted to attend in person.
- 30. Friendly space policy - Please add the link to the friendly space policy that your community will be using for this event.
All attendees are required to follow the Universal Code of Conduct and Friendly Space Policy. Failure to comply may result in removal from the event. A dedicated Trust and Safety team will be available throughout the conference to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all participants.
Learning, Sharing, and Evaluation
[edit]- 31. What do you hope to learn from your work organising this conference?
1. How can we build sustainable engagement in public policy within the Wikimedia movement in ESEAP? We want to assess the effectiveness of our strategies in encouraging communities to take a more active role in policy discussions. Are attendees motivated enough to continue engaging after the event? Is policy discussion the role of ESEAP at all? Not WMF? 2. What are some key challenges and opportunities for Wikimedia affiliates and volunteers in ESEAP to engage in policy-related initiatives? Are there any barriers such as legal limitations, lack of resources, community readiness, capacity, etc. 3. How does collaboration between affiliates, civil society organizations, stakeholders, and policymakers impact public policy engagement? 4. Are Wikimedia affiliates establishing new collaborations with policy stakeholders? The role of Wikimedia movement, WMF and affiliates in changing legislation/policies. 5. How does participation in the meetup influence individual and collective action towards policy advocacy. We seek to measure whether attendees are initiating or participating in policy-related projects after the conference. Are they integrating policy advocacy into their existing Wikimedia work, such as Wikipedia campaigns, GLAM partnerships, or education programs?
- 32. Main open metrics
| Main Open Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Number of new or strengthened public policy initiatives launched | Number of new or strengthened public policy initiatives launched post-event | 3 |
| Percentage of participants who report increased understanding of public policy | Percentage of participants who report increased understanding of public policy and Wikimedia’s role in advocacy. (70% of 25 attendees) | 19 |
| Number of new partnerships or collaborations formed | Number of new partnerships or collaborations formed | 5 |
| Participant engagement in follow-up discussions | Participant engagement in follow-up discussions or working group (50% of attendees) | 13 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
Financial Proposal
[edit]- 33. What is the amount you are requesting from Wikimedia Foundation? Please provide this amount in your local currency.
1013849.52
- 34. Select your local currency.
THB
- Requested amount in USD
- 30009.95 USD [note 1]
- ↑ a b The following amount in US dollars was calculated by Wikimedia Foundation staff using the fixed currency rates. This amount is approximate and may not reflect the actual currency exchange rates on the day of submission or distribution. If the application is funded, the funding will be sent in the recipient’s local currency.
- 35. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it.
- 36. Do you expect to receive funding for this conference from other organizations to support your work?
No
- 36.1. If yes, what kind of resources are you expecting to get?
- We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.
Yes
- Please use this optional space to upload any documents that you feel are important for further understanding your proposal.
- Other public document(s):
Endorsements and Feedback
[edit]Please add endorsements and feedback to the grant discussion page only. Endorsements added here will be removed automatically.
Community members are invited to share meaningful feedback on the proposal and include reasons why they endorse the proposal. Consider the following:
- Stating why the proposal is important for the communities involved and why they think the strategies chosen will achieve the results that are expected.
- Highlighting any aspects they think are particularly well developed: for instance, the strategies and activities proposed, the levels of community engagement, outreach to underrepresented groups, addressing knowledge gaps, partnerships, the overall budget and learning and evaluation section of the proposal, etc.
- Highlighting if the proposal focuses on any interesting research, learning or innovation, etc. Also if it builds on learning from past proposals developed by the individual or organization, or other Wikimedia communities.
- Analyzing if the proposal is going to contribute in any way to important developments around specific Wikimedia projects or Movement Strategy.
- Analysing if the proposal is coherent in terms of the objectives, strategies, budget, and expected results (metrics).