Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Conference Fund/Central Asian WikiCon 2025
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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.
Wikimedians of the Uzbek Language User Group
- F. Do you have an account on a Wikimedia project?
Yes
- F1. Please provide your main Wikimedia Username.
Darafsh
- F2. Please provide the Usernames of people related to this proposal.
User:Artemev Nikolay User:Nataev
- 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.
Oʻzbekiston ixtirochilari va ratsionalizatorlar jamiyati
Objectives and Strategy
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal.
Central Asian WikiCon 2025
- 2.1. When will the event begin? Please enter the event start date.
2025-04-18
- 2.2. When is the last day of your event?
2025-04-20
- 3.1. When will you begin preparing for your event?
2025-01-15T00:00:00Z
- 3.2. When will you expect to complete your last event payment?
2025-05-01T00:00:00Z
- 4. In which country will the conference take place?
Uzbekistan
- 4.1. In which city will the conference take place?
Tashkent
- 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)
50
- 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.
Primarily Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
- 7. If you would like, please share any websites or social media accounts that your group or organization has.
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Central_Asian_WikiCon_2025 https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedians_of_the_Uzbek_Language_User_Group https://t.me/wikicentralasia
- 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.
Yes, we are working with the CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) platform and have been participating in CEE meetings since 2022 to learn from their experience and use their resources to support our initiatives. In particular, the Uzbek community has been actively participating in CEE events, including the CEE Spring 2024: Wikimedia CEE Spring 2024/Statistics
- 9. Please describe the target participants for this event.
The target participants for this event are Wikimedians from Central Asian countries, including both experienced contributors and newcomers to the movement. We welcome community members from various Wikimedia projects, as well as external partners interested in supporting Wikimedia initiatives in the region. While no minimum level of Wikimedia experience is required, we encourage participants to have a basic understanding of Wikimedia projects to fully engage in the event activities.
- 10. Please provide the link to the event's page if you already have one.
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Central_Asian_WikiCon_2025
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?
150
- 11.1. When did you conduct the survey, and for how long?
The survey was conducted from 8th August until 18th August 2024, for a duration of 11 days.
- 12. How many people responded to the survey?
59
- 13. What are the main objectives of the event?
The main objectives of the event are to:
- Build Connections: Help people meet, learn about new projects, share skills, and have fun together.
- Develop Skills: Provide training to improve abilities in content creation, digital tools, and community work.
- Increase Awareness: Show off Wikimedia projects and get more people involved through showcases, editathons, and storytelling.
- Solve Problems: Discuss and address important issues affecting the emerging Central Asian community.
- Encourage Creativity: Work on creative projects together to inspire new ideas and solutions.
The event will be the first of its kind and focuses on making the community stronger, teaching useful skills, and improving how people work together.
- 14. Based on survey responses, what are the most important things your community should do at the conference to achieve these objectives?
To achieve these goals, the community should:
- Host Skill-Building Sessions*: Provide workshops and training to improve skills like media literacy, content creation, and working together online.
- Facilitate Networking and Mentorship*: Create chances for people to meet, share experiences, and support each other through networking and mentorship.
- Showcase Projects*: Highlight Wikimedia projects with showcases and panels to raise awareness and attract new contributors.
- Organize Strategic Discussions*: Have discussions and working groups to tackle important community issues and find solutions.
- Encourage Creativity*: Include creative sessions and storytelling to inspire new ideas and innovation.
These activities will help build connections, improve skills, and strengthen the community.
- 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.
Geography, Language, 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).
To address content knowledge gaps, our proposal focuses on:
- Language*: By offering training and workshops, we help improve content creation skills across different languages, including, but not limited to Karakalpak, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Russian, Tajik (and Persian), Turkmen, and Uzbek, bridging language barriers in Wikimedia projects.
- Cultural Background, Ethnicity, Religion*: Through diverse project showcases and collaborative sessions, we aim to include and represent a wide range of cultural, ethnic, and religious perspectives.
- Geography*: Networking and strategic discussions are designed to address regional knowledge gaps and enhance the representation of Central Asia, a geographically diverse but underrepresented region on WMF projects.
- 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.
Education, Culture, heritage or GLAM , Diversity
- 17. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities?
Geographic , Ethnic/racial/religious or cultural background, Linguistic / Language
- 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 will engage librarians and academics from Tashkent. Specifically, the former will participate in workshops on effective sourcing to address skill gaps in our community. At the same time, the latter will expand upon and share their expertise in regional knowledge production and dissemination.
- 19. What will you do to make sure participants continue to engage in your activities after the event?
To ensure participants continue to engage after the event, we will invite them to join a dedicated Telegram group for ongoing discussions and updates. We will also send follow-up emails with a link to a Community Engagement Survey to gather feedback and keep participants connected. Additionally, we aim to form a regional hub for outreach and involvement, creating roles for people beyond existing groups. Participants will be invited to future conferences and events to maintain engagement and build a lasting community.
- 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.
Ensure Equity in Decision-making, Invest in Skills and Leadership Development
Logistical Aspects
[edit]- 21. Do you have any proposed venue for the event?
The event will be held at Lotte City Hotel Tashkent Palace, which also accommodates scholarship recipients. It is 20 minutes drive from Tashkent International Airport. Their website is [1]. Our backup venue is Diplomat International School, 15 minutes from the hotel and 30 minutes from the airport [2].
- 22. Is the event venue and hotel accessible for people with physical disabilities?
Yes
- 23. How many scholarships would you like to offer?
We would like to offer ~ 40 full scholarships.
- 24. What expenses will the scholarship cover?
The scholarship will cover accommodation at Lotte City Hotel Tashkent Palace, travel expenses to and from Tashkent, and food and refreshments during the conference. This ensures that recipients have their lodging, transportation, and meals fully funded, allowing them to attend and participate without financial barriers.
- 25. How will scholarship recipients be selected?
The Scholarship Committee will prioritize community members from the Central Asia region, as one of the aims of the event is to support the active participation of the folks from the region. However, we also allocated seats for Wikimedians from outside the region who can join us as lecturers, presenters, and connectors – with the main aim of sharing knowledge with the participants. When selecting scholarship recipients, we will prioritize folks who have previous knowledge of Wikimedia projects and who can demonstrate their willingness to contribute to the mission after the event.
- 26. In which ways can Wikimedia Foundation staff support your event onsite?
We seek support in outreach and communication efforts at the event. We also seek support (leading a session) about strategic planning related to Wikimedia Movement Strategy 2030. Prior to the event we would like to organize a workshop for the COT and volunteers about safety.
- 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.
We intend to invite WMF staff members to our event. We would like to welcome up to five staff members: one from the Human Rights and Disinformation team, one from the Communication team, one from the Grants team, one from the Education team, and a board member such as Victoria Doronina, who is familiar with the region.
- 27. Please outline the roles and responsibilities of the organizing team for the conference.
Core Organizing Team are: Nodir Ataev, Lead of COT Mohammad Heidarzadeh, Scholarship lead Aida Akhmatova, Communication lead Niko Krasnyi, Programme Lead Nikolay Artemev, Logistics & Treasurer
Full list: Central_Asian_WikiCon_2025/Team
- 28. Do you have plans to co-organize the event with other Wikimedia communities, groups or affiliates?
No
- 28.1. If yes, can you please explain how you are going to co-organize the event and what responsibilities each partner will have.
- 29. What kind of risks do you anticipate and how would you mitigate these?
Examples of risks, along with how we would minimize or overcome them, are:
- Political or social instability in the region
- Health concerns that could limit attendance
- Travel disruptions or issues with the venue
- Participant drop-off after the event
Examples of how to minimize these risks include:
- Monitoring the political and health situation closely and offering remote participation if necessary
- Selecting a venue with a backup option nearby and allowing ample time for travel arrangements
- Maintaining ongoing communication and follow-up activities to keep participants engaged.
- 30. Friendly space policy - Please add the link to the friendly space policy that your community will be using for this event.
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Central_Asian_WikiCon_2025/Safety
Learning, Sharing, and Evaluation
[edit]- 31. What do you hope to learn from your work organising this conference?
We want to find out if our strategies worked to bring Central Asian Wikimedia communities closer together. Key questions include:
- Did the conference help build strong connections and partnerships between participants from different regions?
- Did the sessions effectively improve skills and knowledge that participants can use in their local Wikimedia projects?
- Did we manage to increase awareness and involvement in Wikimedia projects across Central Asia?
By gathering feedback and looking at engagement levels, we hope to understand the impact of the conference on community growth and regional Wikimedia projects.
- 32. Main open metrics
| Main Open Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Participants | We expect at least 50 members from various communities in Central Asia and neighboring regions. | 50 |
| Number of Submissions | We expect approximately 30 submissions for the program. | 30 |
| Feedback from participants | The number of feedback we expect from participants will help us analyze our event while preparing a report. | 40 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 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.
71823.11
- 34. Select your local currency.
USD
- 35. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1as5WLPHP05yFwFwOvuAsi9kl7iehXehSpspU_eF5TNs/edit?usp=sharing
- 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).