Hubs/Implementation/Hub Research in West Africa/Interview 1

This page is part of the Implementation Report for West Africa Regional Hubs. It specifically regards Interview 1.

Background

Date: September 11, 2022
Duration: 1 hour
Profile: Wikipedia Editor - Community Leader (active online and offline)
Region: West Africa
Gender: Man
Interview language: English

Questions and answers

1. What is your understanding of hubs?

Regarding hubs, I know that they are primarily organizations within specific geographical areas that support the Wikimedia movement through multiple Wikimedia programs and host multiple volunteer communities to promote Wikimedia activities within their geographical area. That's the knowledge I have about hubs regarding the Wikimedia movement as a whole.

2. How do you understand the recommendations of the regional and thematic hubs?

I do have a little idea about the regional hubs being able to conduct events. So I'm going to say Wikimedia programs within regional hubs such as WikinAfrica. Then also organizations or non-government organizations that can host multiple Wikimedia events within a specific geographical continent. And with the thematic hubs, I have yet to experience with them at the moment. I do not have a solid knowledge or a firm idea when it comes to thematic hubs.

3. You made mention of non-governmental organizations in the regional hubs. Please share some light on the integration of the non-governmental organizations within the regional hubs.

Yes so within the regional hubs most of the the organizations working with Wikimedia foundation do come from organizations whose sole purpose is to be able to come out with Wikimedia programs or to be able to work without them profiting off the programs that they do normally to handle or do manage within the region that they do normally find themselves and to be able to also create more awareness and expand their reach and also to create more influence within the geographical area that they find themselves.

4. Do you think the regional hub is beneficial?

The regional hub has been beneficial in a way that it contributes a lot. It contributes a lot to most of the Wikimedia affiliates or organizations within the geographic area that they normally do find themselves in, with a little bit of collaboration based on the programs and events that normally do run. If there's a systematic order, I feel they can be even more beneficial than the way they are beneficial at the moment.

5. Beneficial at the moment? Can you shed light on it?

Yes! Okay. At the moment, what I normally know is that most of them do run with Wikimedia programs when you compare it to how most of these affiliates are being found in specific geographical countries to run their programs. Most of the internal hubs I find across the globe usually don't have a lot of things, programs or events that are more different than the affiliates or organizations that collaborate with the foundation in their owned countries or specific countries.

6. What are some of the contributions of the hubs, to the movement strategy or community affiliation or the affiliate?

When it comes to the hubs, in terms of contributions and influence on the affiliates, most of the contributions that I've seen so far when it comes to collaboration purposes, I've seen some of the affiliates also providing a little bit of guidance as opposed to other affiliates. In the area of funding of Wikimedia programs such as, like the Wiki Labs South Africa, the other Wiki Labs movement as well, apart from the guidance and support in terms of, let me say funds and equipment, I've able to also see some of these affiliates also recruiting people or volunteers from some of these affiliates within their geographic our area in terms of contractual jobs, in terms of Wikimedian in residence contracts as well and other opportunities and benefits within the scope. Apart from this, they also provide support for volunteers who come from different backgrounds or Wikipedia affiliates that do get in touch or reach out to them for help. These are the three primary contributions that I've noticed that most of the regional hubs contribute when it comes to contributing to Wikimedia affiliates within the geographical area that they usually find themselves in with the regional hubs.

7. What are some of the challenges the implementation of the regional hub can solve?

Challenges that the regional hubs using the movement strategy, think I'll need to check out more on that aspect.

8. But do you think the implementation of the Hub is associated with some challenges? Per your experience, have you encountered any challenges associated with the implementation of the Hub

Currently? No, I haven't, although I've been able to encounter some, let me say I have a few conversations with some of these regional hubs but it hasn't been like a continuous conversation with them. But when it comes to challenges, so far I have yet to notice a lot of challenges when it comes to the regional hubs. So I wouldn't say I've been able to notice a lot of challenges when it comes to the regional hubs as a whole. At the moment, there are no challenges I know of.

9. What are the challenges faced in your community?

To be challenged will specifically be with contribution purposes in terms of IP block issues .Apart from that, I only witness much challenges. There may be one or two conflicts here and there, but all these conflicts were resolved in time. It didn't get that serious so I wont classify that as a challenge. But after leaving my community, which has only been a few months ago, I've noticed that some community members also complain about transportation issues, since there are currently financial hardships in the country. So what I've noticed so far is volunteers complaining about transportation issues in order to be able to attend Wikimedia events as a whole, that would be the only challenge that I've noticed at the moment.

10. How can we manage the challenges with the regional hubs?

If that can be managed, when they prepare the annual budget for the year, that can be included within the programs we offer. So, for instance, maybe if an affiliate or maybe an organization associated with the foundation is preparing an annual or a yearly report, a yearly budget, they can be able to include that. Suppose every event they are expecting about 30 participants. In that case, they can just include a transportation allowance for that aspect to be able to support the community members or participants to be able also to motivate them for them to also contribute a lot to most of the Wikimedia communities, most of the Wikimedia projects.

=== 11.Empirical evidence has established that the regional hubs are likely to solve the challenges of communication within the Affiliate communities, communication and media relation, Conflict Resolution, Educational projects, funding, fundraising. and even sometimes technological issues. What is your take on this?

Let me say this isn't the first time or this first year wouldn't be the first time that a regional hub contributes and provides support for Wikimedia affiliates organizations within their geographical area. So that being of good help. I think they will definitely be of good help in order to be able, that is, if they are in place. I think there will be a good system structure to be able to support most of the affiliates within this African region as a whole, and in terms of educational purposes or partnering up with educational organizations to provide educational programs or events can be of help to Wikimedia communities as a whole. Aside from that, when it comes to conflict resolution too, if there are multiple or two communities within the African region having a conflict issue, the regional hubs can also contribute to resolving such conflicts within the African region.

12. How will you link these hubs in contributing to resolving tconflict issues?

If there are two Wikimedia communities in the African region as a whole, let's say in a specific country, right? If there are some conflict issues, these regional hubs can be able to come in to be able to sit down or have a meeting with these two affiliates or these two organizations or communities within this specific country to be able to help them resolve such conflicts through having multiple meetings with them aside that coming into an agreement with them, then letting them be able to understand the policies in place in the movement strategy as a whole, what we are seeking for to be able to achieve by 2030 and also how best they can be able to collaborate to make sure that there's a lot of contribution to the movement growth as a whole.

13. During your time with your community, did you have meetups or discussions on the movement strategy and its recommendations?

Yes, There were a few movement strategies meetups here and there. But I wasn't 100% involved since my speciality in my area solely focuses on the technical aspect of the Wikimedia movement as a whole. But I know that there were some one or two movement strategy meetups, some of which were organized by two leaders in the community. These were the two Wikimedians I know that they mostly had or hosted or facilitated movement strategy meetups within the community.

14. All right, so that means you'd say if not all, a majority of the community members have some knowledge of the movement strategy and its recommendations.

Yeah, the majority of them do know when it comes to the movement strategy as a whole. Still, since the community keeps growing, I wouldn't say that everyone in the community does have knowledge or does have little knowledge when it comes to the movement strategy since it needs to be promoted every time.

15. Should the regional hub be a physical structure or an online one?

Yes, so having a hybrid structure will be of good help based on what it can offer to support the community. Only some communities would like to be able to travel; my purpose for saying that there might be one or two reasons, they encounter lots of challenges, and they usually do need a little push. For them to also grow hybrid structure organizations or affiliates or communities that can visit their physical places as a whole. They can be able to collaborate with them, and if they also have access to a physical structure will be of good help to also indicate some form of disability for other people who would like to be able to visit offices.

16. It looks like a hybrid is a way, judging from discussions from Wikimedians, but I'd like to know where these physical hubs should be located. Do you see that as a challenge to even the physical hub we are thinking of?

Yes. With the physical hubs, if there is a structured committee for that, within the structured committee, they can vote on which country to host for the physical structure of the regional hubs.

Key Takeaways from Interview 1

The regional hubs should be non-governmental organizations with the capacity to continue to operate without jeopardizing the initiatives.
It should serve as a coordinator for regional efforts like WikiAfrica.
It will bring a good system structure and the ability to help the majority of the affiliates within this African region in terms of educational goals or collaborations with educational organizations.
It will also aid in conflict settlement in the region.
It has to be a hybrid.