Let's Connect Newsletter/Archive/2023/Issue 9

Let’s Connect Newsletter Issue 9

What is happening in Let’s Connect this month]

Welcome to August’s issue of the Let’s Connect monthly newsletter. This month was special because we hosted our first Wikimania learning clinics in partnership with the Leadership Working Group. This was the first onsite learning clinic session we organised, and it couldn’t have been anything without Wikimania to do so.

Did you miss Learning Clinics - no worries!

Learning Clinic 1: Networking for introverts: How to make the most of this conference.
Learning Clinic 2: Communication skills for collaborative leadership.
Learning Clinic 3: How not to lose a volunteer after the first edit: volunteer retention strategies.
Let’s Connect Connectathon at Wikimania.

What Learning Clinics can you start getting excited about?

🧠 Let's Connect Learning Clinic: Wikidata for Wiki Loves Monuments with Content Partnerships Hub (3 series) Session One. Register using this link here.

What is this Learning Series for? Are you interested in learning how to add data to monuments and enhance the data quality of monuments-related information on Wikidata for the Wiki Loves Monuments campaign with a case study from Uganda? We have just the Clinic Series for you!

Let's Connect Learning Clinic on Understanding the Movement Charter with the Movement Charter Drafting Committee. Register using this link here.

What is this session for? Are you curious about the Movement Charter and how it affects the Wikimedia community? This Learning Clinic is crafted to give you a comprehensive understanding of the charter's significance.

Other learning opportunities in the Movement

Happening this month!! 👀

From now till September 22, there will be the Universal Code of Conduct: Community review period of the UCoC Coordinating Committee draft charter ongoing. (conversation hours schedule).

News from Movement Strategy

African Conversations is a Wikimedia Foundation's African Employee Resource Group series. It aims to educate, engage with and empower through moderated dialogues featuring voices of the movement and Foundation staff on African matters. The first conversation was on the theme: Opportunities through Challenges. We will be joined by Maryana Iskander, Tochi Precious, Bobby Shabangu, Sandister Tei and Segun Owuru!

Link to video here on YouTube.

Story from Let’s Connect

In 2023, the prestigious international conference Wikimania was held in the bustling city of Singapore. This year, our "Let's Connect" program was introduced to the Wikimania participants as a part of the pre-conference activity, aiming to foster effective communication and connections among attendees from diverse backgrounds. This was a collaborative work from the Let’s Connect and Leadership Development Working Group.

As the participants arrived at the Let’s Connect Learning clinic space, room no. 324, Suntec City Convention Center, they were greeted by the colourful graphics displaying the Let's Connect logo on the screen and welcomed by the facilitators. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and anticipation. People from all over the world, representing different languages, cultures, and experiences, came together under one roof with a shared passion for contributing to Wikimedia projects shared their inspirations, journeys and many more.

The Let's Connect program was introduced, highlighting its goal to create meaningful connections beyond language barriers and geographic boundaries. A dedicated space adorned with vibrant artwork depicting global unity was set up where participants could engage in informal conversations, exchange ideas, and make new friends. Let's Connect sessions were held, facilitating small-group activities on various topics. Participants eagerly joined these sessions, eager to connect with others who shared their interests and expertise. Each session was led by experienced facilitators who ensured everyone's voice was heard and that diversity of perspectives was celebrated.

The impact of the Let's Connect program was palpable. Attendees felt a sense of belonging and camaraderie, breaking down the barriers that had sometimes hindered collaboration in the past. Those attending their first Wikimania were especially grateful for this inclusive environment, which helped them overcome their initial hesitations and join the vibrant Wikimedia community.

One particularly memorable moment occurred during a Let's Connect Connectathon, where an experience focused on indigenous knowledge preservation came up following the question on the table: “Which Wikipedia article would you like to expand in your language, Wikipedia which has some commonalities among all of your regions? ”. Participants on one table from different continents shared stories of their respective communities and listened with reverence as elders recounted traditional wisdom and practices. This session sparked an international collaboration initiative to document and preserve indigenous knowledge on Wikimedia platforms, ensuring it would be accessible to future generations.

Wikimania 2023 was also notable for the increased representation of underrepresented groups within the Wikimedia movement. The Let's Connect program featured dedicated sessions on “Networking for Introverts” Led by Nitesh Gill from the Leadership.

Development Working Group -60 minutes, “Communication skills for collaborative leadership” Led by Nada Alfara and Jan Bart from the Leadership Development Working Group -120 minutes, and “Volunteer retention strategies” Led by Asaf Bartov from the Wikimedia Foundation-135 minutes. These sessions provided a supportive and empowering environment, fostering mentorship and inspiring participants to become champions of diversity within the Wikimedia community. Special thanks to Beverly Jiang (WMF) and Anthony Diaz for the tremendous support on-site, along with Jessica Stephenson (WMF), Justice Okai-Allotey, Bukola James, and Gorana Gomirac from the team for the continuous remote support. The preparation from all these wonderful people, over the last 1.5 months, was finally meeting the valuable participants in Wikimania 2023.

Participants gathered for a special Let's Connect celebration, the Connectathon-120 minutes, on 17th August 2023. Laughter, camaraderie, and a shared sense of accomplishment filled the air as attendees reflected on the connections they had made and the collaborations they had initiated during the event. The Let's Connect program had indeed lived up to its name, bridging gaps and fostering unity among the diverse Wikimania participants.

The effects of the Let's Connect program were not confined to the conference alone. Its influence rippled beyond the event, inspiring attendees to bring back the spirit of connection and collaboration to their home communities and learn more critical soft skills to strengthen their stands in the Wikimedia movement.

The story of the Let's Connect program and its representation at Wikimania 2023 became a tale of inspiration and transformation, serving as a reminder of the power of connection, diversity, and collaboration in shaping the future of knowledge sharing and community building. The program aligned with the theme of Wikimania 2023 indeed - “Diversity, Collaboration and Future”.

Resource to check out:

Check this Wikimedia Commons Category for all Wikimania 2023 presentations by participants.
< Go back to Issue 8