WikiArabia/WikiArabia Steering Committee
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The WikiArabia Steering Committee (colloquially known as WASCom) was created in 2025. This committee is responsible for providing appropriate support for organizing the WikiArabia conference, held annually during the first half of October or the last half of November, on a weekend, for 3-4 days. The conference is hybrid.
The committee is made up of a representative of all past organizers of WikiArabia, three volunteer slots opened to all members from the Arab world and two WMF liaison roles.
WikiArabia Conferences
The WikiArabia conference was previously organized as follows: 2015 (Wikimedia Tunisie), 2016 (Wikimedians of the Levant), 2017 (Egypt Wikimedians User Group), 2019 (Wikimedia MA User Group), 2021 (online; Algerian Wikimedians User Group), 2022 (Wikimedians of United Arab Emirates User Group) and 2024 (Wikimedians of United Arab Emirates User Group).
It was organized by 6 Wikimedia movement affiliates within the Arab region, out of 8 countries officially recognized affiliates (remaining Iraqi Wikimedians and Wikimedia Community User Group Sudan), not thematic.
Guidelines
Positions
- Country representation (Previous organizers of the conference)
- 3 available slots for volunteers from the Arab world
- 2 liaisons from the WMF
Note: the work is voluntary and without any compensation.
Country Representatives
- The affiliates are responsible for selecting their representatives.
- The membership term is 2 years, after which their affiliate can have new elections to select a representative who can be replaced at the affiliate's discretion. Still, a notice must be sent to the committee 3 months and accepted before any change is made.
Volunteer
- Volunteers will be appointed by the steering committee through an open application process.
- Most volunteer roles span a tenure of only one year.
Responsibilities
- Determine the workflow and a clear annual general plan for the WikiArabia conference, including guidelines for selecting countries, participants, and organizing committees, determining the theme and topic of the conference, and following up on the conference outcomes and points that need improvement. Working closely with the organizing committee of the conference, including supporting grants, partnership, program and communication.
- The committee will identify and select the hosting affiliates for the next three years.
- The steering committee members will commit to attend meetings. In the event of absence from 3 consecutive meetings, the affiliate must choose another representative for them. The steering committee also has the right to choose another volunteer, when absent during the volunteer role.
- The steering committee shall not interfere in the logistical decisions agreed upon by the responsible core organizing team (including but not limited to: the location within the hosting countries, accommodation, scholarships and social gatherings).
- All steering committee members will by subjected to the Universal Code of Conduct (UCoC).