Wikimedia Summit 2024/Engagement session

Wikimedia Summit 2024

Program

Participation & logistics

Documentation & reports

Two online engagement sessions were organized to start the conversations on Purpose 1 and Purpose 2 before the Wikimedia Summit 2024.

Engagement Session on Purpose 1

The goal of this session is to create a more level “thinking field” among people interested in joining the Wikimedia Summit 2024 about Wikimedia movement governance in the past, present and future.

Read the summary of the session

Outcomes

Participants have a basic understanding of movement strategy as it relates to designing governance for the movement, as well as of big questions, terminology and governance scenarios.
Participants feel comfortable engaging in discussions and have begun to form opinions around big governance questions and how they affect their affiliates, communities and the movement as a whole.
All participants can engage in meaningful deliberations at the Wikimedia Summit 2024.

What to expect in the session?

The session will be designed as a series of presentations and breakout conversations around the following questions:

What is governance in general?
What is the history and present situation of Movement governance?
What is the future Movement governance?

How to prepare for the session?

Every participant joining our session must be familiar with:

Additional recommended readings are:

Format

Eight identical 3 hour online sessions run via Zoom at a variety of times and days to allow all participants to accommodate a session in their schedule:

August 29, 07:00 UTC – 10:00 UTC and 16:00 UTC – 19:00 UTC
September 2, 07:00 UTC – 10:00 UTC and 16:00 UTC – 19:00 UTC
September 5, 07:00 UTC – 10:00 UTC and 16:00 UTC – 19:00 UTC
September 9, 07:00 UTC – 10:00 UTC and 16:00 UTC – 19:00 UTC

Technical check-list

General

You do not need a Zoom account, but we recommend downloading the Zoom Desktop Client or mobile app prior to your participation.
If possible, use a laptop / computer and not a smartphone for an optimal user experience on Zoom
If possible, use a headset/headphones
Choose place without background noise, in a quiet atmosphere
Keep in mind that not everyone has a full working proficiency in English: please speak slowly and use simple sentences

Join a Zoom meeting

Click the invite link provided to you in your invitation email, and follow the on-screen instructions.
Upon joining the meeting, you will be prompted to connect to audio. Click Join with Computer / Phone Audio.
You can test your Zoom settings by using this link: https://zoom.us/test

Cloudbased Live Translation (EVE)

While the working language of the Wikimedia Summit 2024 will be English, we want to introduce some level of multilingualism to foster inclusion and diversity amongst participants. We will therefore offer app/browser-based translation during the online engagement sessions via a subtitling software.
We offer the following languages: French, Arabic, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, Chinese, Italian, Russian, Turkish.
For an optional experience using EVE, we recommend you to use two screens or devices: one to follow the presentation on Zoom and another one to simultanesouly read the the translated subtitles in your language.
There is no need to register beforehand. We will provide a link (and QR code) at the beginning of each session to access the subtitling options.

Documentation

You will find below the full documentation of each part of the online engagement session for the Wikimedia Summit 2024. The organizing team will publish shortly a short report highlighting the main insights from these engagement sessions. We also created a summary to highlight the main insights from the session:

Read the summary

The documentation includes:

Video recordings of the presentations
Slide-deck
Pre-recorded interviews of Movement stakeholders shown during the sessions
Raw notes from the etherpads and the chat

The session was structured in three parts:

Part 1: What is governance in general?
Part 2: The history and present situation of Movement governance
Part 3: Future of Movement governance

Note: The visualizations used in these presentations are simplifications of how the Wikimedia movement is currently structured and how different scenarios might look in the future. They were created by WMDE to start a conversation and get participants thinking about governance in a structured way. Edits and comments on how to improve these visuals are welcome.

Opening

Maryana Iskander, CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation
Alice Wiegand, Chair of Wikimedia Deutschland

Part 1: What is governance in general?

Recording and slide-deck

Input from the participants

Question: How do global decisions affect your affiliate?
- Read full notes: Compilation of the etherpads from the eight online sessions
Question: What made sense in this presentation? What needs claryfing?
- Read full notes: Compilation of the etherpads from the eight online sessions

Part 2: The history and present situation of Movement governance

Interview from Claudia Garad

Recording and slide-deck

Input from the participants

Question: How does your affiliate do governance?
- Read full notes: Compilation of comments from the chat
Question: What works well in our current governance approach? What could be improved by introducing a new governance structure?'
- Read full notes: Compilation of the etherpads from the eight online sessions

Video from the Movement Charter Drafting Committee (MCDC)

Part 3: Future of Movement governance

Video from Georges Fodouop

Recording and slide-deck

Input from the participants

Question: What are your thoughts and ideas about the future of movement governance?
- Read full notes: Compilation of the etherpads from the eight online sessions

Engagement Session on Purpose 2

The goal of this session was to start the conversation about the future of affiliate gatherings, since the Wikimedia Summit 2024 is the last one organized by Wikimedia Deutschland. The Summit organizers collected some data in a survey shared with all affiliates around their wishes for future affiliate gatherings, and organized a call with the affiliates who expressed interest in taking part in organizing these events.

Summary of the conversations

What are the things you like the most about Wikimedia events?

Sharing experiences
Peer support
Peer learning
Networking
Collaborations
Capacity building

Affiliate survey analysis

What sticks out to you from the survey on the future of affiliate gatherings?

Inclusivity and Accessibility: There was a consensus on the importance of making events inclusive for all affiliates who wish to contribute or benefit, including addressing visa restrictions to facilitate participation.
Annual Meeting and Rotation: Participants expressed surprise at the widespread agreement to organize the meeting annually and rotate its location. This approach was seen as reducing visa stress, promoting diversity, and enabling broader participation.
Hybrid Events: While there were challenges in implementing hybrid events, such as logistical complexities, it was recognized as crucial for ensuring accessibility, especially for those unable to travel.
Difference between User Groups vs. Chapters: User groups showed more interest in organizing events despite Chapters having more resources, indicating potential strategy fatigue among larger affiliates.
Movement Strategy: There was a majority agreement among affiliates to discuss Movement strategy, with UGs showing particular enthusiasm for leading such discussions.

Future of affiliate gatherings

If you imagine what the next affiliate gatherings could be in 2026, what do you envision?

Inclusivity and Youth Engagement: Participants emphasized the importance of inclusivity, particularly involving young people, and making Wiki projects more inclusive and disability-friendly.
Extended Time and Hybrid Events: There was a desire for longer events to facilitate deeper discussions and networking. Hybrid events were seen as essential for sustainability and broader participation, but with a need for special facilitation for online participants.
Diverse Topics and Learning Opportunities: Participants wanted a broader range of topics beyond Movement strategy and governance, with a focus on sharing success stories and capacity building.
Addressing Visa Issues: Concerns were raised about visa limitations and the need for more accessible locations to accommodate all affiliates.
Professional Training and Guidance: Participants sought professional training for affiliates and clear guidelines from WMDE based on its experience in organizing events in the past.
Human Connection and Multi-lingual Support: Human connection was emphasized over traditional conference formats, with a call for multi-lingual support to ensure inclusivity.
Localized Events and Resource Sharing: There was a suggestion for more localized events and better resource sharing to bridge the gap between chapters and user groups.
Impact and Inspiration: The envisioned affiliate meeting should leave participants feeling inspired, connected, and equipped with practical strategies for implementation, rather than burned out.

Additional things to accomplish in Berlin

What will be our output in Berlin? What needs to happen to fulfill the desired outcome? How do we get there?

Clarify Expectations for First-Timers: Participants inquired about what first-timers could expect from the event, with a suggestion to keep the initial event small.
Explore Possibility to Integrate Affiliate Gatherings into Other Events: Discussions were proposed regarding whether Affiliate gatherings could be incorporated into other events such as Wikimania or Global Council GAs.
Ensure Engagement of WMF representatives: Concerns were raised about the level of engagement from WMF during the conversations at the Summit. Participants expressed disappointment over the lack of engagement from high-level executives from the WMF in previous Summits and suggested greater participation in smaller sessions.

What's next?

Further development regarding affiliate gatherings will be documented on this meta page.