Dear all,
This is your annual RightsCon reminder! The call for proposals is open until June 2, 2024 at 11:59 p.m PST. More details, resources, and ideas below. ALL of you have interesting stories to tell that would make for excellent RightsCon sessions!
*About* RightsCon https://www.rightscon.org/about-and-contact/ will take place February 2025 in Asia. It will be a hybrid event. This is *the* digital rights conference to attend. It is hosted annually by Access Now and brings together business leaders, policy makers, government representatives, technologists, academics, journalists, and human rights advocates from around the world to tackle pressing issues at the intersection of human rights and technology. Historically Wikimedia has had a strong presence at RightsCon, with many people from this list having been speakers in previous years.
*Resources* There are additional resources to help with your proposals this year. There are three more RightsCon office hour session https://www.rightscon.org/program/#supports (May 16, May 22, May 28) as well as a detailed guide to a successful proposal https://www.rightscon.org/your-guide-to-a-successful-proposal/.
You can see the topics and session descriptions that have been successful for Wikimedians in the past: here are details from 2023 https://diff.wikimedia.org/2023/05/25/wikimedians-will-be-at-rightscon-2023-join-us-in-person-or-online/ and 2022 https://diff.wikimedia.org/2022/06/02/meet-the-wikimedians-promoting-free-knowledge-and-human-rights-at-rightscon-22-this-june/ .
*Ziski's tips*
- Tailor the topic to the region, either by involving allies from that area or focusing on how lessons from your specific context could carry over. - Collaborate with allies. Submit a session proposal with existing partners, or with groups you want to work with more in the future. If you do a Wikimedia only session, then you should at least include speakers from other affiliates. - Don't stick to panels. RightsCon is a fun conference because they allow a host of creative session formats. We're a fun and quirky movement, so those additional format options work well for us. Take advantage of them! - Test ideas and run workshops. The RightsCon audience is always a great group if you want to test a pitch or get feedback or ideas on a specific project or challenge you're trying to tackle. - Some areas where Wikimedians can bring a unique perspective: - Work with indigenous languages (especially in the context of AI discussions) - Promoting and preserving cultural heritage in the 21st century with open source tools so that communities can remain stewards of their histories and cultures - Epistemic justice / debates around knowledge rights and structures of power, and how these need to be addressed in the digital age - Data privacy practices - Tactical experiences! What it takes to work in a global movement, or build south-south alliances, or work with unlikely partners on a campaign, or avoid burnout, or access useful grants, etc - Using open data (WikiData!) to promote sustainable development goals
I am more than happy to review any proposals you want to send my way for feedback.
Best, Ziski
Franziska Putz (she/her)
Senior Movement Advocacy Manager
Global Advocacy, Wikimedia Foundation
Fputz@wikimedia.org
UTC Timezone