Good Afternoon Chapter Members
I hope this message finds you enjoying some much needed rest. As we come to the close of the year it is important to reflect on our achievements as a chapter.
As I look back on all the Chapter has achieved the below highlights stand out:
1. SWiP Phase 1 Workshop:
10 Universities hosted Wikimedians who facilitated the workshops and educated around 376 participants who became active editors contributing around 649 new articles and editing approximately 1100 existing articles.
The success of this project resulted in increase engagement with academic institutions who have requested multiple Ad-hoc workshops to further educate students. Two such workshops were hosted in 2024 which resulted in a further 165 new editors and 347 new articles and over 1350 edited articles. The success of this first phase has resulted in greater expectations for the 2025 Phase 2 which initiates at the beginning of February 2025. More news will be shared in the new year.
2. BaSesotho 200 Years Project:
To celebrate the 200 years of the Basotho nation, 3 Workshops were planned to run between November 2024 and January 2025 in Petrus Steyn at the Rhino Heritage Park.
Two of the workshops have been completed with 30 new editors introduced to Wikipedia and with contributions of over 198 Articles created and over 1137 edits of existing articles.
The final workshop is scheduled for January 2025.
3. WikiIndaba 2024:
In 2024, Wikimedia ZA organized the 8th edition of WikiIndaba in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa with the theme "!ke e: /xarra //ke," which means "United in diversity.". This event was well received by all participants.
By design the organizing committee sought to have a balanced Indaba with a even split of New editors vs Experienced Editors. They further sought to ensure that the balance of attendees was equitable in terms of gender and language preference.
Below are links to reflections on the WikiIndaba 2024:
https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/11/21/reflecting-on-wiki-indaba-conference-…https://diff.wikimedia.org/2024/09/26/wiki-indaba-2024-united-in-diversity/
4: Eswatini Writing Project:
In collaboration with our friends at the University of Eswatini and Unesco, Wikimedia South Africa implemented a writing project in Eswatini to increase the knowledge available in Eswatini on Wikipedia related specifically to scientific topics like Global Warming.
The project is aimed at increase the content available in Eswatini in collaboration with local journalists would would judge the competition and would create online articles via their publishing housing which would be used for references.
This project is ongoing with the goal being to conclude in earlier 2025.
Some of the items the chapter would like to focus on in the new year are:
1. Better engagement with Chapter and with the public in general.
2. Engage with the Chapter members around projects the members are interested in.
3. Begin formally working on our Strategy once it is ratified by the board.
Operations Meetings will re-initiate in the beginning of February 2024 and we will be trying a new time-slot for our monthly meetups, starting in January 2025 all meetups will be held on the 3rd Saturday of each month between 10:30 and 12:30 in both Cape Town and Johannesburg
I am excited about the possibilities 2025 brings for our chapter and look forward to better and more inclusive engagement with our chapter members.
As you all enjoy well needed rest from a productive year. The Chapter would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Best Regards
Herschal Jackson
Good afternoon Chapter Members
Please take note that we will not have any Operations Meetings in December 2024.
The next operations meeting will be held on the 07th January 2025 and will occur every 2nd week thereafter.
Best Regards
Herschal Jackson
Good morning chapter members
Please take note of this upcoming event and register should you wish to
attend.
Best Regards
Herschal Jackson
Executive Coordinator
+2760 440 1664
herschal.jackson(a)wikimedia.org.za
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Donia ElDomiaty <donia(a)wikiinafrica.org>
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2024 at 10:22
Subject: [African Wikimedians] Next Episode of WikiAfrica Hour "Wiki
Conferences behind the scenes" JOIN US!
To:
Dear Wikimedians,
We hope this email finds you well. We invite you to join the next episode
of WikiAfrica Hour "Wiki Conferences behind the scenes”
We are very excited to discuss this topic with the episode guests and your
joining is very valuable.
What can you expect from the episode?
Conferences have a pivotal role in the Wikimedia movement as gatherings of
people to share, discuss and celebrate!
This episode will shed light on conferences in the wikimedia community
behind the scenes. We will discuss with guests different teams who are in
charge of the approval of conferences and preparation of the resources and
settings.
Points which will be discussed:
-
The importance of conferences and their themes
-
The logistics needed to organise the conference (the start, the team,
the budget, responsibilities)
-
How we prepare for a safe & constructive environment before the
conference starts.
Who are the guest speakers?
-
Reda Kerbouche <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Reda_Kerbouche>: He
organized several Wiki-events such as WikiArabia 2022 in Dubai (UAE) and
2024 in Muscat (Oman) and several non wiki related conferences like "Rêvons
l'Algérie".
-
Geoffrey Kateregga <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Kateregga1>:
Member of Communications Committee of WikiIndaba 2024. With experience in
organising many events and conferences
-
Cornelius Kibelka <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:CKibelka_(WMF)>:
For several years, he has worked at Wikimedia Deutschland, where he was
responsible for organizing the Wikimedia Conference/Wikimedia Summit.
2020-2022 Cornelius worked at the Wikimedia Foundation, as part of the
Movement Strategy team, mainly organizing virtual events and processes,
before he joined WMF again in 2024 as a Conference Fund Program Officer.
-
Vanj Padilla <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Lady01v>: Member
of Conference
Support Committee
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Conference_Grants/Committee>,
Wikimania 2021, Core Organizing Team Member, Wikimania 2023, Co-Organizer,
Wikiwomen Summit @Wikimania 2023.
-
Dumisani Ndubane <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Thuvack>:
Organised the 1st Wiki Indaba in 2014. He is currently board chair of
WhoseKnowledge, as well as advisor to WMZA and WISCOM.
Hosting them Lodewijk <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Effeietsanders>:
he has edited the Dutch Wikipedia since 2005, organized Wiki Loves
Monuments for many years and organized both national and international
Wikimedia events. He currently serves in the Wikimania Committee.
When and where will the episode take place?
Data: Friday 29th November
Time: 16:00 UTC
Join us LIVE on Youtube <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6cEk6XZR58>.
You can also register in the event tool here
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:WAH_Episode_40_-_Wiki_Conferences_beh…>
Looking forward to seeing you!
--
*Donia*
WikiAfrica Hour Production Coordinator
& Wiki In Africa Tools Community Facilitator
_______________________________________________
African-Wikimedians mailing list -- african-wikimedians(a)lists.wikimedia.org
To unsubscribe send an email to
african-wikimedians-leave(a)lists.wikimedia.org
The #IWIPALE project, funded by WMF through the Knowledge Equity Fund (KEF), seeks to build greater and sustainable rapport between the African Wikimedia movement and the African Library and Information science sector and that is why there are 2 components; the data gathering aspect and then a pilot initiative, in partnership with Wikimedia Deutschland, to develop a semantic Authority Control system powered by Wikibase, to give more visibility to African knowledge.
Following the launch, we'd like to invite all African Wikimedians to participate in our regional and language based series of open discussions focussed on answering the question, "How can Wikimedia projects be seamlessly integrated into library routines in Africa?" This fact-finding session aims to gather insights and ideas from diverse voices across Africa, including yours.
Below is a schedule of the next Virtual Conversation session, time, date and registration link:
Southern Africa @ Thursday, 28th November. 2024, 10:30am GMT
Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OXVMB_lhQU229PIKEArUow#/registr…
Moderator: Bobby Shabangu, President, Wikimedia South Africa Chapter
Do not miss this opportunity to come and share your thoughts and learn from others, as we explore new ways to enrich African content on Wikimedia projects and library services with Wikimedia tools.
Good afternoon Chapter Members
Please take note of the upcoming Operations Meeting which will be held on the 26th November 2024 at 6PM.
Below is the link to the meeting as well as the agenda:
Meeting Link:
Wikimedia ZA Operations Meeting
Tuesday, 26 November · 6:00 – 7:00pm
Time zone: Africa/Johannesburg
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/diw-uwda-sap
Or dial: (ZA) +27 10 823 0623 PIN: 995 976 068#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/diw-uwda-sap?pin=4182686850773
Agenda:
https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/wmza-ops-20241126
Best Regards
Good Morning Chapter Members
Please see the notice below.
Best Regards
Herschal Jackson
Executive Coordinator
+2760 440 1664
herschal.jackson(a)wikimedia.org.za
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Kinneret Gordon <kgordon(a)wikimedia.org>
Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2024 at 12:00
Subject: [Wikimedia-l] [Wikimedia Research Showcase] Factors that Help
Wikipedia Thrive
To: <wiki-research-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>, <
foundation-optional(a)wikimedia.org>, <wikimedia-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>, <
analytics(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
Hi all,
The next Research Showcase will be live-streamed this Wednesday, November
20, at 9:30 AM PST / 17:30 UTC. Find your local time here
<https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1732123800>. The theme for this showcase is
*A Look at External Factors that Help Different Language Versions of
Wikipedia Thrive*.
You are welcome to watch via the YouTube stream:
https://www.youtube.com/live/oH0PCNIzF0E. As usual, you can join the
conversation in the YouTube chat as soon as the showcase goes live.
This month's presentations:
The social embeddedness of peer production: A comparative qualitative
analysis of three Indian language Wikipedia editionsBy *Sejal Khatri*Why do
some peer production projects do a better job at engaging potential
contributors than others? We address this question by comparing three
Indian language Wikipedias, namely, Malayalam, Marathi, and Kannada. We
found that although the three projects share goals, technological
infrastructure, and a similar set of challenges, Malayalam Wikipedia’s
community engages language speakers in contributing at a much higher rate
than the others. Drawing from a grounded theory analysis of interviews with
18 community participants from the three projects, we found that experience
with participatory governance and free/open-source software in the
Malayalam community supported high engagement of contributors.
Counterintuitively, we found that financial resources intended to increase
participation in the Marathi and Kannada communities hindered the growth of
these communities. Our findings underscore the importance of social and
cultural context in the trajectories of peer production
communities.Low-Resource
Languages and Online Knowledge Repositories: A Need-Finding StudyBy *Hellina
Hailu Nigatu, UC Berkeley*Online Knowledge Repositories (OKRs) like
Wikipedia offer communities a way to share and preserve information about
themselves and their ways of living. However, for communities with
low-resourced languages—including most African communities—the quality and
volume of content available are often inadequate. One reason for this lack
of adequate content could be that many OKRs embody Western ways of
knowledge preservation and sharing, requiring many low-resourced language
communities to adapt to new interactions. In this talk, we will go through
findings from two studies: (1) a thematic analysis of Wikipedia forum
discussions and (2) a contextual inquiry study with 14 novice contributors
who create content in low-resourced languages. We will focus on three
Ethiopian languages: Afan Oromo, Amharic, and Tigrinya. Our analysis
revealed several recurring themes; for example, contributors struggle to
find resources to corroborate their articles in low-resourced languages,
and language technology support, like translation systems and spellcheck,
result in several errors that waste contributors’ time. Based on our
analysis, we will also outline design opportunities for building better
language support tools and interfaces for low-resourced language speakers.
Best,Kinneret
--
Kinneret Gordon
Lead Research Community Officer
Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
_______________________________________________
Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines at:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l
Public archives at
https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org…
To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-leave(a)lists.wikimedia.org
Good Morning Chapter Member
Please take note of upcoming event and register if you would like to attend.
Best Regards
Herschal Jackson
Executive Coordinator
+2760 440 1664
herschal.jackson(a)wikimedia.org.za
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: AfLIA Communications <afliacomm(a)aflia.net>
Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2024 at 08:32
Subject: [African Wikimedians] Join our Virtual Conversations (North Africa
Edition)
To: <african-wikimedians(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
Calling all North African Wikimedians and Library Professionals!
Join our Virtual Conversations (North African Edition)
Date: Thursday, 19th November 2024
Time: 10:30 AM GMT
Moderator: Afek Ben Chahed, General Secretary, WIkiFranca and Community
Facilitator, Wiki in Africa
The Integrating Wikimedia Project into African Library Ecosystem (IWIPALE)
project invites all North African Wikimedians and Librarians to an open,
collaborative discussion on "How can Wikimedia projects be seamlessly
integrated into library routines in Africa?" and "How can the African
Wikimedia community work with the African Library community in a
sustainable manner to promote knowledge equity"
Do not miss this opportunity to participate, share your thoughts and learn
from others. Register here -
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YP18DaNgTuKcjSJk8L7SqQ#/registr…
<https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YP18DaNgTuKcjSJk8L7SqQ#/registr…>
Thank you
Stanley
AfLIA Communications
---
*Follow AfLIA to keep updated.*
*Official Website* <http://web.aflia.net/> *|* *Official Facebook*
<https://www.facebook.com/aflianetwork/> *| **Official Twitter*
<https://twitter.com/AfLIACon>
* | Official YouTube
<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPaQeggWf7gVPSkLhYl9_8g>*
To join AfLIA: Send an email to
*membership(a)aflia.net <membership(a)aflia.net> *
_______________________________________________
African-Wikimedians mailing list -- african-wikimedians(a)lists.wikimedia.org
To unsubscribe send an email to
african-wikimedians-leave(a)lists.wikimedia.org
Good afternoon Chapter Members
See below online session if you would like to join.
Best Regards
Herschal Jackson
Executive Coordinator
+2760 440 1664
herschal.jackson(a)wikimedia.org.za
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Barakat Adegboye <barakat(a)wikimedia.org.ng>
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2024 at 13:41
Subject: [African Wikimedians] 📢 Today’s the Day! Join the Wiki Imagine
Lagos Webinar & Writing Contest!
To: <african-wikimedians(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
Hello everyone!
The wait is over! Our Wiki Imagine Lagos Webinar & Writing Contest is
happening today and we’re thrilled to invite you to join us for an
inspiring session on "Documenting Lagos: Role of Journalism in Tourism and
Cultural Preservation".
🗓 Date: November 14, 2024
🕒 Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM WAT
💻 Platform: Zoom
🔗 Link: https://bit.ly/3YR8H32
Register here: (bit.ly/4f1EZPi)
This event brings together experts in journalism, heritage, and digital
transformation to discuss how we can use technology to highlight and
preserve Lagos' cultural heritage. Whether you’re a journalist, historian,
writer, or just passionate about Lagos, this is a chance to connect, learn,
and contribute!
Don't miss this opportunity to be part of an exciting movement to document
Lagos' vibrant culture for the world. See you at 3 PM!
_______________________________________________
African-Wikimedians mailing list -- african-wikimedians(a)lists.wikimedia.org
To unsubscribe send an email to
african-wikimedians-leave(a)lists.wikimedia.org
Good Afternoon Chapter Members
Please see below the upcoming online event, should you want to join.
Best Regards
Herschal Jackson
Executive Coordinator
+2760 440 1664
herschal.jackson(a)wikimedia.org.za
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <lucyiwuala(a)gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2024 at 06:28
Subject: [African Wikimedians] Inviting you to Afrika Baraza End of Year
Edition
To: <african-wikimedians(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
Dear African Wikimedians
We are elated to be hosting Afrika Baraza’s end of year edition on
Thursday 21st, November 2024, 17:00 UTC and we have an exciting exclusive
agenda that includes;
* The announcement of the host countries for Wiki Indaba 2025, 2026 &
2027
* Reviewing Africa Agenda Implementation plan
* Baraza Community Spotlight (Guess who ;-) )
* WMF Board Elections community sensitization and our strategy moving
forward
We are looking forward to hosting you. Share the Invitation widely with
your communities.
Join Afrika Baraza Zoom Meeting
https://wikimedia.zoom.us/j/87402419283
Meeting ID: 874 0241 9283
Kind Regards,
Lucy Iwuala, on behalf of the Afrika Baraza Working Group
_______________________________________________
African-Wikimedians mailing list -- african-wikimedians(a)lists.wikimedia.org
To unsubscribe send an email to
african-wikimedians-leave(a)lists.wikimedia.org
Good Morning Chapter Members
Please take note of the below notification and apply if you are interested
in attending the hackathon.
Best Regards
Herschal Jackson
Executive Coordinator
+2760 440 1664
herschal.jackson(a)wikimedia.org.za
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Deb Tankersley <dtankersley(a)wikimedia.org>
Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 at 04:04
Subject: [Wikimedia-l] 2025 Wikimedia Hackathon - registration is now open
To: Coordination of technology deployments across languages/projects <
wikitech-ambassadors(a)lists.wikimedia.org>, <cloud(a)lists.wikimedia.org>,
Wikimedia Mailing List <wikimedia-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>, wikitech-l <
wikitech-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>, <wikidata-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
*Registration for the 2025 Wikimedia Hackathon is now open! *
*(with apologies for cross-posting)*
The annual Wikimedia Hackathon
<https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Hackathon_2025> is organized by
the Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> in
collaboration with Wikimedia User Group Turkey (WMTR)
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Community_User_Group_Turkey> and
will be taking place in Istanbul, Turkey, from May 2nd through May 4th,
2025 at the Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel
<https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/istrn-renaissance-polat-istanbul-hote…>
.
The Hackathon is an on-site, in-person event. Those people who cannot
attend the Hackathon in-person will be able to follow some of the program
content online, but should not register using the link provided below. More
information will be provided closer to the event on how to participate
remotely. Registration will be open until mid April 2025, or until we reach
event capacity.
The Hackathon event is free for all* to attend *and each person that
attends the Hackathon is required to register.
- Catering (lunch, dinner, snacks, and drinks) will be provided during the
event.
- Covid-related equipment will also be available upon request (e.g. self
test kits and masks).
- We’ll have discounted room codes for those that want to stay at the hotel
venue, to be announced in the coming weeks.
- Check if your passport is up to date and if you will need a visa (or an
e-visa) to travel to Turkey, citizens of most countries can apply for an e-visa
online <https://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa>.
Participants are expected to book their own travel arrangements and
accommodation. However, the Wikimedia Foundation is offering to take care
of travel and accommodation for a limited number of scholars and you will
be able to apply for a scholarship during the registration process.
Scholarship applicants - please note:
-
*Scholarship application and Wikimedia Foundation staff sponsorship will
only be available to request until December 10th, 2024. *
-
Priority will be given to scholars who can mentor or support in areas
of high demand and staff with ambitious or impactful projects.
-
Those that have requested a scholarship or sponsorship will be notified
by mid to late December 2024 about the status of their application.
-
All scholarships provided will adhere to the WMF travel policy
<https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Scholarship_travel_policy>
guidelines.
*Scholarship to this event will cover:*
-
Roundtrip airfare between your city of residence and Istanbul, Turkey -
arriving on May 1, 2025 and departing on May 5, 2025.
-
Private accommodation at the conference hotel for up to 4 nights
-
Medical Insurance Coverage for any scholars traveling outside of their
home country. (Scholars local to Turkey will need to use their regular
insurance coverage.).
-
Airport transfers between the Istanbul Airport (IST) and the conference
hotel.
-
All meals will be provided for the duration of the event (lunch, drinks,
snacks, and dinner will be provided on event days; breakfast will be
provided by the hotel for guests staying there). In addition, dinner will
be provided on Thursday before the Hackathon officially kicks off.
-
Fees associated with obtaining a visa to travel to Turkey (visa
application fees, and travel to in-person travel visa appointment (if
needed)).
-
Citizens of most countries can apply for an e-visa online
<https://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa>.
*Scholarship to this event will not cover:*
-
Per diem costs on travel days.
-
Ground transportation costs between your residence and home airport.
-
Insurance for your personal possessions.
The Hackathon registration form runs on Pretix (a free, open-sourced
third-party platform that helps organize and manage events) which may
subject your data to additional terms <https://pretix.eu/about/en/privacy>.
For more information on WMF’s privacy and data-handling for the Hackathon,
please read the privacy statement
<https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Legal:Wikimedia_Hackathon_Privacy_Sta…>
.
<https://pretix.eu/wikimedia/hackathon2025>
If you encounter any issues while registering, or have questions about the
registration process, feel free to contact the coordination team at
hackathon(a)wikimedia.org.
Cheers,
Deb
--
deb tankersley (she/her)
developer outreach program management
Wikimedia Foundation
_______________________________________________
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Public archives at
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