Hi Felix, Thanks for your constructive response. I am happy that you have initiated a process for input on the structure and scope of the committee. So, this is fine.
Regarding scholarship, I still think it should be handle by "Indaba Scholarship Committee", WMF and the LOC so as not to overstretch the steering committee. Regards, Isaac. On Mon, Jun 11, 2018 at 1:19 PM, Felix Nartey <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello Isaac, > > Thanks for your concerns, I think its good to ask these questions now so > that we all have some understanding of what the committee will or will not > do. > > 1. I don't think the committee wants to create a bureaucratic process by > offering to support Wikimedians on the continent. I think all that is being > proposed is to offer help to those who require such assistance. Please note > that this doesn't stop anyone who wants to help a group, community or > country in any capacity, this is just a gesture to support and to be > responsible for some of the action items ensued from Indaba. > > 2. I think during Indaba 2017 discussions around helping other African > countries know about Wikimedia and starting communities where there wasn't > any arose. However after the conference, just a handful of participants > championed this cause. What the steering committee wants to do on this, is > to ensure that discussions are followed through even after the conference > and it takes responsibility of action items resulting from the conference. > Once again this doesn't stop anyone who wants to help a neighbouring > country, all this does is to provide more hands on deck to support. Nobody > needs to report what they are doing for a country to WISCOM but sharing > will go along way to encourage others who are doing same or want to start > something around that. > > 3. I think we are all aware that nobody is obliged to share any progress > reports or success stories with any group other than the WMF, however due > to the kind nature of our ecosystem, these are made available anyway on > Meta for transparency. The committee is interested in sharing and > projecting amazing work from the continent. No hidden agenda here, just a > way to share more stories about the good work of our brothers and sisters > on the continent. However if pledges are made during indaba to pursue or > work on something the committee may follow up with such participants to > learn what has happened after the conference. > > 4. It is important for scholarships to be overseen by the committee to > ensure that instrumental people attend the conference. Currently because > every LOC has done this by themselves in the past there is not much data > and knowledge sharing amongst previous hosts. People who attended in 2014 > in SA were not passed on to Ghana and those who came in Ghana were not also > passed on to Tunisia. The committee wants to create institutional knowledge > around who attends and their impact after the conference, using this data > by subsequent committees will help select the right participants each year. > > I hope this answers your questions. > > Cheers, > > On Mon, Jun 11, 2018 at 3:55 AM Isaac Olatunde <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Hi Bobby, >> >> As you may already be aware, I know what Wiki-Indaba is all about and if >> you dig out some thread on this list or have been following discussions on >> this list, you will notice that I bided for Wiki-Indaba 2016 on behalf of >> my country, Nigeria. >> >> That being said, we do not want a situation where people will need >> permission from a committee to help countries that needs help. >> >> We do not want people to use the committee to promote personal agenda. I >> already noted that the goals of "Activating African Communities"[1], a >> personal project run by one of the three members of this committee are what >> we are seeing on the Wiki Indaba Steering Committee. >> >> We don't want another level of bureaucracy. I personally cannot give a >> progress report of my project to any committee except the WMF and or a >> committee constituted by WMF to handle such things. >> >> Again, Wiki-Indaba scholarship committee, LOC and WMF should handle how >> people are selected for scholarship. >> >> Regards, >> >> Isaac >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Activating_African_Communities >> >> On Jun 11, 2018 2:01 AM, "Bobby Shabangu" <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> Hi Isaac, >>> >>> Thanks for your questions and comments, and I think they are important >>> to bring forth so that we clarify them and get an understanding of what the >>> Wiki-Indaba gathering and subsequent Wiki-Indaba Steering Committee >>> (WIScom) is all about. >>> >>> Remember the conference brings together old hands of Wikimedia and >>> newbies and Wikimedians with some experience but needs capacity building, >>> we also have free knowledge advocates and mission aligned institutions >>> including sponsorships like our friends the Goethe-institute, and some >>> Embassies and university reprentatives. Projects and challenges are shared >>> by Wikimedians here and solutions are identified, but how do we track if >>> those solutions are being implemented and are working? How do we provide >>> support? How do we give conference attendees the right tools to run their >>> project? This is where the WIScom comes in. To provide simple actionable >>> solutions that will bring together Wikipedians within the African continent >>> after the conference. >>> >>> So, to simply answer you, Wiki-Indaba is not about the conference but is >>> about Wikimedians within the African continent. And although helping >>> Wikimedians organise the conference will be part of what WIScom do, but >>> WIScom is not necessarily about events management (the conference) but it's >>> more about people management (Wikimedians). >>> >>> We don't want meta or this mailing list to be the only way for us to >>> communicate but we want to also include a Facebook page and Twitter handle >>> for Wiki-Indaba where our friends the Goethe-institute or Creative Commons >>> or some Wikipedian in Malawi or Central African Republic can know about us >>> and receive the same assistance. >>> >>> Please read more about why we have the conference on the link here: >>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiIndaba_conference_2014 >>> >>> Kind regards, >>> Bobby Shabangu >>> >>> >>> On Sunday, June 10, 2018, Isaac Olatunde <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Hi Zeineb, >>>> >>>> Thanks for sharing this information. However, I do have some questions >>>> and comments. I have listed them below. >>>> >>>> 1. You wrote "Support Wikimedians within The African continent who >>>> wants to run Wikimedia projects but don't know where to start or how to go >>>> about doing that, as well as finding out about the progress of projects run >>>> by Wikimedians within the African continent and diaspora" How is this >>>> related to Indaba? I believe an Indaba steering committee should primarily >>>> focus on the business of Indaba which is the African regional conference. >>>> >>>> 2. While I do agree on the need to support individuals that one to run >>>> Wikimedia projects in their countries, I do not think we need a committee >>>> to do that, even if we do, I don't think Indaba steering committee should >>>> be the one to handle this. This appears to be out of scope. >>>> >>>> 3. "Finding out about the progress of projects runs by Wikimedians in >>>> Africa and diaspora " is a go thing, I also think this is out of scope for >>>> Indaba steering committee " Reports/Progress reports are often published on >>>> Meta Wiki for everyone to see and people are welcome to contact project >>>> coordinator if there is a capacity in which they which to help. I do not >>>> think we need a committee to do that and if we must have a committee, I >>>> don't think Indaba Steering Committee is the appropriate committee to do >>>> that. >>>> >>>> 4. In your page you wrote "Management of scholarships application and >>>> awarding process " In 2017, I proposed here "Indaba Scholarship Committee " >>>> like "Wikimania Scholarship Committee" but it does appeared that the LOC >>>> with support of the WMF handled the process. Thus, it might be a good idea >>>> to have a separate body like the one proposed above, WMF and LOC to handle >>>> this process. >>>> >>>> >>>> I do think the roles of this steering committee are overstretched and >>>> we do need to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy. >>>> >>>> Regards, >>>> >>>> Isaac >>>> >>>> On Jun 10, 2018 12:01 PM, "Zeineb Takouti" <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Dear African Wikimedians, >>>>> >>>>> I hope this email finds you well. >>>>> >>>>> As you will remember that during our Wiki-Indaba >>>>> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Indaba> conference in Tunisia >>>>> it was agreed that we need to put together a steering committee that will >>>>> be responsible for capacity building which includes amongst other things >>>>> providing support to countries who wish to host Wiki-Indaba conference in >>>>> the future, support Wikimedians within the African continent who wants to >>>>> run Wikimedia projects but don't know where to start or how to go about >>>>> doing that, as well as finding out about the progress of projects run by >>>>> Wikimedians within the African continent and diaspora and letting everyone >>>>> know through social media etc. >>>>> >>>>> Currently the Wiki-Indaba Steering Committee (WISCom) >>>>> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Indaba#Wiki_Indaba_Steering_Committee_(WISCom)> >>>>> is composed of representatives from countries who were previously >>>>> host to the conference, this includes Myself, Bobby Shabangu and Felix >>>>> Nartey. We would like to increase the steering committee, and we are >>>>> calling for applications from volunteers who are interested to be part of >>>>> the WISCom. The applications can be done by answering a few questions on >>>>> this page here >>>>> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Indaba/Steering_Committee_(WISCom)> >>>>> . >>>>> >>>>> The due date for applications is Friday 22 June 2018. >>>>> >>>>> You are free to share this message on other social groups for more >>>>> participation. >>>>> >>>>> Kind regards, >>>>> >>>>> Zeineb Takouti >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Zeineb Takouti >>>>> Chef de projet / Consultante Junior >>>>> Co-fondatrice et secrétaire générale de Carthagina >>>>> Membre de Wikimedia TN User Group >>>>> GSM: (+216) 54 394 883 >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> African-Wikimedians mailing list >>>>> [email protected] >>>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/african-wikimedians >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >> African-Wikimedians mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/african-wikimedians >> > > > -- > *Felix Nartey* > *Cofounder/Managing Director * > *Website: Open Foundation West Africa > <https://openfoundationwestafrica.org/>* > *+233242844987 | **+447452508504* > *Skype:Flixtey* > > > >
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