WiR Anglophone Conference: Advancing the Africa Agenda Among African Wikimedia Communities

Code for Africa hosted its December edition of the Wikimedian-in-residence (WiR) Anglophone community conference on Tuesday, 5 December 2023. The conference included a 1.5-hour panel discussion moderated by Joseph Dokhare, facilitated by Christelle Pandja and Bukola James CfA’s WiR Community Coordinator. The conference convened 24 members of the  CfA’s WiRs Anglophone community from Cameroun, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda. The theme of the event was “Advancing the Africa Agenda among African Wikimedia Communities”. During the conference, insights were shared by our panellist, Felix Nartey, (Senior Program Officer Wikimedia Foundation) and Ndahiro Derrick Alter, (Founder & Executive Director  Wikimedia Rwanda), who are representatives and Team members of the African Baraza leading efforts in this agenda. This virtual event was inspired by the outcome of the discussions held at the Wiki-Indaba Morocco conference 2023 on the African Agenda / WisCom Charter Input Session and Future of Wiki Indaba – WISCOM Charter, with the primary objectives being to enhance understanding and propose solutions related to the Africa Agenda by engaging African Wikimedia communities. The event fostered enriching discussions aimed at exploring and reinforcing the core objectives and strategies pivotal to the Africa Agenda. It also highlighted actionable steps and innovative solutions proposed by African Wikimedians on Equity in Representation, IP Blocks, Articles and Editor Retentions whilst inviting CFA-WIR members to further add their inputs to the Agenda before its publication of the draft on Meta Dec 15, 2023. 

Advancing the African Agenda Conference Highlights

The conference commenced with Derrick Ndahiro and Felix Nartey sharing their insights on the Africa Agenda. Derrick emphasised the necessity of the Africa Agenda in framing comprehensive discussions and formulating actionable steps to propel African content on Wikipedia. Felix’s input on the role of the Africa Baraza Team underlined its influential position in nurturing this agenda and its far-reaching impact across African Wikimedia communities. A pivotal part of the discussion centred around the evolution and growth of the African Wikimedia movement. Derrick’s perspective illuminated how this evolution aligns with the objectives of the Africa Agenda, while Felix provided insights into effective strategies suggested by African Wikimedians as contained in the Agenda for tackling challenges affecting equitable representation, community building, IP Blocks, Article and Editor Retention. 

Derrick and Felix further discussed the involvement of the broader African Wikimedia community by highlighting practical steps to ensure voices from various regions are heard and represented, emphasising the need for proactive engagement and unity within the movement. Felix provided a forward-looking view by outlining the priorities and actionable steps embedded within the Africa Agenda, aimed at enriching African narratives in the Wikimedia movement. Derrick contributed to this vision, offering his insights on potential future collaborations and initiatives. 

The conference concluded with an interactive Q&A session, where participants actively shared their thoughts on the agenda, suggesting improvements and future trajectories for African Wikimedians.

Conclusion

The WiR Anglophone December Online Conference was a testament to the growing unity and assertiveness of African voices within the Wikimedia movement. The discussions highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts in overcoming challenges like IP blocks and inequity in representation, while also setting the stage for future advancements under the Africa Agenda. The insights from Derrick Ndahiro and Felix Nartey, coupled with active audience participation, made this event a milestone in shaping the future of Wikimedia in Africa.

We deeply appreciate the active participation and engagement of all attendees. Every contribution, every shared experience, and every piece of feedback contributes to the continued growth and evolution of our community. 

Finally,  our doors are always open for feedback or suggestions for future webinars or topics. We are unyieldingly committed to improving and addressing the dynamic needs of our community. For those who want a recap or missed out, a recorded version of the conference is available on our community programmes page. Stay tuned and join our ever-growing community in shaping the future of the Wikimedia landscape.