ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025/Report/Angphotorion

Arin Khurota, a user of Angphotorion, participated in the ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025, representing the Wikimedia Movement in Indonesia as a project manager for the Project Wiki for Human Rights and Wikibility.

Projects Represented:

Wiki for Human Rights: Documentation and Training for Empowering Rural Women through Sustainable Organic Practices in Indonesia
Wikibility for Sign Language Documentation

Through this participation, she represented the voices of vulnerable and marginalized groups, while also promoting openness and diversity within Wikimedia projects.

Role and Projects

She attended the summit as a youth representative from Indonesia. She initiated a Wikimedia Foundation Rapid Fund-supported project titled Wiki for Human Rights: Documentation and Training for Empowering Rural Women through Sustainable Organic Practices in Indonesia. This campaign is part of the global #WikiForHumanRights initiative, aiming to foster open documentation related to human rights, particularly around environmental sustainability, climate change, and equitable access to locally relevant knowledge.

In Indonesia, rural women play a crucial role in environmental conservation through traditional practices like organic farming and food waste management. However, their knowledge is often undocumented and absent from open knowledge platforms such as Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons.

Their project seeks to elevate the voices and values of these rural women to the international level, positioning them as the main actors in documenting environmentally friendly, culturally rooted practices. The program was conducted in Padomasan Village, Jombang District, Jember Regency, with a focus on food waste processing training and how to document that knowledge using Wikimedia platforms.

In addition, she also led a second initiative, Wikibility for Sign Language Documentation, aimed at increasing representation of the Deaf community in Wikimedia projects by documenting Indonesian Sign Language in collaboration with local groups. This project aligns with Wikimedia’s values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Series of Activities Attended

She attended the ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025 in person, traveling from Surabaya to Jakarta and then on to Manila. While she had a long wait at the airport, she was grateful that it wasn’t as long as some of her fellow participants from Indonesia.

Day One (May 23, 2025)

Fully attended all sessions.

Actively participated in an interactive session with the Wikimedia Affiliations Committee, with key learnings:

The structure and roles of the Steering Committee, Liaison, and ESEAP Hub Manager.
Understanding the collaborative workflows among affiliates within the ESEAP region.

Reflection: This session broadened her perspective and made her realize the importance of enhancing her capacity before contributing further in regional leadership structures.

Day Two (May 24, 2025)

Participated in all sessions on Day 2, which focused on Cross-Affiliate Collaboration and Global Trends.

Key moments:

Meeting and warmly interacting with friends from Wikimedia Australia.
Dinner together at Bistro Remedios, followed by a walk that created space for new connections and boosted her confidence in using English.

Her personal note at the time:

"This has been such a heartwarming experience. I told my mom about this, and she’s very proud that I’ve reached this milestone, building connections and expanding my network."

Inspired by discussions with:

Mas Rahmat and Betty from Taiwan on leadership and local community capacity building.

This strengthened her commitment to initiate a new project in June 2025 involving housewives in rural villages and friends with disabilities in Indonesia.

Day Three (May 25, 2025)

Attended sessions on:

Updates from the Global Resource Allocation Committee
Discussions toward the upcoming conference

Outdoor activity:

A tour of the National Museum of Anthropology.

She did not join the dinner in Intramuros as She had to return to the hotel for packing and to catch an early flight home with Brian from Wikimedia User Group Singapore.

Things learned at the strategy summit

Her main goals in attending the ESEAP Strategy Summit were to:

Build collaborative networks between communities and affiliates in the ESEAP region.
Raise awareness on diversity, accessibility, and the involvement of marginalized groups in the open knowledge movement.
Gain a deeper understanding of the global Wikimedia Movement structure, including funding schemes and the role of user groups.

Through this Summit, she came to realize the importance of ethical documentation and the need to respect and value cultural knowledge. It deepened her understanding that documenting lived experiences and local wisdom, especially those of rural women and persons with disabilities, is not only meaningful but also a vital contribution to the future of Wikimedia. Community-based documentation ensures that knowledge is inclusive, representative, and rooted in the realities of diverse groups, reinforcing the core values of the open knowledge movement.

==Things She Contributed or Participated The ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025 served as a meaningful platform for her to both contribute and grow. As a youth representative and grassroots community volunteer from Indonesia, she was given the space to voice the perspectives of marginalized groups, rural women, persons with disabilities, and the Deaf community within the Wikimedia Movement. Her involvement extended beyond attendance, sparking continued action and reflection that have shaped her commitment to ethical documentation and inclusive participation in open knowledge.

She attended all sessions across the three-day summit, actively engaging in discussions on affiliate collaboration, regional leadership, and resource distribution.
She participated in interactive sessions with the Wikimedia Affiliations Committee to better understand governance structures, collaborative processes, and the roles of the ESEAP Steering Committee and Hub Managers.
She served as a voice for underrepresented groups, specifically youth, rural women, and persons with disabilities, by highlighting community-based documentation efforts such as Wiki for Human Rights and Wikibility.
Initiation of Post-Summit Grassroots Projects (Planned for June 2025), inspired by summit conversations, particularly with leaders from Taiwan and Indonesia, she initiated preparations for a new project involving housewives and people with disabilities in rural Indonesia, focusing on sustainable practices and the preservation of local knowledge.
Cross-Affiliate Networking and Confidence Building, by strengthened ties with Wikimedia Australia and other regional affiliates through informal interactions and a collaborative spirit, which boosted her confidence in communicating and networking in an international context.
She committed to expanding local Wikimedia projects and sharing knowledge gained from the summit through community workshops, online reflections, and collaborative planning with other Indonesian Wikimedians.
She advocated for ethical approaches in documentation practices, particularly in working with communities whose voices are often left out of mainstream narratives.
She provided constructive suggestions to the Summit organizers, including creating dedicated youth discussion spaces and clearer information on youth roles in Wikimedia governance structures.

Plans after the strategy summit

This Summit marked a key milestone in my Wikimedia Movement journey.

She will continue to:

Develop her technical and leadership capacities within the community.
Expand community-based documentation efforts in Indonesia.
Uphold the spirit of cross-country affiliate collaboration.

She hopes to contribute more deeply in future strategy discussions, particularly representing the voices of youth, women, and people with disabilities from Indonesia.

Closing

Participating in the ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025 has been a transformative and eye-opening experience for her, both personally and within the context of the Wikimedia Movement. This Summit not only broadened her understanding of the regional and global structures that shape collective efforts but also affirmed the critical importance of inclusivity, accessibility, and ethical storytelling in the pursuit of open knowledge.

She felt truly seen and heard as a young volunteer from Indonesia who is actively working on grassroots and disability-focused Wikimedia initiatives. The sessions, discussions, and informal interactions reaffirmed that the voices of underrepresented communities, especially women in rural areas and persons with disabilities, have a rightful place in shaping the future of Wikimedia. More than just a gathering, the Summit became a space of genuine connection, solidarity, and shared purpose.

One of the most memorable aspects of this journey was the warmth and support she received from fellow participants, including those she met for the first time. The conversations over meals, the collaborative spirit in breakout groups, and the simple act of being welcomed as an equal gave her new confidence to express her ideas and continue this journey with renewed energy. She returned home not only with knowledge but with new friends, fresh perspectives, and a deeper commitment to her advocacy work.

Moving forward, she would encourage the Wikimedia Foundation and the ESEAP Hub to continue supporting more youth, women, and people with disabilities to take part in strategic forums like this. Ensuring language accessibility, safe spaces for expression, and continuous mentorship can go a long way in nurturing the next generation of community leaders. She also believes that future Summits could explore more hands-on collaboration spaces or workshops tailored to grassroots project design and sustainability.

In closing, she sincerely thanks the ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025 organizing team for making this experience possible and to all the mentors, allies, and community members who have inspired her along the way. May this small contribution be part of a greater, collective movement toward equity, openness, and sustainability in knowledge sharing around the world.

Comments/Suggestions

Prioritize the active involvement of young people and women, especially those from grassroots backgrounds, in all Summit planning and programming. Their perspectives are often underrepresented, and dedicated tracks or fellowships for these groups would deepen inclusivity and respect across the movement.

Introduce clearly labeled meal options such as vegan, halal, and other dietary accommodations. Ensuring everyone can dine comfortably fosters a more welcoming environment and demonstrates cultural sensitivity.

Create specific breakout sessions or “Youth Forums” where young contributors can discuss roles and career pathways within Wikimedia. Highlighting positions, such as Community Liaison, Hub Manager, or Project Coordinator, that youth can aim for will help channel their energy into concrete leadership opportunities.

Establish a post-Summit mentorship program that pairs experienced affiliates with emerging leaders from underrepresented communities. This will support skill development and help translate Summit insights into sustainable local initiatives.

Incorporate interactive, small-group workshops focused on designing and sustaining community-driven projects, covering topics like grant writing, digital documentation best practices, and volunteer coordination. Practical sessions can empower participants to apply what they’ve learned immediately.

Offer live interpretation or captioning in additional languages spoken across ESEAP, and ensure all materials are accessible (e.g., screen-reader compatible). This will lower barriers for participants with diverse linguistic and accessibility needs.

Provide a dedicated online platform or shared space (e.g., a collaborative wiki dashboard) where Summit participants can continue discussions, share resources, and coordinate joint projects after the event concludes.