ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025/Report/Aue Nai

[== Executive Summary ==

The ESEAP Summit 2025, held from 23-25 May in Manila, brought together 87+ participants from 21+ countries to collaborate on regional strategies for (Theme, e.g., Global Trends Workshops, ESEAP Community Skills Mapping, Collective Advocacy Actions, and Global Resource Distribution Committee Update. Key outcomes included the adoption of the ‘Manila Action Plan’ and commitments to aid in the upcoming annual plan, especially in these categories: Translation and interpretation, support for emerging communities. Training, and Advocacy.

Agenda Highlights

Global Trnds Workshops
ESEAP Community Skills Mapping
Field Building-From Conceptualisation to Actualisation
GLAM-Wiki Meetup
Collective Advocacy Actions
Global Resources Distribution Committee Update
Move into Future Conferences

Key Takeaways & Learnings

Session Summary: Joint Advocacy Efforts in ESEAP Objective: Combine individual advocacy actions within ESEAP communities to enhance regional influence through unified strategies. Key Discussion Points: Consolidating Local Actions into Regional Collaboration: Participants presented a variety of advocacy initiatives (e.g., digital rights campaigns, cultural preservation efforts). Common challenges were identified: dispersed resources, policy deficiencies, and inconsistent access to research tools.

Opportunities for Collaboration:

Co-Creation of Knowledge: Leverage open platforms (e.g., Wikimedia, regional databases) to crowdsource data and case studies. Partnership Building: Formalize networks between NGOs, governments, and academia to amplify voices (e.g., joint policy briefs). Evidence-Based Advocacy: Prioritize research to address pressing issues like misinformation, climate resilience, or language equity.

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Participant Quotes:

"This session showed how our local struggles connect. Now we have a roadmap to advocate as a united force." — [Aue Nai/Mon Wikipedia] "Evidence-based research is our best tool to demand change. Let’s start by mapping regional data gaps." — [Ya Tha Won Tha/ Arakaness Wikipedia]

Next Steps:

Short-Term: Complete the framework for the advocacy repository by [Unknown]. Long-Term: Release a collaborative ESEAP advocacy report by the end of 2026, including case studies and policy recommendations.

Conclusion

I express my heartfelt thanks to the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) and sincerely appreciate the Myanmar Wikipedia Communities User Group for nominating me, Aue Nai. The enthusiastic engagement and valuable discussions from each participant truly enriched the summit, adding to its significance. I extend special thanks to WMF and all ESEAP organizers for their dedication in making this event successful. For upcoming summits, I aspire for us to cultivate stronger personal connections among attendees and enhance introductions between User Groups. Let’s work together to keep information unbiased, authentic, and impactful. As members of the ESEAP community, I urge us to embrace greater responsibility in these initiatives—and I am confident that each of us can make a meaningful contribution. With renewed gratitude to everyone who deserves acknowledgment, I eagerly anticipate reuniting in 2026 in Taiwan.