ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025/Report/BindiS

Report by Belinda Spry

Profile

I'm Belinda Spry the Executive Officer for Wikimedia Australia (WMAU) and also a member of the ESEAP Preparatory Council (EPC). I have been a member of the EPC for just over two years and I was one of the people involved in assisting the COT with plans and deliver of the ESEAP Strategic Summit in Manila.

Things learned at the strategy summit

The summit provided me with a deeper insight into emerging global and regional issues, particularly the increasing pace and complexity of digital regulation across the Asia-Pacific. While this is something I have been monitoring I learned more about new laws - especially around AI and online safety. In the rush to legislate governments often overlook the diversity of online ecosystems, posing risks to projects like Wikipedia and creating concerns for many communities but particularly with underrepresented communities and marginalised contributors. A key takeaway for me was the need to clearly differentiate Wikimedia as a public interest project, from for-profit platforms, in both public and political discourse. This is an area Wikimedia Australia is actively pursuing so it was a great opportunity to hear and be informed directly on what is happening across our ESEAP region.

Through sessions on public policy and advocacy, I gained a clearer picture of how the Wikimedia Foundation's Global Advocacy team is working proactively and reactively to defend our model. I also learned about the EML approach to building partnerships that are sustainable, equitable, and grounded in trust.

Additionally, the summit highlighted the incredible work being done across the region by affiliates like Wikimedia Malaysia, Korea, and the Philippines, showcasing innovative language preservation projects, cross-border collaborations, and the power of youth and GLAM engagement.

Things the participant contributed or participated in or since the strategy summit

At the summit, I had the privilege to present one of the first sessions on Day 1 as part of the HUB, Action! Designing Governance and Strategy Together stream.

I co-facilitated an interactive workshop where all participants contributed their ideas to help shape the details of the ESEAP Hub Annual Plan. This session encouraged broad engagement from the room, with input feeding directly into the development of shared goals and activities for the region. Flipcharts around the room captured many ideas that we are incorporating into the Annual Plan to meet the needs of the communities in our region.

Prior to the workshop I gave a brief presentation outlining that the EPC has successfully received a one year grant fund from the Wikimedia Foundation to pilot the ESEAP Hub. I explained how this funding will support a dedicated Project Manager, whose work will focus on delivering the activities and outcomes outlined in the ESEAP Hub Annual Plan, with the goal of strengthening coordination, representation, and support across the ESEAP community. The remainder of the grant will support various activities including scholarships, training and specific projects such as the creation of a "Newbie Handbook for affiliates and user groups".

Plans after the strategy summit (from what was learned or contributed in the strategy summit)

Post-summit, I will continue to work on the refinements to the ESEAP Hub Annual Plan, participate in recruiting the Project Manager for the Hub, as well as administering the Grant for the next year of the pilot. I will take away many of the suggestions and ideas from across the region to ensure that we can support and deliver as much as possible for our ESEAP region to grow and build capacity. I will also report back regularly through the monthly ESEAP Community calls for feedback and input, and support the Hub Project Manager in this capacity too.

I will support Wikimedia Australia to strengthen its partnerships and support other affiliates in building cross-regional projects. While we work fairly closely with Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand (WANZ) we want to reach out to other chapters and create new connections. We’re keen to participate in friendship editathons/projects and cultural exchange initiatives that deepen engagement and capacity across ESEAP. The learnings on partnership development will inform our ongoing collaborations with academic and cultural communities in Australia. However I can see how there need to be adaptations for specific cultural requirements, particularly around trust-building and long term sustainability.

We also plan to continue sharing Movement Strategy knowledge locally and develop structures that mirror the flexible, trust-based collaboration we saw modelled at the summit. I'm particularly interested in contributing to the region’s work on content equity, youth engagement, and growing visibility of local languages and cultures online. This is a particularly challenging and complex area for Australia and WMAU with so many local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and cultural groups at high risk of becoming "sleeping languages", however we are looking at how to build trust and find self-determined pathways for projects to develop. We can not do this alone. From my many conversations I see a strong need to consider new and very different ways of supporting the wide range of cultural knowledge systems in Australia and the ESEAP region. I also see a critical area that needs further discussion and opportunity for learning by our affiliates and Wiki editors, in providing nuance and greater self-determined control for communities to understand the implications of sharing their knowledge on Wiki projects.

Comments/ suggestions about the strategy summit

As one of the EPC members who contributed to some of the Summit organisation I felt the ESEAP Strategy Summit was well organised by the COT. It created space for honest, productive dialogue across languages, cultures, community groups and affiliates. In my opinion it struck a balance between strategic direction and practical implementation, helping participants not only understand where the movement is going, but also how to contribute meaningfully.

I always find the opportunity to connect in-person one of the most beneficial parts of a conference, and this was definitely no exception. As the EO for Wikimedia Australia I get one chance a year to connect in person with the communities and key people across our ESEAP region so I made sure I spoke to as many people as possible about their ideas, and now have the connections for some exciting new collaborations and friendship projects.

One suggestion for future Summits (and potentially the Community Conference next May 2026) would be to build in structured follow-up mechanisms, maybe some taskforces or thematic working groups, to maintain momentum and accountability on shared goals and outcomes. Continued support for multilingual participation and clearer pathways for youth and new affiliates to engage would further strengthen inclusivity in our region.

Thank you to the many people who contributed a lot of time, energy and significant thought and care to create such a great Summit. It was a pleasure to be part of such a successful event and I look forward to many positive and creative outcomes from the many communities and people it's inspired across our ESEAP region.