ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025/Report/Exec8

Brief profile

I am a dedicated Wikimedian and community leader who has been contributing to the Wikimedia movement since my first edit in December 2005. An Overseas Filipino Worker, based in Singapore, I have been consistently used my spare time to enhance and share knowledge on Wikimedia projects. In 2010, with Filipino Wikimedians mostly based in Metropolitan Manila, co-founded Wikimedia Philippines, one of pioneering Wikimedia chapters in the region. Over the years, my involvement has expanded beyond on-wiki editing. I assist organize regional events — from the first ESEAP conference in Bali, Indonesia, and the succeeding conferences, strategy summits in ESEAP till this Manila Strategy Summit. Additionally, I served as an Event Lead for Wikimania 2023 in Singapore, reflecting my ongoing commitment to fostering collaboration within the community. As of this writing, I am a member and vice-chair of the Wikimania Steering Committee and member of the the ESEAP Regional Funds Committee since 2021.

Things learned at the strategy summit

The summit taught me that when structured planning meets active participation, the result is a robust, adaptable, and forward-thinking community. This comprehensive approach to strategy, blending detailed agenda-setting with interactive learning, ensures that every participant not only takes away actionable insights but also feels empowered to drive the next phase of collaborative innovation.

Here are the key takeaways from each session based on the summit program:

HUB, Action! Designing Governance and Strategy Together

Explored the history and significance of the ESEAP Hub, emphasizing governance and strategic planning.
Introduced a governance system and voting method for collective decision-making.
Conducted workshops focused on refining the annual plan and debugging governance through scenario role-play.

Finalizing the Governance System

Reviewed role-play insights to refine governance structures.
Adjusted and finalized the governance system based on practical inputs.
Established an implementation working group to ensure ongoing development.

Affiliate Health Criteria & Wikimedia Foundation Affiliate Strategy

Examined the impact of the Wikimedia Foundation’s Affiliate Strategy, particularly in the ESEAP region.
Discussed two key initiatives: Affiliate Health Criteria and the Updated User Group Recognition Process.
Facilitated discussions on compliance, operational landscape, and strategic direction.

Landscaping Global and ESEAP Regulatory Trends for Advocacy

Provided an overview of global regulatory trends affecting Wikimedia projects.
Highlighted key national policies in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Australia.
Identified risks and opportunities for advocacy efforts within ESEAP.

Connecting and Collaborating Between Affiliates and Countries

Shared successful and unsuccessful cross-border collaborations within Wikimedia communities.
Encouraged structured collaboration frameworks for future initiatives.
Hosted an open mic session for affiliates to propose joint projects.

Strategic Tactics for Building External Partnerships

Explored methods for identifying, initiating, and sustaining partnerships with organizations.
Provided hands-on exercises focused on universities, GLAM institutions, and government collaborations.
Shared insights from partnership-building experiences.

CEE Hub: Exchange and Learnings

Offered a comparative study of ESEAP and CEE Hub experiences.
Facilitated knowledge-sharing on governance, strategy, and challenges faced by different regions.
Discussed potential collaborations between CEE and ESEAP.

Global Trends Workshop

Presented trends shaping Wikimedia’s global strategy, including participation patterns, misinformation, and AI-generated content.
Conducted breakout sessions to discuss strategic responses to these trends.
Gathered insights from ESEAP community members to inform future plans.

ESEAP Community Skills Mapping

Identified key skills within the Wikimedia ESEAP community.
Mapped areas of expertise to facilitate mentorship and grant applications.
Contributed to the development of a skills directory for future reference.

Field Building – From Conceptualization to Actualization

Introduced the concept of field building in the Wikimedia movement.
Examined research and best practices for structuring community growth.
Encouraged collective modeling of movement expansion strategies.

Collective Advocacy Actions in ESEAP

Built upon discussions from previous sessions to solidify advocacy priorities.
Facilitated a collaborative approach to regulatory advocacy in the region.
Developed a work plan with clear timelines for joint advocacy initiatives.

Global Resource Distribution Committee Update

Provided insights into funding allocation and resource distribution within the Wikimedia movement.
Discussed strategies for equitable funding and movement-wide support.
Encouraged participation in decision-making processes related to grant distribution.

Move into Future Conference(s)

Announced updates on future ESEAP Summit and Conference locations.
Introduced selection processes and formed a working group.
Highlighted upcoming conferences, including ESEAP 2026 in Kaohsiung.

Things I contributed or participated in or since the strategy summit

At the summit, I immersed myself fully in the spirit of collaboration and strategic innovation. I actively participated in the HUB, Action! session—where I joined colleagues in dissecting the history of the ESEAP Hub, brainstorming the annual plan’s key areas, and engaging in role-play exercises designed to debug our governance system. During these interactive workshops, my ideas and observations helped shape the dialogue, contributing directly to the co-editing of our governance framework that was later finalized and set to be published on the ESEAP Hub metapage.

In the subsequent sessions focused on regulatory trends and advocacy, I actively engaged in group exercises—mapping out critical regulations and contributing innovative ideas on how we can collaborate across borders. My participation in these exercises not only enriched the discussions but also helped crystallize tangible advocacy initiatives for the collective.

Further, my contributions extended to sessions aimed at bridging internal capacities and external partnerships. In the Strategic Tactics for Building External Partnerships and Global Trends Workshop sessions, I took part in practical group exercises and shared my perspectives on nurturing impactful collaborations—discussing how our community can tap into external expertise and navigate rapidly changing global trends. My input during the Community Skills Mapping exercise, where I charted and shared my relevant experiences, added to creating a comprehensive directory intended to guide future mentorship and grant implementation.

Since the summit, I have maintained this momentum by engaging in follow-up discussions, supporting the newly formed working group for the governance system, and continuing to weave the innovative ideas from the summit into our ongoing projects. My active involvement has not only contributed to shaping our collective strategy but has also reinforced my commitment to fostering a culture of shared learning, continuous improvement, and collaborative growth within the ESEAP community.

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

After the summit, my plans are focused on transforming our collective insights into concrete action—most notably in the area of field building. The intensive sessions on refining our governance system and the interactive workshops on the annual plan have provided not only clear strategies but also the momentum needed to drive real change within our movement. I’m particularly energized by our discussions during the Field building – from conceptualisation to actualisation (a pilot initiative) session. The presentation helped clarify how we can map our growth trajectory—reflecting on what we’ve achieved so far and envisioning where we want to be. Drawing on these insights, I express interest to assist on tactics that establishes clear milestones and actionable steps for building our "field" into a dynamic model of sustainable growth. This initiative will involve assembling a dedicated working group to analyze our current capacities, identify opportunities for resource allocation, and design a structured framework that takes our collective vision from an idea to a tangible reality.

At the same time, I intend to maintain the momentum from our governance sessions by following up on our co-editing exercises and role-playing scenarios. By transforming these collaborative outputs into an operational governance framework, we can ensure that our internal structures are robust, adaptable, and well aligned with our long-term strategic goals. This dual focus—refining our governance and pioneering field building—will help strengthen our movement’s backbone and ensure that our future growth is both visionary and grounded in practical, collaborative measures.

In short, my post-summit priorities are to build on the collective energy we generated, establish a field-building pilot initiative with clear, measurable milestones, and solidify our governance system into an actionable blueprint for sustainable growth across the Wikimedia movement.

Comments/ suggestions about the strategy summit

The summit was an impressive demonstration of collaborative strategy and practical planning in action. I was particularly struck by the clarity of each session’s structure—from the warm and engaging opening that set a supportive tone, to the deeply interactive workshops that allowed us to co-create a robust governance system and refine our annual plan. The role-playing exercises, in particular, proved invaluable. They not only made abstract ideas tangible but also highlighted areas where we could improve our decision-making process. One of the standout elements for me was the session on field building. The discussion on mapping our growth trajectory and defining clear pathways for sustainable expansion was both inspiring and concrete. It is clear that with a dedicated working group to drive these initiatives, we can significantly enhance our community’s capacity and resilience. I would suggest that future summits consider expanding this session further—perhaps by including additional case studies or interactive components—to help participants visualize and implement the concepts more effectively. A few suggestions for improvement include allocating slightly more time for breakout sessions and Q&A segments. This extra time would allow for deeper exploration of ideas and more comprehensive feedback, ensuring that every participant feels heard and that we capture as much insight as possible. Additionally, a structured follow-up process post-summit could help track the progress of our initiatives and continuously refine our strategies as we move forward. Overall, the summit was a powerful blend of structured guidance and creative exploration. It not only bolstered our internal governance mechanisms but also offered a visionary outlook on how we can build a more dynamic and impactful future.