Event:WAH Episode 53-Behind the Buttons, Understanding Extended Rights on Wikimedia Projects
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WikiAfrica Hour is a monthly live discussion that supports the activities of the WikiAfrica movement and Wikimedians across Africa.
WikiAfrica Hour's intention is to: Share current updates and highlights of African Wikimedian activities Interact with guest(s) (if any), and take questions from community members Promote synergy within the Wiki community by discussing topics, projects, constraints, collaborations, and opportunities.
Description
[edit]Every Wikimedia project thrives on trust — and behind that trust are contributors who hold extended rights: administrators, interface editors, stewards, and many others who help ensure safety, fairness, and functionality across our platforms.
In this episode of WikiAfrica Hour, we demystify how extended rights actually work:
What are they? Who holds them? How are they granted? And how do these roles shape the health and governance of Wikimedia projects? We’ll also reflect on insights from the first-ever Extended Rights Pre-Conference at Wikimania Nairobi 2025 — exploring the ideas, feedback, and outcomes that emerged from this historic gathering.
Finally, we’ll discuss diversity and inclusion: How can more contributors from Africa and underrepresented communities access these trusted roles? What barriers still exist? And how can we build a more balanced and transparent Wikimedia governance for the future?
Date & time:
Wednesday 17th December 2025, at 4 pm UTC
Guest Host
[edit]- Nitesh Gill: part of Open Knowledge Initiatives team as Program officer at IIIT Hyderabad and a long-time Wikimedian recognised with a 2025 Honourable Mention. She works on leadership development, community engagement, and open-knowledge collaborations, while contributing to Punjabi translation and regional movement-building.
Guests
[edit]- Natalia Szafran: she has been an active contributor and community member for over a decade. She serves the Polish Wikipedia as an administrator and previously held roles as an arbitrator and oversighter. She also serves as an advisor to the Wikimedia CEE Hub and the Volunteer Supporters Network. Beyond her volunteer work, she has professional experience within the Wikimedia movement. She previously worked at Wikimedia Poland as a Community Support Manager and is currently a Lead Movement Communications Specialist at the Wikimedia Foundation, focusing on the European region. Her work centers on celebrating Wikimedians and supporting users with extended rights.
- Konan N'Da N'Dri: He joined the movement in 2023 as a member, project manager, and trainer within Wikimedia Côte d'Ivoire and quickly became an active force in supporting the WikiChallenge African Schools project. He contributes as an administrator on the French Wikipedia and participates in local initiatives such as #WikiLovesAfrica 2025 and the Lingua Libre workshops.
- Martin Rulsch: He is a steward, oversighter, CentralNotice administrator and sysop on Meta and a sysop at en.wikipedia and commons.wikimedia, a former sysop on de.wikipedia. He is also the 2024 Wikimedia Laureate of the Year.
In Focus Section
[edit]Sum up of In Focus sections during 2025!