Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Wiki Palestine - Supporting and strengthening the Palestinian Wiki community
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Applicant details[edit]
Wikimedia username(s):
Organization:
- I'lam - Arab Center for Media Freedom, Development, and Research
G. Have you received grants from the Wikimedia Foundation before?
- Did not apply previously
H. Have you received grants from any non-wiki organization before?
- Yes
H.1 Which organization(s) did you receive grants from?
- Open Society Foundation
European Union USAID
M. Do you have a fiscal sponsor?
- No
M1. Fiscal organization name.
- N/A
Additional information[edit]
R. Where will this proposal be implemented?
- Palestine
S. Please indicate whether your work will be focused on one country (local), more than one or several countries in your region (regional) or has a cross-regional (global) scope:
- Regional
S1. If you have answered regional or international, please write the country names and any other information that is useful for understanding your proposal.
T. If you would like, please share any websites or social media accounts that your group or organization has. (optional)
M. Do you have a fiscal sponsor?
- No
M1. Fiscal organization name.
- N/A
Proposal[edit]
1. What is the overall vision of your organization and how does this proposal contribute to this? How does this proposal connect to past work and learning?
I'lam - Arab Center for Media Freedom, Development, and research was founded in 2000 by a group of Palestinian academics and journalists active in the fields of civil society, media and research. I'lam Center seeks to strengthen the Palestinian Arab society through the defense of freedoms, human development and research. This is achieved by cultivating young leadership capable of representing the needs and interests of the Palestinian society, strengthening media professionals through professional capacity building based on human rights standards, developing community strategic thinking, and conducting studies on the reality of the Palestinian society.
In 2019, I'lam Center launched an innovative program as part of our strategy to cultivate and mobilize a young impactful leadership among the Palestinian society. Understanding the importance and potential societal impact the free encyclopedia can have, the program focused on training Palestinian students on the uses of Wikipedia. The project was launched with a call for participation, which was answered by 80 candidates. Following a screening process, 24 participants were selected, with a majority of women. One of the crucial criteria upon which the participants were selected was the extent of their motivation for contribution. The project began with a training on the technical uses of Wikipedia, followed by strategic group planning, focusing on avenues to enrich the information on Wikipedia during the training. The participants found a lack in information regarding the Palestinian society in general, and the Palestinian society in Israel in particular. While some articles contained misinformation, others were not found at all.
Following the initial training and strategic planning, we began establishing the steering committee, which included prominent researchers including Prof. Amal Jammal, Dr. Jhony Mansour, Dr. Muhanad Mustafa, Dr. Sharaf Hassan, Dr. Mtanes Shehadi and others, who assisted the students in selecting the values they will create and edit according to Wiki standards.
Through this project, we were able to contribute to the development of a strong Palestinian team of Wiki editors, who are continually active until today. With contributions to over 700 articles, the 24 participants continued to provide mentoring and training to those who followed.
To increase contribution to the free encyclopedia and as part of our goal to promote youth leadership and civic participation, we expanded the training program to include the Palestinian society in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. To this end, we requested the support of the Palestinian Ministry of Culture, which was granted. The first joint training included 15 participants from each Palestinian community. Our group currently includes 45 participants in addition to the 24 members who participated in the initial training.
Being a media organization and understanding the importance of free access to information, I’lam will continue to promote activities that contribute to a well informed society. By promoting the use of Wikipedia in the Palestinian society and providing support to the Palestinian Wiki community as it develops and expands through the activities of this project, we will provide training and support to new Wiki editors, continue to support active community members, and work to increase the public’s awareness of the importance of this source of information, data, news, and media content.
2. What is the change that you are trying to bring about and why is this important?
During the first phase of the project, it was important for us to understand the current situation, so we are better equipped to design an appropriate program to fit the needs of our society. The steering committee surveyed the available articles and values on Wikipedia and its different projects, and has found a significant informational gap regarding the Palestinian soceity, specifically regarding women and culture. This informational gap is a direct result of the lack of awareness of the Palestinian soceity to the potential implementations of Wikimedia projects such as Wikidata, Wikisource, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikinews, as well as its integration into the education system as both a learning and teaching tool, which was evident by the absence of Wikimedia related academic courses.
As for the content quality on the Palesitnian society, the steering committee has found that there are many issues with the existing information; poor translation, inaccurate data, misinformation, and the complete lack of articles regarding specific subjects related to the Palestinian soceity, specifically women and culture. This was further highlighted when examining information regarding the Palestinian soceity in Israel and the different Palestinian regions and towns, as many of them suffer from poor connectability and access to the internet, limiting their contribution to the free encyclopedia. Through this project, we seek to bridge this informational gap and raise the awareness of leading Palestinian female figures from the areas selected for the project, while focusing on women in art and culture. During the training, the non-Wikimedian participants will be introduced to the different Wikimedia projects, editing regulations, and technical use of Wikimedia platforms.
3. Describe your main approaches or strategies to achieve these changes and why you think they will be effective.
For this project, we will implement two strategies that will enable us to address the informational gap regarding both the diversity and the quantity of content related to Palestinian women in Art and Culture, and the Palestinian culture in general. While one strategy addresses the participants' selection criteria, the other addresses the issue of accessibility and inclusivity.
Considering I’lam’s experience in the world of media we feel that our largest contribution will be to focus on our natural target audience. The group selected will be composed of journalism and media students who possess the required motivation to be an active contributor to the different Wikimedia projects such as Wikinews and Wikiqoutes. By introducing future journalists with the tools offered by Wikimedia, we are directly contributing to the strengthening of a well informed society, as journalists possess the tools to reach the masses. This will assist in raising the public’s awareness to the importance of this collective and free bank of information.
To bridget the informational gap regarding Palestinian women in art and culture from the regions selected, and to ensure a diverse and inclusive representation of all Palestinian communities, we will focus the training in 7 towns from different Palestinian areas; Nazareth, Jerusalem, al-Khalil, Nablus, Gaza, Ramallah, and Jenin. This is based on the assumption that native local editors will be able to provide more accurate and detailed information regarding their areas, thus contributing to both the quality and quantity of information available on Wikimedia.
These two strategies combined will provide the conditions required for the success of this project. Young active and motivated journalists will not only be able to regularly contribute to Wikimedia projects, it will also provide them with new tools to use in their professional careers.
4. What are the activities you will be developing and delivering as part of these approaches or strategies?
For a duration of 12 months, we will focus our efforts on implementing a series of training programs and Wikithons, aimed at strengthening the Palestinian Wiki community.
The first phase of the project will include Training Of Trainers (TOT) to 7 previous participants, each from one of the regions selected, who are still very active contributors. At the conclusion of this training, the participants will be able to train and mentor their own group of non-Wikimedians. The training will be provided by Dr. Alaa Najjar, an active editor on Wikipedia.
Following the TOT, each of the 7 new trainers will train a group from one of the 7 towns selected, with 20 non-Wikimedian participants per group. The training will include editing guidelines, the different Wikimedia projects such as Wikinews, Wikisource, and Wikimedia commons, as well as technical training in the navigation of the different Wiki platforms. During the training, each of the new participants will contribute to at least 10 articles, totalling in 1400 articles and values updated by the end of the training. The new Wikimedians will select articles and values specific to their region, with a focus on women in art and culture, to contribute to the collective knowledge and provide accurate information and details that only a native local can provide.
Following the successful completion of the project, the new Wikimedinas will participate in a Wiki-thon, during which each will focus on a specific Wiki project, with the goal of contributing to all relevant sections. The Wiki-thon will be a 2 day event, directed and led by the steering committee who will provide content support to the 120 participants. During the Wiki-thon, the participants will update at least 40 Wikipedia articles, 20 Wikidata values, 20 Wikisource values, 20 Wikimedia Commons values, and 20 Wikiversity values.
5. Do you want to apply for multi-year funding?
No
5.1 If yes, provide a brief overview of Year 2 and Year 3 of the proposed plan and how this relates to the current proposal and your strategic plan?
- N/A
6. Please include a timeline (operational calendar) for your proposal.
- 1 months administrative preparation
1 month TOT 7 months training 2 months preparation for Wikithon 1 month project evolution
7. Do you have the team that is needed to implement this proposal?
Project Director - Kholod Massalha will guide and monitor the implementation of the proposed activities. This will include providing progress reports to the funding partners, coordinating communication between the partners, and providing support to project’s staff to ensure a timely execution of the activities. This position is not budgeted for this project, as it will be a volunteer position.
Project Coordinator - Maisoon Zoabi will be responsible for coordinating and organizing all project activities, including but not limited to: securing training locations, coordinating participants and trainers, arranging refreshments and accommodation, and providing the Project Director with regular updates and reports on the progress of the activities.
The project will be accompanied by two trainers (Maqbola Nassar, Dr. Alaa Al-Najjar), and their role will be to train different groups of participants on the use of the free encyclopedia and to assist them in obtaining the rank of a Veteran Editor. It is important to point out that both trainers are active Wiki editors, and Dr. Al-Najjar (username: علاء النجار) is a member of the Levant user group.
A financial officer- Ola Hallaq will monitor and document all project expenditure, as well as provide funding partners with financial reports.
8. Please state if your proposal aims to work to bridge any of the identified CONTENT knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select up to THREE that most apply to your work.
Content Gender gap, Geography, Socioeconomic Status, Important Topics (topics considered to be of impact or important in the specific context), Cultural background, ethnicity, religion, racial
8.1 In a few sentences, explain how your work is specifically addressing this content gap (or Knowledge inequity) to ensure a greater representation of knowledge.
9. Please state if your proposal includes any of these areas or THEMATIC focus. Select up to THREE that most apply to your work and explain the rationale for identifying these themes.
Education, Culture, heritage or GLAM , Advocacy, Human Rights, Diversity
10. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Please note, we had previously asked about inclusion and diversity in terms of CONTENTS, in this question we are asking about the diversity of PARTICIPANTS. Select up to THREE that most apply to your work.
Gender Identity, Geographic , Ethnic/racial/religious or cultural background, Linguistic / Language, Socioeconomic status, Digital Access
11. What are your strategies for engaging participants, particularly those that currently are non-Wikimedia?
The selection of participants will be largely based on their level of motivation for contribution, this is to ensure their continued activities following the completion of the project. Following the conclusion of the project, we will continue to organize Wiki-thons, and online “mini-training” for the participants and other Palesitnian Wikimedians. To ensure equal gender representation, at least half the participants selected will be women. This aligns with I’lam’s gender inclusive and feminist approach, which is present in any activity we implement. By specifically selecting media and journalism students, we are investing in a generation of future journalists who are aware of the benefits of free knowledge, and are both personally and professionally predisposed to the concept of Wikimedia and its implementation. Investing in journalists also has the added benefit of a ripple-effect, as they have a wide reach within their society and can promote the use of Wikimedia projects among the Palestinian public. With the curious nature of journalists, and youth enthusiasm, we ensure that we select participants with the highest retirement potential. Understanding the travel limitations of some of these communities, we designed the project activities across different geographical locations, each with their own travel restrictions. By bringing the training to them, we are able to reach communities that would otherwise go unrepresented. The cooperation of the Palestinian universities will be facilitated by the Palestinian Authorities, which will provide us access to the student candidate pool. We will also launch a campaign to recruit candidates and to promote Wikimedia projects.
12. In what ways are you actively seeking to contribute towards creating a safer, supportive, more equitable environment for participants and promoting the UCOC and Friendly Space Policy, and/or equivalent local policies and processes?
All project activities are implemented by members of the local communities, allowing us a better understanding of the specific societal needs of the participants.
Furthermore, I'lam is an organization that adopts a zero patience policy in regards to harassments, both physical and verbal. There is always a group facilitators in all joint activates, who ensures a safe and inclusive environment free of any toxicity.
13. Do you have plans to work with Wikimedia communities, groups, or affiliates in your country, or in other countries, to implement this proposal?
Yes
13.1 If yes, please tell us about these connections online and offline and how you have let Wikimedia communities know about this proposal.
Dr. Alaa Najjar, an active editor on Wikipedia in the Levant group is one of the main trainers in the project.
14. Will you be working with other external, non-Wikimedian partners to implement this proposal?
Yes
14.1 Please describe these partnerships and what motivates the potential partner to be part of the proposal and how they add value to your work.
Mada al-Carmel Center: Mada al-Carmel The Arab Center for Applied Social Studies - an independent, non-profit research institution, founded in 2000 and located in Haifa. The center focuses on human and national development in society, and aims to encourage applied and theoretical research on the Palestinian society. Mada al-Carmel focuses on the social, educational, and economic needs of Palestinians in Israel, including national identity and democratic citizenship. Mada al-Carmel’s role in the project will be to provide the necessary resources for the values selected, some of which are absent from the free encyclopedia while others are selected for updating.
Palestinian Ministry of Culture: With the launch of the second year of the project, we contacted the Palestinian Ministry of Culture, which secured a Palestinian government decision to prioritizes training specialized groups in Wikipedia to enrich the information regarding the Palestinian soceity and history. The role of the Ministry of Culture will be to facilitate our work in the different regions in the Palestinian Authority, and will provide a safety net for the project until we achieve the project’s goals, as well as encourage universities to adopt Wikipedia academic courses. Considering the financial situation of the Palestinian Authority, its role will include assistance in organizating meetings in the different Palestinian towns, pressuring university management to integrate Wikipedia into the education system, and afford us training locations. This cooperation is not included in the budget, and the Palestinian Authority will cover the cost of its contribution.
15. How do you hope to sustain or expand the work carried out in this proposal after the grant?
16. What kind of risks do you anticipate and how would you mitigate these. This can include factors such as external/contextual issues that may affect implementation, as well as internal issues, such as governance/leadership changes.
- One of the main issues we will face is the matter of retaining the long-term contribution of the participants. Ensuring the continued activity of the editors will depend on a number of factors, the most important of which is the extent of their motivation to contribute.
The unstable political situation in Israel, and the increasing tension with the Palestinian Authority, there is a risk of imposed travel restrictions. In such a case, the training will be transferred online.
17. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select a maximum of three options that most apply.
Increase the Sustainability of Our Movement, Provide for Safety and Inclusion, Invest in Skills and Leadership Development, Manage Internal Knowledge, Identify Topics for Impact, Evaluate, Iterate, and Adapt
18. Please state if your organization or group has a Strategic Plan that can help us further understand your proposal. You can also upload it here.
- Yes
Learning, Sharing, and Evaluation[edit]
19. What do you hope to learn from your work in this fund proposal?
Goal 1: Increase the number and improve the accuracy of articles and values related to Palestinian women in art and culture from the different regions selected. How many articles and values were updated? Which Wikimedia project received the most contribution? How many articles and values were updated during the Wikithon?
Goal 2: Strengthen and contribute to the development of a consistently active group of Palestinian Wikimedians. How many new Wikimedians joined the community? What is the average contribution rate per participant? How may we improve the training material to better fit the needs of the participants? How may we improve the training conditions to better fit the needs of the participants? What are the required conditions to ensure the continued contribution of participants? What is the contribution rate of the participants 6 months following the conclusion of the project? How many participants joined the two-day Wikithon?
20. Based on these learning questions, what is the information or data you need to collect to answer these questions? Please register this information (as metric description) in the following space provided.
| Main Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Articles and Values | We will record and document the contribution of the participants, allowing us to extract statistical data and determine the success of the training program and two-day Wikithon. | 1700 |
| Contribution Statistics | Using the data extracted from the Articles and Values database, we will be able to determine which Wikimedia project received the most contribution. The results of this distribution will be reflected in lessons learned. | N/A |
| Participants | The project coordinator will maintain a log of all active participants, including a list of their contributions.
Data extracted from this database will allow us to monitor the number of participants and adjust the project’s activities accordingly. Using digital tools, we will also monitor their contribution rate by requesting they update an online database listing their contributions time. Through this database we will also be able to determine the number of participants who attended the Wikithon. Our goal is that 120 out of the original 140 participants attend the two-day event. |
120 |
| Quality of Training | Following the training, the participants will be requested to provide us with extensive feedback for both the quality of the training material and the physical conditions of the events. This will allow us to adjust the training to better fit the needs of the participants. | N/A |
| Retention Rate | To be able to determine the retention rate, we will request that the participants continue to update the articles and values databases, allowing us to measure the progress of their contribution following the conclusion of the project. | N/A |
Here are some additional metrics that you can use if they are relevant to your work. Please note that this is just an optional list, mostly of quantitative metrics. They may complement the qualitative metrics you have defined in the previous boxes.
| Additional Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Number of editors that continue to participate/retained after activities | N/A | N/A |
| Number of organizers that continue to participate/retained after activities | N/A | N/A |
| Number of strategic partnerships that contribute to longer term growth, diversity and sustainability | N/A | N/A |
| Feedback from participants on effective strategies for attracting and retaining contributors | N/A | N/A |
| Diversity of participants brought in by grantees | N/A | N/A |
| Number of people reached through social media publications | N/A | N/A |
| Number of activities developed | N/A | N/A |
| Number of volunteer hours | N/A | N/A |
21. Additional core quantitative metrics. These core metrics will not tell the whole story about your work, but they are important for measuring some Movement-wide changes. Please try to include these core metrics if they are relevant to your work. If they are not, please use the space provided to explain why they are not relevant or why you can not capture this data. Your explanation will help us review our core metrics and make sure we are using the best ones for the movement as a whole.
| Core metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | TOT - 7 returning participating
Training in Wiki Editing and Wikimedia Projects - 140 new participants. |
147 |
| Number of editors | 7 regional groups of new Wikimedians in training, the participants will receive training in editing regulations and the different Wikimedia projects. | 140 |
| Number of organizers | The project will be supported by a staff that includes a project director, project coordinator, a steering committee composed of 18 academics and professionals, and two trainers, in addition to the administrative staff (financial officer and resource developer) | 24 |
| Wikimedia Project | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | Throughout the training and Wikithon, the participants will contribute to the Wiki projects as such:
Wikipedia: 800 Wikinews: 150 Wikimedia Commons: 300 Wikiversity: 30 Wikisource: 40 |
1700 |
| Wikinews | N/A | 150 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
21.1 If for some reason your proposal will not measure these core metrics please provide an explanation.
N/A
22. What tools would you use to measure each metric selected?
To measure, and monitor the progression of the project’s activities, as well as the individual progress of each participant, we will use the Programs and Events Dashboard.
Financial Proposal[edit]
23. & 23.1 What is the amount you are requesting from WMF? Please provide this amount in your local currency. If you are thinking about a multi-year fund, please provide the amount for the first year.
- 371338.54 ILS
23.2 What is this amount in US Currency (to the best of your knowledge)?
- 109628 USD
23.3 Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it.
23.4 Please include any additional observations or comments you would like to include about your budget.
- N/A
Please use this optional space to upload any documents that you feel are important for further understanding your proposal.
- Other public document(s):
Final Message[edit]
By submitting your proposal/funding request you agree that you are in agreement with the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and the Universal Code of Conduct.
We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.
- Yes
Feedback[edit]
- Please add any feedback to the grant discussion page only. Any feedback added here will be removed.