Grants talk:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Conference Fund/North East Asia WikiCon in Seoul 2025

Endorsement from JM99 (talk)

1. 東北亞地區有類似的國家規模、工作文化、且有良好的交流，比起整個ESEAP區域，或許更能促成實際具體的區域合作

2. 覺得充分

3. 認為是很好的開始，過往日韓蒙古社群較少參與國際交流，或是較以自己國家本土經營為主，透過這個wiki con彼此都能有良好的學習成長空間

4. 是

5. 是

--JM99 (talk) 14:25, 8 February 2025 (UTC)

Endorsement

I appreciate the attempt to hold a conference centered on East Asia.

1.Historical Background of east Asia

I am a member of the Wikimedians of Japan User Group. ESEAP is an exciting region with diverse history and culture. But at the same time, it often feels too broad.

In that respect, holding a conference only in East Asia is a great idea. East Asian countries, regions, and people each have their own culture, but at the same time, we have common classics in the form of Chinese characters and ancient documents written in Chinese characters. For example, Confucius, Laozi, Records of the Grand Historian, and poems from the Tang Dynasty are still loved today.

2.East Asia has a very long history, dating back 2,000 to 4,000 years. However, in today's Western-centered world, we as a whole are underrepresented. Collecting the historical assets of East Asia will directly contribute to filling the wiki gap. I am especially grateful that Mongolia has been invited to this East Asia Conference, given the enormous impact that Mongolia has had on the Eurasian world since the 13th century.

And more...

We Japanese speakers are not good at speaking and listening to English. I respect WMKR for coming up with a solution to cover that point.

3. Yes. East Asia is particularly rich in written records. If we could collect them, they would be useful worldwide. And I actually mean worldwide. They would be useful at least for Eurasian history. For example, we might have a 17th century Korean record that talks about the conflict between Russia and the Qing Empire.

4.Yes. For Example, Wikisource or technology.

5. Yes. If there is one problem, I think it may be a little difficult to gather 15 participants from Japan.--Kizhiya(WJPUG) (talk) 13:48, 18 February 2025 (UTC)

Feedback on the North East Asia WikiCon Proposal

Hi everyone,

Thank you for submitting the proposal for North East Asia WikiCon. The idea of fostering deeper collaboration among Wikimedia communities in Northeast Asia is interesting, and I recognize the potential benefits of strengthening connections within this underrepresented sub-region. However, the proposal requires significant improvement in several key areas to clearly articulate its objectives, justify the need for a new conference, and ensure meaningful regional engagement. Below are our observations and recommendations based on a thorough review – this feedback includes thoughts from my colleagues and myself.

Key Areas for Improvement

1. Lack of Clear Objectives and Justification for Investment

• The proposal does not sufficiently explain why this sub-regional convening is needed, especially given the existence of the ESEAP Conference and ESEAP Strategy Summit. While the region is large, this alone is not a sufficient justification for a separate event.
• A potential risk is that this event could create an isolated sub-regional group that is disconnected from the larger ESEAP region. Careful planning is needed to ensure that this initiative complements rather than competes with existing regional structures.
• The objectives remain vague, with the proposal focusing only on editing Wikipedia and discussing AI. These topics, while relevant, are not sufficient to justify a multi-day in-person conference.
• The impact metrics (50 articles edited, 100 images uploaded, 72 participants) are very low—lower than what is typically achieved in a single editathon. This does not justify the investment of nearly 65,000 USD.
• The proposal should clearly define what specific outcomes the conference aims to achieve and how it will contribute to long-term engagement and community building.

2. Ensuring a More Inclusive and Collaborative Planning Process

• The conference is described as a "North East Asia WikiCon," but the organizing team consists only of Wikimedia Korea. This makes the event more of a Korean conference rather than a true regional convening.
• There is no pre-existing engagement or collaboration between the Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, and Mongolian communities that would justify an in-person event of this scale. The historical connection between these regions alone is not enough to establish a strong foundation for collaboration.
• The role of participants from Japan, Taiwan, and Mongolia is unclear—what will they contribute, and how will their presence shape the event? For example, the proposal includes five representatives from Mongolia, yet only one Mongolian Wikimedian is actively engaging with other communities.
• The lack of pre-existing engagement suggests that smaller online meetings, editathons, or hybrid panels should be explored before moving to an in-person conference.

3. Reconsider the Scale, Participant Selection, and Event Format

• The cost-per-participant is high, especially given the low expected outputs. Seoul is an expensive city, and it is unclear whether the budget is being used effectively to ensure long-term impact.
• If this is meant to be a pilot initiative, it may be more effective to start smaller—for example, a focused summit or hybrid event with structured pre-event activities.
• Given the language barriers between Korean, Japanese, and Chinese communities, the proposal should specify how translation and interpretation support will be provided to ensure inclusivity.

Potential Benefits

• The focus on neurodiversity is a positive aspect of the proposal and could be developed further as a central theme.
• The proposal should build upon existing regional initiatives, such as Wikipedia Asian Month collaborations.
• Before committing to a full in-person conference, the organizers should start with smaller-scale engagements, such as: Online editathons, Virtual meetings, Hybrid discussions (panels, presentations, structured Zoom discussions) and Collaborative training programs between communities

Conclusion

The North East Asia WikiCon proposal is currently not strong enough to justify funding in its present form. The low impact metrics, lack of clear objectives, and absence of prior collaboration between communities suggest that an alternative approach—such as smaller hybrid engagements—would be more appropriate at this stage.

I strongly recommend that the organizers engage with Jacqueline to refine the concept and explore alternative engagement strategies that can build meaningful connections between Northeast Asian communities before committing to an in-person event.

Considering the concerns outlined, we strongly recommend withdrawing the proposal. However, if you decide to proceed with the submission as it stands, please note that it is unlikely to be approved. In case you would like to work on the proposal, please resubmit your proposal by March 3 (the proposal is open to be edited on Fluxx).

Best regards,

--Cornelius Kibelka (WMF) (talk to me) 19:15, 20 February 2025 (UTC) (with valuable input from my colleagues)

@CKibelka (WMF): Thank you for your advise. We will change our orginal plan, and reduce the size of our event. Can we modify or resubmit our application? --Motoko (WMKR) (talk) 13:11, 27 February 2025 (UTC)

@Motoko (WMKR): Hi! Sure, you could still modify, adapt and resubmit your proposal. I would extend your deadline until next Friday, March 7 – would that work for you? Please note that a modified proposal still needs to fit the criteria for events of the Conference & Event Fund, laid out here Grants:Conference, while taking the main points of my feedback (see above) into account. --Cornelius Kibelka (WMF) (talk to me) 13:47, 27 February 2025 (UTC)