Grants talk:TPS/Ahmed Mohi El din/The 5th International conference for Arabic language

Questions about your request

Hello Ahmed Mohi El din,

Thank you for submitting this request! The committee has a couple of questions for you before we finalize a funding decision, as follows:

In the Outcome section included in your report for The 4th International conference for Arabic language, you indicated that you were working:

• "in a project about start Wikipedia education program in the whole Arab countries with the League of Arab States"
• "to start workshops about 'how to edit Wikipedia' for individual groups in UAE"
• "to start workshops about 'how to edit Wikipedia' for individual groups about Arab history"

Can you tell us how each of these potentials projects has unfolded over the last year? Did any of the projects/workshops come to fruition? What are the outcomes, at this point, of your attendance last year?

We note that you and Mohamed Ouda have submitted fairly identical requests for the 5th International conference for Arabic language. Can you please say more about why you think two presenters are necessary this year, as opposed to having only one presenter, as last year? What outcomes would be possible if only one person attends? Separately, what additional outcomes do you anticipate would be possible if you have a second person? Since the total combined cost of both requests is substantial for one event, we'd like as much specificity as possible in your answer to this question.

We look forward to reading your response. Thank you for your work on behalf of the Wikimedia projects!

Warm regards,

--Marti (WMF) (talk) 00:02, 23 January 2016 (UTC)

• • Hi Marti (WMF) first of all sorry for delay.

1. We were working on education program with Ajman university but unfortunately they stopped it in the last minute, We are working now to start an initiative with Department of Economic Development in UAE we will invite many universities and individual groups.We are working to add the final touches.
2. we made a presentation about Wikimedia projects and education program for league of the arab states.

we still working in many projects but it's take some times to start it in the Arab world.

1. last year it was discussion session but this year it will be big presentation and our presentation will be publish in the official book of the conference and the conference is huge this year they will make it in tow different place at the same time, we make some contact to arrange some meeting we will add all the information about all this meeting after the confirmation.

please let me know if you have any other questions. --Ahmed Mohi El din (talk) 17:58, 29 January 2016 (UTC)

• • BTW our presentation will also talk about Wiki Zero and Wikipedia library --Ahmed Mohi El din (talk) 18:38, 29 January 2016 (UTC)

Hello Ahmed Mohi El din,

Thank you for providing more information in answer to my questions. I gather from your response that of the three outcomes described in your report last year, only one (the second) came to a concrete fruition: no new Wikipedia education programs were established as a result of the partnerships from last year's conference, no workshops were started about 'how to edit Wikipedia' for individual groups about Arab history, but there was one presentation conducted about Wikimedia projects and education programs for the League of Arab States (please correct me if I've misunderstood on any of these points). We definitely understand that it's not always within your control to transform partnerships into actualized workshops or programs. However, the high cost of this request makes it especially important that you work to come up with achievable outcomes for your attendance at this year's event, since the results from last year suggest that it might not be a cost-effective investment.

May we ask you to provide some specific, measurable goals for your attendance this year? Perhaps you might work with Tighe Flanagan (WMF) to come up with an achievable plan to foster the connections you made last year and any new ones you might make this year (including with the organization based in the UAE Tighe mentioned)?

As you think about your goals, please take a look at the instructions in the reporting section (step 3) under "How the program works" to help you plan for an outcome to link to your report, such as a learning pattern to teach others something you've learned, a link to something new that was co-created by you and your fellow participants at the event, or a blog post you wrote to share your experience with others after the event

Finally, I had asked before for more information about why two presenters are needed at this year's conference and specifically, what additional outcomes you anticipate would be possible if you and Mohamed Ouda both attend, versus having just one presenter. It's not clear from your answer that a second person's participation would significantly increase the impact of your presentation. In that case, the preference of the committee is to fund only one presenter to attend. Since you are a repeat grantee for this event, we are inclined to fund you since you are well positioned to further develop the connections with last year's conference participants. Please let us know if you or Mohamed Ouda have any further comments about this.

Thanks, --Marti (WMF) (talk) 16:49, 5 February 2016 (UTC)

Hello Marti (WMF)

Sorry if I was not clear enough, but let me be more clear.

1-Arab History we already made it, we started writing competition last year on the whole Arab world about Arabic history called star of the history and this was a great competition. We made it again this year and we will finish it in the middle of March, this competition attracted many people from around the Arab world.

2-Workshop How to edit Wikipedia we did some virtual workshops, and we are going to do two or three workshops during the conference I told you that I arranged some meetings with the connections I made last year. We didn't confirm it till now waiting to confirm our grant.

3-Education program well you have to know it's not easy at all to make some contact with professors in the universities asking about starting any kind of programs with the university it's very hard I will tell you the sequence A) Describe what is the meaning of Wikipedia to the professors. B) Describe what is the meaning of the Wikipedia education program to the professors. C) Describe our goals and confirm that we don't have any relation to any kind of The political work of the professors. ((YOU HAVE TO MAKE EVERYTHING VERY CLEAR TO THEM BECAUSE THEY WILL BE YOUR CONNECTIONS WITH THE ADMINS)) D) After many attempts we start our normal work, arrange some workshops, describe everything again to everyone.

• Sorry if all of this looks so ridiculous to you, but this just the truth and you can ask anyone about the Arab world after Arab spring revolutions.

• • But the great thing here that we already did all of this and we are going to start our education program in United Arab Emirates with the government of Ras Al Khaimah, this will be one of the biggest project in the middle east we working on the final touches.

4-about why we need two of us there not one. This is huge conference even two people not enough to cover it, but we are going to do our best, we will make a presentation, workshops, and meetings.I got many connections last year and I think that we can do better this year specially the number of attendees this year bigger than any other edition.

Finally, I know that I didn't do 100% of my target, but 60% or 70% not bad. And I think it will be valuable to attend this conference.

Regrades --Ahmed Mohi El din (talk) 00:59, 9 February 2016 (UTC)

Regional networking and metoring

Dear Ahmed Mohi El din, Mohamed Ouda,

I see that there is a focus on education, and you highlight the potential for starting a Wikipedia Education Program pilot through some collaboration with people at this conference. Would this be a follow up to connections you made last year? It would be great to have support and mentorship from the region, and Egypt has deep knowledge and experience in this area. I have also been contacted by an organization based in the UAE, which I could connect you to should one or both of you attend this event.

I'm also noting that Ahmed connected with several people last year, and wondering if there were any particular blockers to following up there, or if any developments have been made offline or in other channels that could be shared here? Tighe Flanagan (WMF) (talk) 15:33, 26 January 2016 (UTC)

Hi Tighe Flanagan (WMF) As you know this is a huge conference many universities, translators, individual groups even they invite many schools this year. I trying to arrange some meeting by using the contact I made last year. And we are open to meet anyone will help us to improve our projects. Thank you Tighe for your help.--Ahmed Mohi El din (talk) 18:35, 29 January 2016 (UTC)

Request funded

Hello Ahmed Mohi El din,

Thank you for clarifying the outcomes of last year's event, in response to the committee's inquiries. We're pleased to hear about the good progress! In light of your feedback, we're happy to fund your request to attend this year's event. However, we don't have sufficient justification to fund two persons to attend at this time. Without a clearer plan for how a second person would achieve additional outcomes, we are inclined to fund one of you. Since you have been the more active participant in this process, we are funding your request.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Warm regards,

--Marti (WMF) (talk) 15:34, 24 February 2016 (UTC)

Hi Marti (WMF) first of all thank you for your help I really appreciate it, but as you saw I did good last year so we really need to improve our effort and our results by doing more effective effort it seems to me that we need to be at least 2 to cover every meeting and every workshop related to our project I made plane to visit the schools In Dubai and as I told you it will be huge conference.--Ahmed Mohi El din (talk) 17:19, 1 March 2016 (UTC)

A follow-up note: Please review the next steps for your grant as described in "How the program works". Note that your post-event report must provide a link to an outcome from your participation, such as a learning pattern to teach others something you've learned at the event, a link to something new that was co-created by you and your fellow participants at the event, or a blog post you wrote to share your experience with others after the event. Our Grants Administrator will be in touch with you about your grant. Thank you for work on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation!