Wikimedia Foundation elections/2025/Candidates/Alvin Ategyeka
Alvin Ategyeka (Alvinategyeka)
Alvinategyeka (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA • AE)
| Candidate details | 
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| Candidate video statement | ||
| Total word count for the whole application (required + optional questions) is 2500 words. | ||
| Have you read the minimum candidate requirements and verified you meet the minimum qualifications and the candidate eligibility requirements? | Yes | |
| Have you read the candidate guidelines and agree to abide by the guidelines? | Yes | |
| Required questions | ||
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| Why are you running for the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees? What would you contribute? What would you like to learn more about? | I'm running because I believe in Wikimedia's mission of free Knowledge and want to ensure its long-term sustainability, equity and adaptability in a rapidly changing digital landscape.
Having spent 6 years contributing to English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, and more wikis, Ive seen both the movements strength and its challenges, from governance gaps to uneven global participation. As a trustee, I will focus on strengthening community led decision making , improving resource allocation for underrepresented communities and safeguarding integrity against disinformation and policy threats. | |
| Please describe your Wikimedia experience (such as contributions to the Wikimedia projects, memberships in Wikimedia organizations or affiliates, activities as a Wikimedia movement organizer, or participation with a Wikimedia movement ally organization). | Contributor since March 2019, Active on Wikipedia, Wikidata, Commons, Meta-Wiki, Wikisource, and Wikivoyage.
Trainer: Led WikiGap campaigns and university workshops (2019–present); conducted online trainings. Events Coordinator: Organized Wiki Loves Africa/Earth/Monuments in Uganda (2021–2025). Ambassador: Wiki Loves Africa (2024–2025) and Wiki Loves Earth (2024). Grant & Content Review 'Grant Reviewer: Wiki Loves Africa 2025 Grant Review Committee. Photo Evaluator: First-level reviewer for competition submissions. Governance & Conferences Elections Chair: Oversaw inaugural board elections for Wikimedia Community Usergroup Uganda (2025) as chair for elections committee. Wiki Indaba 2023 Morrocco - Presented a session on volunteer recruitment and retention. Wikimania 2024 Poland – Room Manager and Note taker. | |
| From your perspective, what should the Wikimedia Foundation be prioritizing over the next 3-5 years, and why do you see these as the most important priorities? | From my experience in the movement, here's what really needs focus;
Fix the Knowledge Imbalance; We need to finally address the huge gaps in Global South content. More funding and tools for local communities would make a real difference. Keep Our Editors Safe; The harassment problem isn't going away. We need better protection systems and actual support for volunteers facing abuse. Upgrade Our Tech; Our editing tools feel outdated, and AI is creating new challenges. We need smarter systems that help editors without compromising quality. Make Decisions Clearer; The Movement Charter needs to actually work in practice - less bureaucracy, more action. These changes would make Wikimedia stronger while staying true to our mission. | |
| Please describe your experience with governing bodies of organizations (nonprofit or for-profit), mentioning the scope of your responsibilities, as well as the complexity of the organization (in terms of scale of operations, budget, number of people involved, or other meaningful measures) and the size of the board or body. | I've had hands-on experience serving in leadership roles that required strategic decision-making and oversight:
Wikimedia Community User Group Uganda (2021-Present) Served on the executive committee, helping steer our activities across Uganda As Elections Chair in 2025, I designed and managed the election process for our inaugural board Oversaw programs plus coordinating teams of 50+ volunteers Worked directly with local universities and cultural institutions to expand Wikimedia's reach Wiki Loves Africa Grant Committee (2025) Reviewed and evaluated funding proposals from across Africa Made allocation decisions that impacted community projects in multiple countries Helped assess project viability and alignment with movement goals Photography Competitions (2021-2025) Managed nationwide campaigns like Wiki Loves Monuments Coordinated between local organizers, international teams, and jury members
I understand how organizations operate at different scales from local user groups to continent wide initiatives. This perspective would be valuable on the Board. | |
| Questions from the Community (required) | ||
| These questions were sourced from the community. These questions are required to consider your application complete. If this section is not complete by 23:59 AoE, July 8 (11:59 UTC, July 9), your application will not be considered. | ||
| How do you plan to ensure transparency and accountability in your decision-making processes as a member of the Board of Trustees? | I will do the following to ensure transparency;
Clear Communication Provide regular, plain-language updates on Board decisions through Meta-Wiki and community channels, respecting confidentiality limits. Decision Rationale Publicly explain my voting positions and how community input was considered in major decisions. Accessibility Maintain open communication channels for community questions and feedback, with timely responses. Conflict Management Disclose and recuse myself from any conflicted votes, documenting recusals transparently. Continuous Improvement Participate in annual community feedback sessions and adapt based on constructive criticism. Having managed grants and elections, I understand that trust requires consistent openness. I will balance transparency with the Board's legal obligations while ensuring the community understands how and why decisions are made. | |
| What will be the first new issue you would like to bring to the attention of the Board for discussion, and how would you approach it? | You know what keeps me up at night?
Watching passionate new editors from places like Uganda, Nigeria, and Kenya join our projects full of enthusiasm, only to disappear within months. I've trained many of them, brilliant students, cultural experts, photographers and seen firsthand how our systems fail them. The tools feel outdated, the rules seem confusing, and there's no clear path forward when they hit obstacles. If elected, my first priority would be sounding the alarm about this broken pipeline. I'd come to the Board with stories from the ground not just statistics, but real experiences of talented contributors we've lost. Take for example a medical student who wants to improve African health articles? She gives up after her third edit is reverted without explanation. Or a librarian in Nairobi who could have added so much, but couldn't navigate the upload process? I'd push for immediate action, let’s audit our onboarding systems with fresh eyes. Let's reallocate resources to provide real mentorship, not just one-off trainings. Let's stop assuming what works in Berlin or San Francisco will work in Kinshasa or Bujumbura. Most importantly, let's measure our success not by how many new accounts are created, but by how many stay active after six months. This isn't just about fairness, it's about survival. If we don't fix this, we'll keep losing the very voices that could make Wikimedia truly universal. | |
| How should decisions about trade-offs and prioritisation in Wikimedia technology or product areas be approached? Please explain what the trade-off is in your view. | The real trade-off isn't between innovation and stability. It's between building for the privileged few or creating tools that work for the many. We keep measuring success by technical milestones when we should be counting how many diverse voices we retain.
If we're serious about being the "sum of all knowledge," we need to start building like it. That means testing tools where they're needed most, listening when communities say something doesn't work, and having the courage to prioritize accessibility over technical perfection. Because right now? We're not just choosing tools, we're choosing whose knowledge gets left out. And that should keep all of us awake at night | |
| The number of Wikimedia affiliates has grown significantly over the past few years, but ensuring adequate resourcing can be a challenge. Given this, how might we rethink the movement ecosystem, including how affiliates are evaluated, engaged, and resourced? | We've built an affiliate system that values quantity over impact. I've seen talented volunteers in Uganda burn out writing reports instead of creating knowledge. Here's how we fix it:
1.Fund for results, not paperwork; Replace lengthy reports with simple progress checks Reward groups that fill real content gaps, not just host events 2.Give real support; Multi-year funding for proven affiliates Shared regional resources (tools, training, legal help) 3.Let some groups sunset; Celebrate missions accomplished instead of propping up inactive groups The choice is simple; keep adding affiliates while existing ones struggle, or build an ecosystem where every group has what it needs to make real impact. | |
| As the Wikimedia Foundation's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position transitions, what qualities do you believe the incoming leader should embody, and how would these contribute to the advancement of the Wikimedia movement? | Our next CEO must:
1.Truly understand Wikimedia – not just as a platform, but as a living movement of volunteers creating knowledge against real-world challenges. 2.Listen beyond the usual voices – prioritize insights from Global South editors who face the steepest barriers to participation. 3.Cut bureaucracy, not corners – simplify systems so volunteers spend less time reporting and more time contributing. 4.Protect our people – defend both the projects and the contributors, especially where free knowledge is under threat. We don’t need a celebrity leader – we need someone who respects what this movement already is while boldly steering it toward what it must become. | |
| Optional questions - Professional Experience, Skills and Education | ||
| These questions are optional. Responses will count towards the total word limit on your application. (Reminder: You will not have other opportunities to provide this information). | ||
| Please describe your professional career experience and relevance to board work. | I have a bachelors degree in Information Technology | |
| Please describe how you handled, or advised others on, a complex problem in an organization. How did you work with others to address the situation? What was the change that resulted from your efforts? | When edit wars erupted over politically sensitive local history articles, I mediated between opposing editors by:
Creating neutral ground - Organized an in-person meeting with key contributors at a university (with tea/coffee to ease tensions) Establishing clear guidelines - Collaboratively drafted sourcing standards for contentious topics Implementing mentorship - Paired experienced editors with newcomers to improve research skills Outcome: Reduced reverts by 75% on disputed articles Produced 12 well-sourced featured articles Became our standard conflict resolution model | |
| Please describe your educational background, including degrees, certificates, and courses of study finished, and their relevance to board work. | Bachelor’s in IT: Trained in problem-solving, systems thinking, and data-driven decision making—critical for analyzing complex governance challenges.
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| Please add any relevant links describing your professional background, experience, profile (such as LinkedIn, staff page, etc.). | https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-ategyeka-46515624b/ | |
| Optional questions - Leadership Experience | ||
| These questions are optional. Responses will count towards the total word limit on your application. (Reminder: You will not have other opportunities to provide this information). | ||
| Please describe ways in which you have helped to form a bridge between multiple communities (such as by working on projects outside your home wiki, or working on a collaboration between multiple affiliates). | Bridging Communities
Wiki Loves Africa Ambassador; Facilitated photo submissions between African contributors and international reviewers, improving review turnaround time. Uganda Wikimedia Activities; Organized local edit-a-thons and photo contests, connecting Ugandan contributors with wider Wikimedia projects. Multilingual Support; Created simplified, visual guides to help non-English speakers navigate Commons uploads. Impact; Faster participation and more content from Ugandan contributors. | |
| Can you describe a policy, on wiki or off, that you helped to create or change? What did you learn from this experience? | Empowering Voices in Wikimedia Uganda
Training New Editors Hosted hands-on edit-a-thons at Ugandan universities, equipping students with skills to document local knowledge. Many became active contributors. Mentorship Personally guided 10+ new photographers through Wiki Loves Africa, helping them confidently submit quality images that got featured. Result; Dozens of previously silent Ugandan contributors now actively shape content about their communities. | |
| How have you been able to empower people to make their voices heard? | Trained 100+ students at Makerere University, Gulu University and Mbarara University through edit-a-thons (2019-2024), with many of them becoming active contributors
Mentored 12 photographers for Wiki Loves Africa; 8 now regularly upload to Commons | |
| Can you describe how you have demonstrated the ability to guide others in solving problems, adapting to change or achieving goals, particularly at a leadership or management level? | Guiding New Editors
Personally mentored 50+ Ugandan students through Wikipedia edit-a-thons (2019-2024), with 20 becoming long-term contributors. Taught troubleshooting when articles got reverted. Adapting Photo Campaigns When Submiting of photo essays became hard for contributers in Uganda during wiki loves Africa 2025, i stepped in and created a video guiding contributers how to achieve this easily. more photo essays were created. Leading Under Pressure Stepped up as Elections Chair for Wikimedia Uganda (2025), resolving disputes impartially to ensure fair board selection. Result; Turned challenges into growth, more active contributors, faster processes, and stronger local leadership. | |
| Optional questions - Strategic Thinking | ||
| These questions are optional. Responses will count towards the total word limit on your application. (Reminder: You will not have other opportunities to provide this information). | ||
| Please describe your experience participating in or leading an organization in planning for its future. How did your work contribute to picking the right path for the organization? | As Elections Chair for Wikimedia Community User Group Uganda (2025), I led the design and execution of our inaugural board election process, a critical step in formalizing our governance structure.
Key Contributions:
Impact:
This experience honed my ability to align organizational design with long-term movement goals while maintaining grassroots trust. | |
| Verification | Identity verification performed by Wikimedia Foundation staff and eligibility verification performed by the Elections Committee | |
Eligibility:  Candidate not eligible
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Identification: | |