Submissions/Kumusha Takes Wiki: activating communities across Africa

From Wikimania 2014 • London, United Kingdom

This is an accepted submission for Wikimania 2014.

Submission no. 1051
Title of the submission
Kumusha Takes Wiki: activating communities across Africa
Type of submission (discussion, hot seat, panel, presentation, tutorial, workshop)
presentation
Author of the submission
Anthere
E-mail address
fdevouard--@--anthere.org
Username
Anthere, Erinamukuta, Cyriac Gbogou, Isla Haddow
Country of origin
France, Uganda and Ivory Coast in respective order
Affiliation, if any (organisation, company etc.)
Africa Centre
Personal homepage or blog
http://www.wikiafrica.net/projects/kumusha-takes-wiki/
Abstract (at least 300 words to describe your proposal)

Kumusha Takes Wiki is a project that aims at activating communities across Africa to create and contribute freely-licensed information, texts, images and media about their communities (villages, townships, suburbs, inner cities, etc). It uses community journalism to gather community-relevant information on heritage, culture, notable persons, geographical features, among other things. It gives each community an online presence that is 'owned' by the community, provide information that can be pulled into Wikipedia, Wikimedia projects or OpenStreetMap databases, and it adds immeasurably to the understanding of Africa to every human being on the planet (from the people in the village to the person in New York, Mumbai or Milan). This project gives a public voice to communities across Africa, empowering them to share their own histories and, through training, to acquire valuable and transferable skills.

Kumusha Takes Wiki project was launched end of 2013 as a pilot project in two countries: Uganda and Ivory Coast. Four people are at the heart of it: Florence Devouard (France) and Isla Haddow-Flood (South Africa) are its co-project managers. Erina (Uganda) and Cyriac (Ivory Coast) are its Wikipedians In Community, with several other people also involved at certain steps. In each country, 6-12 specific communities have been chosen to be focus points. Training sessions, editathon, OpenStreetMap mapping parties, photography hunts and other events, will be held at a local level to drive direct contributions of individuals in those communities. The project also include or is related to an Open Movement Courses and ToolKit, as well as a Kumusha bus (an African adaption of the Libre Bus) and Wiki Loves Africa (photographic contest on the african continent, to feed Wikimedia Commons)

The project aimed as being replicable, hence the desire of the team to share its story as well as first outcomes/successes/difficulties with the Wikimedia community. The presentation will be three folds. It will starting with a very generic presentation of the project, its goals, funding, steps, internal organization, challenges and such. It will be followed by presentations of the focus communities chosen by the team and will feature a couple of examples of what has been already be done at the local level to drive participation in those communities.

Track
Legal & Free Culture (but WikiCulture & Community possibly might fit as well)
Length of session (if other than 30 minutes, specify how long)
30 minutes
Will you attend Wikimania if your submission is not accepted?
yes
Slides or further information (optional)
We’ll have slides. The presentation will be handled by 3 people (Florence, Erina and Cyriac).
Special requests


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  2. Kelson (talk) 11:03, 1 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
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