Affiliations Committee/Candidates/2024/Buszmail


Juan Bautista Alegre (Buszmail)

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Buszmail (talk meta edits global user summary CA)

Preferred name Juan Bautista Alegre
What languages do you speak, and at what fluency level? (Please include your English proficiency.) en-N, tl-N, es-1
What region(s) of the world do you have experience with, and what kind of experience do you have? (“Experience” can mean you have lived or worked there or are currently living or working there; you’re familiar with the culture and language; etc.) I have visited 16 countries outside the Philippines and have logged 47 foreign cities, which are listed on my English Wikipedia user page. My experiences include technical certification training (Cisco, AT&T, Panduit, etc. -- USA, Australia, HK​); family pilgrimages to our ancestral home in Aragon, Spain; cultural trips (Spain, Vietnam, Netherlands, Thailand, etc. ​); conferences (Germany, Australia, Singapore, Japan, etc. ); trade shows (USA, Singapore, etc. ​); professional meetups (ESEAP); recordings (USA); festival participation in the UK (Candid Jazz Festival), India (IIT Saarang), Singapore (Esplanade), Japan (Japan Music Week); and tourism (Greece, Switzerland, etc.)
What Wikimedia project(s) do you actively edit? And in what language(s)? My Wikimedia edits are mostly in meta-wiki, in English, and translations made to the Tagalog language. The focal point of my most recent activities are governance and GLAM organizing, and these activities are likewise documented in meta-wiki.
What affiliate(s) are you actively involved with? In what capacity are you involved? Do you serve in a leadership role or have you in the past? ☸ 2022-present, Founding Head (emeritus) of the Pilipinas Panorama Community (PPC), a thematic community and cultural heritage organization based in Metro Manila.

Past: ☸ President (2014-2015) then Vice-Chairman (2015-2016) of the former affiliate, Wikimedia Philippines (WMPH) (later became the Wiki Society of the Philippines). ☸ President (2022) of Philippine Wikimedia Community (PH-WC) user group based in Naga City, Camarines Sur province.

Have you served on any committees (movement-related or otherwise)? And what was your role on the committee(s)? Presently a member of the ESEAP Preparatory Council (2023-2025). Prior to this, I was with the ESEAP Interim Hub Committee (2023). I also served in the Movement Charter Ambassadors program (3 terms, 2022-2024). ☸ I am currently engaged with the 2025 ESEAP Summit to be held in Manila (Philippines).

I am presently an AffCom Advisor (2024) attending the Recognitions subcommittee; and serving in the Communications subcommittee.

Please describe any experience you have with conflict resolution and/or consensus building. I consider myself a synthesist. I have exposure in government (the Philippine House of Representatives, Office of the Speaker of the House), journalism (PC Digest, International Data Group) and corporate (18 years as an IT manager across subsidiaries for the oldest real estate firm in my country, which should not be named here, but you can look it up) – where many things happen. I’ve been with two affiliates prior, and founded a community that has – thus far – navigated pitfalls. Organizational hurdles often arise unexpectedly, ranging from resource issues and decision-making challenges to individual conflicts. I have found that unearthing the core reason for any conflict is the best first step towards gathering consensus for a solution. Time, treasure and talent are the hallmarks of practically most organizations, and these must be clearly understood and given elucidation to find solutions and resolve conflicts.
In your ideal world, what does the affiliate model and ecosystem look like? My ideal Wikipedian world orbits around the tenets of our Movement Strategy, wherein communities and organizations worldwide are provided equitable opportunities for recognition, learning and growth. Equity is key, in my belief. I would like to see the ecosystem not as a matrix, but as a cloud with a center, like an expanding universe. In my view, underrepresented communities -- most especially -- need ways to be able to actualize their reasons to exist in this Wikimedia ecosystem – and AffCom is instrumental in this strategy because it serves like a gatekeeper. The ecosystem itself should be able to evolve and develop into areas of collaboration between regions and culture – and hubs – such that communities and volunteers would find new ways to innovate and try fresh unhackneyed initiatives.
In your ideal world, what are AffCom’s roles and responsibilities in relation to the movement and affiliates? Primarily, I would like to see AffCom pursuing self-innovation, including its own flexibility for new ways of guidance; and to foster a wider scope of representation and diversity within it.

And keeping to its charter: (a) To make recommendations to the WMF Board regarding the recognition and approval of new Affiliates. (b) To assist emerging Affiliates with drafting their bylaws; to help solve their technical, trademark, administrative and community-building issues; and even advise them on proposed projects. (c) To ensure Wikimedia’s global presence and the flow of information between Affiliates and WMF. (d) To provide advice on issues related to the statuses of Affiliates, including changes or the delisting of such statuses if needed.

Ultimately, the aim is to enhance the overall effectiveness and sustainability of affiliates within the Wikimedia ecosystem.

What role within AffCom are you most interested in: advisory or voting member? Voting member (but the advisory role is not for me to decline.)