Affiliations Committee/Candidates/2024/Kaizenify
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Kaizenify (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA)
| Preferred name | Ayokanmi Oyeyemi | |
|---|---|---|
| What languages do you speak, and at what fluency level? (Please include your English proficiency.) | Yoruba (Native tongue 5), English (advanced level - 4), French (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 extensive experience in Sub-Saharan Africa as a Wikimedia community mentor and leader from Nigeria. Over the last 8 years, I have led several initiatives and Wikimedia trainings across Nigeria and in different sub-Sahara African countries; as the Programs Director for Wikimedia UG Nigeria I actively provide strategic and leadership direction for the affilate. | |
| What Wikimedia project(s) do you actively edit? And in what language(s)? | English Wikipedia, Yoruba Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, Wikisource | |
| 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? | I am the Programs Director for Wikimedia UG Nigeria which gives me the opportunity of leading various programmes of the usergroup and building the Wikimedia community in Nigeria. I am also a board member of the Commons Photographers User Group and the Wikimedia LGBT+ Usergroup. | |
| Have you served on any committees (movement-related or otherwise)? And what was your role on the committee(s)? | Wikimedia Foundation Regional Grants Committee Member: For two years, I served as a Regional Grants Committee Member for the then Middle East and Africa Region, now Sub-Saharan Africa. My time on this committee honed my expertise in a nuanced understanding of Sub-Saharan African community needs and aspirations, provided me with Objective, bias-free decision-making in funding allocations, and more importantly allowed me to provide constructive feedback and tailored support, aligning project goals with movement priorities.
WikiConference Nigeria 2024 Communication Committee Co-Chair: In this role, I developed various promotion strategies, led other committee members for the success of the conference, built the social media engagements, and fostered good community engagements with community members for the success of the first-ever national conference in sub-Sahara conference. Steering committee member of the Wikimedia and Libraries User Group: In 2019, I served for 2 years as a member of the committee where I support the committee to support librarians around the world with various programs including 1lib1ref and the FindingGLAM projects. And I have also served as a jury member of various Wiki Loves Photos contests for both international and Local which include Wiki Loves Monuments, Wiki Loves Earth, Wiki Loves Love, and Wiki Loves Africa due to my extensive experience as a photographer. | |
| Please describe any experience you have with conflict resolution and/or consensus building. | I possess hands-on experience in conflict resolution, notably in addressing community concerns regarding funding decisions as a member of the Regional grant committee and as the pioneer lead of the the Wikimedia Nigeria Microgrants. When faced with dissatisfaction or complaints from community members per their grant requests decline, I facilitated an open dialogue via various avenues, listening to stakeholders' concerns and clarifying the proposal review process. This transparency-building approach fostered understanding and trust.
To build consensus, I proactively solicit community input through surveys and calls, ensuring diverse perspectives inform decision-making. I facilitate collaborative discussions to align community needs with movement policies. Diversity and inclusivity are core to my approach. As the programs director supporting Nigerian editors as they are very diverse, over time I have cultivated a welcoming environment, encouraging broad participation and providing resources to support underrepresented voices no matter how small through making them understand that their voice counts by creating a safe space for open dialogue. | |
| In your ideal world, what does the affiliate model and ecosystem look like? | In my ideal world, the affiliate model and ecosystem should embody collaboration and inclusivity where all voices can be heard through chapter, thematic, or user group means. It should give voice to underrepresented areas and create a balanced atmosphere where various volunteers can strive to contribute and feel accepted and worthy. It should also empower various Wikimedia affiliates to thrive and drive impact which includes decentralization, inclusivity, and capacity building | |
| In your ideal world, what are AffCom’s roles and responsibilities in relation to the movement and affiliates? | In my ideal world, AffCom’s roles and responsibilities should center around supporting the affiliates to strive, the roles should be beyond affiliate recognition, it should speak to the strengthening of the affiliate which includes support around their governance, bye law, and also conflict resolution. The responsibilities should also speak directly to understanding the peculiarity and diversity of various affiliates thereby offering equity-based approaches to managing their mission. It should lastly help match experienced affiliates with less experienced ones for learning. | |
| What role within AffCom are you most interested in: advisory or voting member? | Voting | |