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ESEAP Conference 2024/Report/Lim Natee

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大家好 Tāi-Ke Hó👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻, This is my first time attending a ESEAP Wikimedia event in person, I am excited to share some insights and fun facts about myself, and then answer questions about my experiences at the conference.

Attending my first Wikimedia ESEAP Conference was an extraordinary experience, and I was immensely grateful and overjoyed to have had the opportunity to attend this conference with a full scholarship. Throughout the event, I gained numerous valuable lessons and experiences from contributors across the ESEAP region, and I could meet and connect with many amazing Wikimedians there. Every moment of this conference was deeply impressive and unforgettable. Therefore, I extend my heartfelt thanks to all the organizers who worked tirelessly to ensure the success of this event. The ESEAP Conference 2024, a biennial international event hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, took place in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, from May 10 to 12, 2024. This was my first ESEAP conference since becoming a Wikimedian in July 2022. I would like to thank the Wikimedia Foundation for granting me the full scholarship to attend this conference, and this is the best experience that I felt.

Roles

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During the conference, I carried out roles as in below:

  • Host for several sessions, ESEAP Conference 2024

Things learned at the conference

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  • This was my first time attending an ESEAP Conference and participating in an international Wikimedia program. It was also my first time receiving a full scholarship from the Wikimedia Foundation. I am incredibly grateful and would like to thank the Wikimedia Foundation for this opportunity as a scholar-participant at the ESEAP Conference 2024 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia (May 10-12, 2024). During the conference, I engaged in every session, from the Welcome Sunset Reception & Dinner and Cultural Performance to the Closing Ceremony. One of the key moments for me was gaining a deeper understanding of ESEAP. I attended sessions such as the ESEAP Partnerships session, Challenges in building multilingual technology platforms and Seeding an Ecosystem of Partners – Funding and Beyond. These sessions provided insights into ESEAP's strategies for building partnerships and the funding processes. Furthermore, all participants, including myself, took part in shaping the future plans for ESEAP, notably through voting in the ESEAP Hub - Future Plan and ESEAP Hub - The Plan sessions.
  • As a host for a session, it was my first time handling an event not in my native language. I felt insecure about my ability to speak in front of "strangers," to be honest, but from this experience, I learned how to face it, and it motivated me to improve and enhance my English skills. It also gave me the strength to boost my self-confidence.

Things the participant contributed or participated in or since the conference

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As a Speaker

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I had the opportunity to present my project titled Preserving The Manuscripts Of The Malay World Using Wikisource. I developed this project at the end of 2023 through Rapid Fund program from Wikimedia Foundation. The background to all of this is that the Malay ethnic group, prominent in Southeast Asia, plays an important role in preserving the Malay-Arabic literary heritage. With significant populations in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, and southern Thailand, their efforts enrich Wikisource's content and strengthen Malay cultural identity. However, there are challenges in transcription accuracy, linguistic nuances, and regional scripts. Addressing these issues through community engagement and managing copyright concerns is critical. The complexity of reading the Malay-Arabic script, including deciphering handwriting and the use of classical Malay, adds to the existing challenges. Training sessions in Indonesia and Malaysia, with plans to expand to Brunei, Singapore, and southern Thailand, aim to improve skills and collaboration. A structured approach and supporting technology are essential to preserving Malay literary heritage through Wikisource.

Wikisource plays a pivotal role not only as a manuscript repository but also as a valuable resource for learning transcription, particularly for Malay-Arabic manuscripts. It stimulates community involvement and enhances transcription skills, thereby contributing positively to individuals' capabilities. Additionally, Wikisource raises awareness about copyright issues related to manuscripts and fosters cross-border collaboration, promoting a global effort in preserving Malay literary heritage. Its proactive approach has successfully enhanced accessibility to Malay-Arabic manuscripts, thus demonstrating its crucial role in preserving Malay literary heritage. These outcomes align perfectly with the theme "Collaboration beyond the Horizon," highlighting the significance of collective efforts in cultural preservation across borders and communities.

I hope this project will inspire many contributors to document their cultural heritage, especially written traditions, in Wikimedia projects. It represents one of the first steps to introduce and promote our culture and language. I am delighted that our project has received a positive response from the audience, along with valuable input for its sustainability. Through this ESEAP conference, we aim to collaborate with other contributors, believing that the small steps we take can have a significant impact.

As a Host

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In addition to attending as a participant, I was also entrusted with the responsibility of hosting at this year's ESEAP Conference. Specifically, I was assigned to be the emcee for several sessions.

Day 1: Friday, 10 May 2024

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Host for C3 – Wikidata, this session featured two presentation topics, including Can Oral Hokkien Language be Written? How Can Wikidata help? by Supaplex from Wikimedia Taiwan, and Wikidata Data Partnerships: use cases for the Region by Alan Ang (WMDE) from Wikimedia Deutschland.

Day 2: Saturday, 11 May 2024

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Host for I2 – Community Spotlight: Japan, this session featured three presentation topics, including The report of questionnaire of Japanese Wikimedians 2023 by VZP10224 from Wikimedia Japan, A 70-year-old Wikipedian talks about the charm of libraries by Wadakuramon from Wikimedia Japan, and the most anticipated event was the presentation on Experiences of Wikimedian of the Year 2023 winners by Taufik Rosman (Wikimedia Malaysia) and Eugene Ormandy (Wikimedia Japan).

Day 3: Sunday, 12 May 2024

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Host for J1 – Tools, this session featured three presentation topics, including ESEAP Conference 2024/Submissions/Imagining AI Governance in ESEAP by Mandeep Singh (Advisor to the Malaysian Minister of Digital), Automoderator: Make fighting vandalism more easier for administrators and patrollers by BAPerdana-WMF, and What can (or should) I build with this?! Pedagogical Challenges in Teaching Wikidata as a Tool (An Indonesian Experience) by Hisyam Athaya (WMID) from Wikimedia Indonesia.

For me, this was a valuable experience as it allowed me to enhance my confidence and public speaking skills. Moreover, I had the opportunity to learn a great deal from the topics presented in these sessions.

As a Participant

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Sessions that I attended:

Pre-conference: Thursday, 09 May 2024

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  • Wiktionary Workshop @ Sabah State Library
  • Photowalk @ Warriors' Monument & Sabah Art Gallery
  • Welcome Sunset Reception & Dinner, and Cultural performance

Day 1: Friday, 10 May 2024

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  • Mari Mari Cultural Village Trip Activities

Day 2: Saturday, 11 May 2024

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  • Group Photo session
  • Live Band, Karaoke Party, Dinner Buffet, and Game Session

Day 3: Sunday, 12 May 2024

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  • Session L – ESEAP Hub (3) – Future Plan
  • Session M – ESEAP Hub (4) – The Plan
  • Session N – Closing Ceremony

Plans after the conference (from what was learned or contributed in the conference)

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Here are some plans I will do after the conference:

  1. Sharing my experiences and learnings with my local community, the Wikimedia Medan Community.
  2. Sharing my experiences with others through various channels such as blogging, media, and social media.
  3. Attending learning clinics.
  4. Continuing previous projects, including local culture and language projects.
  5. Developing collaborations with other Wikimedia Chapters to expand the impact of my projects.
  6. Applying new knowledge gained from the conference to enhance my contributions to Wikimedia projects.
  7. Increasing my involvement in the ESEAP Hub and the Wikimedia movement.
  8. Initiating new projects to boost community participation in Wikimedia and promote local languages and cultures through Wikimedia.

Comments/ suggestions about the conference

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Here are some comments and suggestions to improve future ESEAP conferences:

Comments:

  1. The technical aspects of each session, such as laptops and presentations for speakers, accessible microphones at the tables, and timekeepers behind the scenes, were well prepared.
  2. One of the rooms was quite cold, and participants couldn't adjust the air conditioning.
  3. This was my first time attending an ESEAP conference, and I found the hotel, food, agenda, and people to be excellent.
  4. The venue selection was good, and I received good hospitality here. However, there were some issues with the audio-video system. It might be helpful to identify and resolve these issues at least a week before the conference.
  5. I highly recommend that ESEAP Hub should have its own social media presence. This would help manage communication and information about ESEAP events by any organizing team.
  6. I enjoyed the venue and the food at the conference. I hope to have the opportunity to attend the ESEAP Conference again, meet and connect with many people, and learn about their cultures and languages. It was a very valuable experience for me.
  7. Extending the duration of the conference would be beneficial, as three days passed very quickly to create new memories with fellow Wikimedians. Additionally, three days are not enough for every Wikimedian to share new information and get to know each other's Wikimedia journeys and experiences.

Suggestions:

  1. In the future, technical issues such as Zoom Meetings, microphones, speakers, and others should be more thoroughly prepared to prevent problems like those experienced at this conference. While seemingly minor, these issues can waste time and make the event less effective.
  2. It would be beneficial to have a dedicated person responsible for live streaming to promptly address technical issues.
  3. The committee should send conference information via email to participants as well, as some information was only shared in the Telegram group.
  4. I enjoyed the karaoke session. It was a joyful moment for me, as I felt that everyone I met, without exception, shared the same values as the Wikimedia movement. I could see and hear the voices of many people responsible for this movement.

The teamwork of Wikimedia Malaysia was outstanding. I cannot forget their hospitality, kindness, and the beauty I experienced. The variety of cultural performances during the conference was also impressive. My eyes were drawn to the young performers showcasing their beautiful dance movements. I am glad to have experienced the cultural richness of Malaysia.✨

 
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