Universal Code of Conduct/Coordinating Committee/Election/2024/Candidates/chukydyk

chukydyk ([[Universal Code of Conduct/Coordinating Committee/Election/{{{year}}}/Questions#chukydyk|Questions]])

Account	chukydyk (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA)
Candidate details	Languages: English, Igbo Region: Sub-Saharan Africa Active wikis: en Wikipedia, wikicommons, wikiquote, wikidata Wikimedian since: 2019
Selected home wiki	{{{home wiki}}}
Type of seat (regional; community-at-large; or both) (division of regional seats)	Sub-Saharan Africa
Candidate Introduction
Introductory statement / Application summary (maximum 200 words): Why are you running for the Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee? What would you contribute?	I am an IT Support specialist with a wealth of experience across diverse sectors such as the Media, IT and Renewable energy industries. With a robust background in Information Technology, I have showcased the adaptability and expertise in providing technical solutions across varied domains. As an IT Support specialist, I bring wealth of technical knowledge and problem-solving skills to the table. My professional journey has seen me contribute to different sectors, where I played a pivotal role in ensuring seamless IT operations and resolving complex technical challenges. Beyond my role as an IT specialist, I am the project lead and currently managing the WikiActivate community. My leadership extends to organizing numerous training programs across both offline and online in support of Open knowledge activities, knowledge dissemination and skill development. I am applying for the Wikimedia Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee because I have a strong dedication to creating a safe, inclusive and respectful community within the Wikimedia organization. In my years of volunteering experience with Wikimedia-organized gatherings, I have developed a solid understanding of the concerns and viewpoints of various community members. I have identified the need for a universal code of conduct that would ensure equal access, diversity and accountability. I possess the necessary skills, enthusiasm, and organizational abilities to turn these goals into reality. I am applying for the Wikimedia Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee because I have a strong dedication to creating a safe, inclusive and respectful community within the Wikimedia organization. In my years of volunteering experience with Wikimedia-organized events, I have developed a solid understanding of the concerns and viewpoints of various community members. I have identified the need for a universal code of conduct that would ensure equal access, diversity and accountability. I possess the necessary skills, enthusiasm, and organizational abilities to turn these goals into reality.
Please describe your Wikimedia experience (such as contributions to the Wikimedia projects, memberships in Wikimedia organizations or affiliates, experience working on conduct issues in your community, activities as a Wikimedia movement organizer, or participation in building Wikimedia policies).	I became part of the organizing team for WikiIndaba in Abuja, Nigeria, serving as an adhoc member in the 2019 WikiIndaba. My responsibilities primarily revolved around managing logistics to ensure the seamless participation of attendees throughout the event. The following year, in 2020, I took the initiative to host my inaugural event, WikiLockdown. Following the success of the WikiLockdown online event, I felt compelled to continue supporting new participants who were just discovering Wikimedia. This led to the establishment of an online community named WikiActivate. As the Project Lead for WikiActivate, I have effectively coordinated four Wikimedia events, including WikiLockdown, WikiInteract, WikiSanta, and WikiActivate for Climate Change. These events, sponsored through rapid grants, have seen the training of 150+ editors and contributors, both seasoned and new. Through these initiatives, we have collectively generated over 100+ new articles, significantly contributing to the expansion of Wikimedia content. Furthermore, we have enhanced and improved more than 1000+ and translated existing articles across various topics for locals to be able to read. This series of programs under WikiActivate has not only fostered a sense of community but has also made meaningful contributions to the Wikimedia projects, showcasing the potential for collaborative knowledge creation and dissemination.
Professional Experience, Skills and Education
Please briefly describe 3 situations that show how you worked on, or advised others on, a complex conduct or policy issue. How did you work with others to address the situations?	As a WikiActivate project Lead, I once experienced an incidence where two of our members had a great disagreement concerning how we were interpreting the terms of notability in the 5 pillars of Wikipedia, which became very difficult. It is in this regard that I acted as the intermediary by organizing numerous talks during which they both had an opportunity to air their opinion and give out their point of views. By using diplomacy and practicing active listening skills, I made them understand each other with respect to what the policy was meant to achieve and its focus towards the future adherence; consequently ending the argument between them. There was another time I and my team members were tasked to come up with a style guide for an online platform. Understanding how important it is to be inclusive and be accountable, I initiated conversations on their various opinion and suggestions on the issues as well as sought views from different quarters that would inform the values and hopes of this whole task. We finally came up with a strong style guide through continuous development and feedback that promoted respectful interactions among team members while providing explicit and a well detailed style guid document for the organization. Being a part of the heads of Department in my former job, I was asked to give advice concerning putting into practice the new company’s policy about data security and privacy. As it was a complicated policy that could affect operations, it required many findings on possible obstacles and mitigation plans as well. So I made suggestions to senior management on how the policy should be implemented in stages with emphasis on staff training, stakeholder communication and compliance monitoring for its effectiveness.
Leadership Experience
Can you describe a policy, on wiki or off, that you helped to create or change? What did you learn from this experience?	During my previous job as the IT manager of the company I was able to proffer a policy on the process of adding new employee to the organization system. This policy requires the new employee to get a temporary ID with a temporary Laptop for a probation period of 3 months. After this probation period, the employee’s User ID is created which gives him/her access to the departmental files. This policy ensures company’s security of its files from an unknown employee who might have an ulterior motive
How have you been able to empower people to make their voices heard?	At WikiActivate we do have a session where members get to air their opinion and feedback on how a project is run, the lesson learnt and the how we can do thing better. Also I volunteered to create awareness on ending Jungle Justice in Nigeria. These are some of the ways I empower people to make their voice heard. I have empowered people for Wikimedia projects with required skills and confidence by means of mentorship and training programs. I often encourage, advice and support individuals to overcome difficulties and barriers which in turn enable them to share their thoughts as well as participate fully in the movement advocating for open knowledge through Wikimedia projects.
Sometimes in professional situations, there are personality conflicts. Explain how you remain productive even with personality conflicts.	As the head of the IT department in my previous role, I encountered situations where personality conflicts arose among team members. Despite these challenges, I remained focused on maintaining productivity and nurturing a positive work environment by prioritizing open and transparent communication within the team, encourage ing team members to express their concerns and viewpoints in a constructive manner. This was done by facilitating dialogue and addressing issues promptly, I helped prevent misunderstandings from escalating into larger conflicts. Also when personality conflicts did arise, I acted as a mediator to facilitate resolution. I listened attentively to each party's perspective, empathized with their concerns, and worked collaboratively to find common ground. Lastly, as a head of IT department, I set a positive example for my team by demonstrating empathy, patience, and professionalism in my interactions with others. By modeling effective communication, conflict resolution, and teamwork, I inspired my team members to emulate these behaviors and contribute to a harmonious work environment.
Strategic Thinking
In your opinion, how can the U4C be a positive influence in the Wikimedia movement?	In my opinion the universal code of conduct sets standards for acceptable behavior and provides the ways to handle violations by enforcing UCoC Guidelines. It makes sure that community members get rid of harassment, discrimination, and other forms of bad behavior by developing a culture of trust and safety which has positive implications on the general welfare and motivation of the Wikimedia community. Additionally, The committee provides quality assurance of UCoC-related training materials, and oversees the annual UCoC and Enforcement Guidelines (EG) community review. As new concerns arise, or as the norm for the community evolve, the U4C can evolve and improve to suit the needs of promoting good conduct and community instructions.
How would you help the Universal Code of Conduct develop and improve over time?	Improving or updating Universal Code of Conduct can be a significant change for any organization or community such as Wikimedia. Drawing on my experience in management as the head of IT department, I can assist to address potential challenges by making ambiguous ad unclear rules phrased differently and bringing ideas for making the UCoC modules more interactive In my previous role, I collaborated closely with colleagues from various departments and engaged with stakeholders at all levels of the organization. I can leverage these collaboration and communication skills to work effectively with Wikimedia community members, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees, and other stakeholders to solicit feedback, gather input, and drive consensus on the development and improvement of the U4C. As a department head, I was responsible for overseeing complex projects and initiatives from inception to completion. I can apply my project management skills to coordinate efforts related to the development, implementation, and evaluation of the U4C, ensuring that deadlines are met and objectives are achieved.