Grants talk:Programs/Wikimedia Alliances Fund/Wikimedia Aruba Roadmap: - how to set up lasting collaboration between GLAMs in Aruba and the Wikimedia movement

Recordatorio del Espacio amigable y del Código universal de conducta para etapa de retroalimentación comunitaria

Queremos recordarles a todas las personas que el equipo de Recursos Comunitarios tiene consignas específicas con respecto a la manera de comentar las propuestas en las páginas de discusión. Según las expectativas del espacio amigable, cualquier persona que tenga inquietudes sobre una propuesta es bienvenida a expresarlas de manera constructiva y con ánimo de brindar apoyo. Sin embargo, en la medida en que los comentarios sean excesivos, contengan observaciones personalizadas y despectivas sobre el solicitante o su organización, o si las preocupaciones se expresan de forma hostil o punitiva, podrán ser eliminadas de la página de discusión de forma parcial o total. En relación con lo anterior, los participantes deben seguir el Código de Conducta Universal que contiene el nivel mínimo de directrices para las comunicaciones y el comportamiento en los proyectos de Wikimedia. Estas expectativas son importantes, ya que queremos asegurarnos de que las conversaciones sobre las propuestas en nuestros programas de financiación sean productivas, es decir, centradas en la construcción de un entendimiento compartido y en el apoyo general a los solicitantes para mejorar sus ideas y proyectos, independientemente de la decisión de financiación que se tome.

--Mercedes Caso (platícame) 22:40, 15 March 2023 (UTC)

Initial feedback from the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Regional Committee on the proposal

Hello friends of Stichting Monumentenfonds Aruba,

Thank you in advance for devoting your time to submitting the grant proposal. The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) regional committee has conducted an initial review, and here are our comments.

Firstly, we find interesting the mobilization of Wikimedians in this geography and its impact at the Caribbean level. We agree with the initial diagnosis on the importance of consolidating new communities, as this region has yet to have much representation.

We are sharing our initial review before making the final decision. We want to obtain more details on the following aspects:

1. Considering that in your project, you propose to apply the principles of free culture: how do you currently implement them within your organization, for example, free licensing and community knowledge, and how is your organization aligned with the free knowledge movement?
2. You mention some partnerships with organizations. Have you identified which local GLAM organizations you would work with? And what other organizations directly or indirectly linked to the Wikimedian movement would you consider calling upon for the development of the roadmap?
3. Do the proposed articulations and partnerships for elaborating a roadmap of Wikimedia projects offer regional implementation opportunities? Please make explicit if you will develop tools that apply to the region. If so, which tools do you envision?
4. Which strategies other than the ones mentioned would be used as a methodology to collect information for the roadmap?
5. Considering that you plan to hire an external person to implement the project, how do you intend to give continuity to the connections and articulations made by the person in charge of the mapping for the development of the movement?
6. Once the road mapping is finished, how do you consider to give to continue with the project?

Thank you very much, and we look forward to hearing from you.

On behalf of the LAC Regional Committee - Berna Niamfrifruli (talk) 23:27, 31 March 2023 (UTC)

Hi Berna,

Thank you very much for the opportunity, here are the answers to the committee's questions:

1.Considering that in your project, you propose to apply the principles of free culture: how do you currently implement them within your organization, for example, free licensing and community knowledge, and how is your organization aligned with the free knowledge movement?

Monumentsfund Aruba focuses on every project to share as much information as possible to the community with the aim to create awareness about the importance of Aruban Monuments as an essential part of our cultural heritage. We build community knowledge by bringing information to the community about our projects and involving different cultural partners in every project as well as organizing presentations for students and free webinars together with other cultural organizations, not only in Aruba but also on the other Dutch Caribbean islands. We are part of the Dutch Caribbean Heritage Platform that was founded in 2014 as an initiative from Monuments fund Aruba with the aim to share knowledge and skills and support each other in heritage projects.

In most projects we also encourage community participation both in creating and contributing to cultural heritage information that can be freely used by all. To name a few examples. For the restoration of a monument known as Cas Veneranda (meaning house Veneranda), we are working on a pilot project ‘Tales of Cas Veneranda’ where, during and after the restoration, everyone can share information online via a qr code about the history of the building, we will upload information from our historical research that can not only be read, shared by the local community and visitors but they will also be able to contribute with content and information about the project.

Another project we have now started is ‘Long Live Heritage’ with the aim to create mass content for social media based on Aruban heritage, for this we are going out with 50 volunteers, heritage and photography enthusiasts to take as many photos as possible of both tangible and intangible heritage. These photos will be uploaded with their stories, and through a local photo competition, with the help of these photos, both locals and visitors are encouraged to take and share photos of our heritage. With this we digitally “unlock” our monuments, make our heritage visible, stimulate knowledge about Aruban Cultural Heritage and strengthen the bond between local cultural organizations. All information is free and accessible to everyone. We have also organized five successful editions of Wiki Loves Monuments Aruba between 2013 and 2022 and are currently in contact with the other Dutch Caribbean Islands to organize the first Wiki Loves Monuments Dutch Caribbean edition together.

2.You mention some partnerships with organizations. Have you identified which local GLAM organizations you would work with? And what other organizations directly or indirectly linked to the Wikimedia movement would you consider calling upon for the development of the roadmap?

Yes, there is a good picture of which organizations are active in the field of heritage, there are about twenty organizations on the Island. We have close contact with most GLAM organizations as we work together on multiple projects. The National Library and the University of Aruba has been in close contact and has worked on projects with Wikimedia like for example Wiki Goes Caribbean. Below you’ll find a short description of some of these organizations.

Department of Culture of Aruba : Department of Culture Aruba (DCA) aims to make the people of Aruba aware of the important role of cultural expression and cultural diversity as an essential element in the development of a country.

Monumentenbureau: The Monumentenbureau is a specialized government department in charge of all general matters concerning monuments

UNOCA: Unoca is a foundation that aims to stimulate the cultural development of Aruba. As a cultural fund, they can share their experience with the field and provide an overview of the art disciplines that request funds.

ADA Archive friends: Fundación Amigonan di Archivo (ADA) was established on November 30, 2005, with the specific aim of supporting the work, activity and promoting more knowledge of the National Archives Department of Aruba.

Go Cultura:Go Cultura Foundation was established in 2017 with the intention of raising awareness of cultural and natural heritage in our community. We strive to support artistic creation and cultural activities. One of the few organizations in Aruba that actively work in the creative industry.

Biblioteca Nacional Aruba: National Library

Archivo Nacional Aruba: National Archive

Archeologisch Museum: Archaeological Museum

FMA: Museums : Community Museum / Museum of Industry / Historische Museum

Stichting Rancho: Rancho Foundation was founded in 2010 with the aim of promoting and preserving awareness of the national heritage of Aruba and its people by developing activities to unite culture and art in the neighbourhood of Rancho.

Mi Cutisa Foundation: The Mi Cutisa foundation is located in a typical cunucu house; the first protected cunucu house in Aruba. The foundation aims to contribute to the development and preservation of art and culture through information to the community and visitors."

Fundacion Savaneta Prome Capital: The aim is to preserve the cultural heritage, strengthen the identity of Savaneta and create socio-economic development in the district. Simultaneously promoting Savaneta as a tourist destination and creating a circular economy in Savaneta.

We also intend to contact relevant organisations and affiliates within the Wikimedia movement, e.g. AfroCROWD, Whose Knowledge and the Wikimedians of the Caribbean usergroup.

3. Do the proposed articulations and partnerships for elaborating a roadmap of Wikimedia projects offer regional implementation opportunities?

Please make explicit if you will develop tools that apply to the region. If so, which tools do you envision?

The current proposal does not include the development of tools that apply to the region. However, the roadmap will assess needs and wishes wrt to Wikimedia collaboration, and tools could be an answer to these needs and wishes (e.g. uploading images. However, we think it is important to see if there are already existing tools in the Wikimedia movement that would be able to fulfill that need (possibly with adjustments s.a. translations and transcriptions) before developing anything new ourselves because this would be more sustainable and stable.

4.Which strategies other than the ones mentioned would be used as a methodology to collect information for the roadmap?

If the strategies mentioned in the proposal do not generate enough information to answer the questions stated in the proposal, or additional information is required, we would

• meeting up with Aruban GLAM partners to discuss the possibility of Wikimedia collaboration outside of the workshops should they not be able to join in.
• set up a survey that can be sent out to GLAM organizations and interested individuals that      
• assessing the collections and material that is available on the new joined collection portal Coleccion Aruba to identify material that is suitable for use on Wikimedia and reach out to the GLAM organization making this material available to talk to them about collaboration.
  5.Considering that you plan to hire an external person to implement the project, how do you intend to give continuity to the connections and articulations made by the person in charge of the mapping for the development of the movement? We will make sure that during the workshops also staff of the Monumentenfonds Aruba and the other partners will be present so that they can connect with the participants w.r.t. Wikimedia collaboration and would be able to carry on the connections after the roadmap is finished. Furthermore, this application for the road map is a basis for a more substantial Wikimedia Alliances Fund application, in which it would make sense to have the project coordinator for the road map exercise to play a role. However, should this not be possible, one aspect of the road map exercise is also following-up with the participants of the workshops to talk with them about what is needed for sustainable Wikimedia collaboration, and it is possible and desirable to also document the connections and articulations that participants might have during these follow-up conversations for the sake of continuity (e.g. recording of conversations or detailed reports of the conversations)..
  6.Once the road mapping is finished, how do you consider to give to continue with the project? As noted above, this application for the road map is a basis for a more substantial Wikimedia Alliances Fund application, which also determines logical next steps to take to work towards successful and sustainable Wikimedia partnerships. This would for example be a Wikimedian in Residence, or a project officer dedicated to shaping Wikimedia collaboration on Aruba by building capacity in the form of training, documentation and networking. Another possibility is setting up workflows for adding material to Wikimedia based on the collections already participating in Coleccion Aruba. What strategy will be taken for continuing the project however strongly depends on the outcomes of the road map. The current project partners for this roadmapping proposal have also already expressed the wish to participate in one or several Wiki Loves- challenges; this would also be a way to continue with the project.
  Kind regards, Mircla Nava Monumentsfund Aruba

201.229.117.156 14:41, 11 April 2023 (UTC)

Dear Mircla,

Thank you for providing responses and comments to the Committee's initial feedback.

All of this information helps us to understand more clearly the proposal and the perspective from which you are approaching the work.

We will integrate this information into the proposal analysis process to continue the collective decision-making process.

We continue to move forward in the review and interaction stage.  We remain in contact with you.

On behalf of the LAC Committee and the WMF staff, Mercedes Caso (platícame) 16:06, 11 April 2023 (UTC)

Final recommendation for Alliances Fund application

The Latin America and Caribbean Regional Funds Committee has reviewed this proposal and has not recommended it for funding.

Dear Mircla, We recognize that you took the chance to design a mapping effort to explore the potential of the Wikimedia movement in Aruba. We appreciate your participation in the review process.

Comments regarding this decision: The committee appreciates the work Stichting Monumentenfonds Aruba, in collaboration with other partners, to move forward the presence of the Wikimedia movement in Aruba, by mapping potential partners and potential interest in your community. Historically, the Wikimedia Foundation supports projects that enhance the movement in new territories. In this case, we believe there is a high risk involved in mapping as an exercise in itself, but without clarity on what comes next, in addition to hiring an external person, which could impact the lack of capacity building installed in this first effort. The committee felt that it is also possible that we did not have sufficient knowledge to understand the local context of this proposal.

Should you wish to apply for funding in the future, we recommend supporting a mapping exercise with a more integral strategy to test the potential interest of your community, such as developing activities where they can visualize the participation of volunteers to identify the potential for participation.

Next steps: You are welcome to request a consultation with the Regional Program Officer for the Latin America and Caribbean Region to review any concerns with your proposal that contributed to a decline decision and help you determine whether resubmission makes sense for your proposal in the future.

On behalf of the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Funds Committee and Community Resources team IvomarDos (talk) 16:05, 11 May 2023 (UTC)