Dear colleagues in general and Yaroslav in particular, Thank you for critical reading of the long background info that I provided and finding time to reply.
- I would be grateful for links or explanation (in writing or over a call) of whatever went wrong with Wikimedian-in-Residence effort at Gibraltar, as I would like to avoid repeating earlier disastrous experiences. - Once we see the public tender details, I intend to make a more specific announcement at Village pumps of projects that will receive "content offerings" from Tatarstan at this stage. - I understand that respective language Wikimedia communities have the right to reject or ignore "whatever content" at will, and nobody can blame them. - I wouldn't compare Tatarstan and its regional entities' ambitions with those of sovereign Ukraine, but both are indeed environments where anything that lives off the public (taxpayer) money can be called government-controlled, especially GLAMs, Education, regional and municipal Tourism offices or whatever. That said, I would only welcome Ukraine's or any other country's regional or municipal authorities funding content creation - as this is very much in line with Wiki-Smart Humanity ([[m:WISH]], https://w.wiki/QGD ). I expressed interest and took steps to join Wikimedians in Residence Exchange Network in May, hope to be able to join the July 8 call at 4pm UTC https://w.wiki/WHw. regards, farhad -- Farhad Fatkullin - Фархад Фаткуллин http://sikzn.ru/ Тел.+79274158066 / skype:frhdkazan / Wikipedia:frhdkazan / Wikidata:Q34036417 07.07.2020, 08:32, "Yaroslav Blanter" <[email protected]>: > Thank you. > > This actually worries me a lot. If I read it correctly, we will get a kind > of Wiki-Resident, but not with a cultural and educational institution but > with the local government of one of the most populous and influential > subjects of the Russian Federation. I do not think we previously had a > similar situation. In a distant past, we had a user who was hired by the > tourist office (not the government) of Gibraltar, and this is usually > regarded as a complete disaster. We also usually have serious opposition to > the intervention of governments to the editing of Wikipedia, the last > example was in May when the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry was running an > editing contest. I think at the very least the projects must be informed, > and I would not be surprised if for example the community of the English > Wikipedia strongly opposes the initiative. > > Best > Yaroslav > > On Tue, Jul 7, 2020 at 12:06 AM Фархад Фаткуллин / Farhad Fatkullin < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> Dear colleagues, >> >> This is >> >> 1 to introduce a reworked concept for Wiki-Smart Humanity ([[m:WISH]], >> https://w.wiki/QGD ) project page >> >> 2 to update you on the groundwork in Tatarstan and around Russia for >> growing local and regional public support for Wikimedia community projects, >> as well as discussions about funding Outreach and other local activities >> (since my previous report back in early April https://w.wiki/MFm ) >> >> 3 to inform you of the upcoming pilot regional procurement tender >> initiated by one of our partners as the easiest way for them to incentivize >> multilingual article creation and improvement regarding important regional >> phenomena of Tatarstan. >> >> Below you will find detailed description of for each point above. Comments >> would be greatly appreciated. >> >> regards, >> farhad >> >> P.S. I am in an uncharted territory, so very grateful to all Russia and >> international colleagues that help me with listening, advice and ideas. >> Tatar is a non-dominant language community, though in a much better shape >> than many others around the world - this opens my eyes to the reality that >> long-term preservation of currently living human languages (over 7000) and >> their inherent riches of cultural knowledge would require significantly >> more effort, funding and attention than needed to have enWP, ruWP, trWP and >> all others in official state languages of UN member countries (about 50) to >> describe everything that's currently missing. We are talking about amounts >> that no fundraising will ever bring - something that can only be achieved >> by staying true to the powerful Wikimedia Vision and aspiring to win the >> hearts of our existing and potential volunteers for them to be ready and >> willing to help us with something much more precious than money. >> -- >> Farhad Fatkullin - Фархад Фаткуллин http://sikzn.ru/ Тел.+79274158066 / >> skype:frhdkazan / Wikipedia:frhdkazan / Wikidata:Q34036417 >> >> 1) [[m:WISH]] (https://w.wiki/QGD) is community-supported (myself so far) >> undertaking to collect and chart initiatives that bring us closer to >> Wikimedia vision: >> - various initiatives that help making all forms, types and categories of >> knowledge equally well described in Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, >> - as well as those that help make everyone a Wikimedian. >> >> No individual or even a group can give equal attention and priority to >> everything in the world, but we can chart initiatives that help us to move >> towards the world where things are more equal. This started as a Meta-page >> for the project around regions, languages, and different topic-specific >> initiatives I started in Wikimedia Russia wiki, but Meta offered a great >> chance to bring together similar initiatives that exist elsewhere. >> >> 2) I am in Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan / Russian Federation), so that's >> where I start with regarding the Russia-regions' specific part of m:WISH - >> https://w.wiki/WDk My first priority is to make editing Wikipedia and >> other Wikimedia projects something widely respected, so I'm working with >> institutional partners. >> >> Locally I am still in touch with or contacted since last update: >> * Tatarstan Presidential Administration (description https://w.wiki/WDz ) >> * Municipality of Kazan (description https://w.wiki/MFH / stats by >> Wikimedia projects https://w.wiki/JZh in Russian) >> * Tatarstan Tourism board (description https://w.wiki/WDD / lists >> https://w.wiki/WDC ) >> * Tatarstan Investment Promotion Agency (description https://w.wiki/MFL / >> articles for creation list https://w.wiki/PSU ) and >> * Tatarstan Ministry for Culture (proposal in Russian https://w.wiki/R7g) >> >> Russia's Wikimedians helped me in reaching out to Moscow Trade and >> Industry Chamber Committee on cross-regional and international cooperation, >> as well as National Tourism Union - I spoke about Wikimedia opportunities >> for growing international awareness about regional realities ( >> https://w.wiki/Qht in Russian) at their joint Online meeting on "Tourism >> post COVID-19" >> >> https://mostpp.ru/guilds_news/budet-li-turizm-posle-covid-eksperty-obsudili-mekhanizmy-vosstanovleniya-turisticheskoy-otrasli/ >> - very much interested to see how Tatarstan project will evolve to learn >> and copy >> >> 3) We've advanced most with Tatarstan Investment Development Agency (TIDA) >> >> WHY: >> TIDA has English-speaking staff with global exposure (came across >> Wikipedia before), the head of the Agency has an MBA from UK, and she >> happens to know and trust me with interpreting various important events for >> over 10 years. >> >> PARTNERSHIP: >> * March 19 in-person meeting https://w.wiki/WEP to present the idea >> https://w.wiki/MFL >> * Issues discussed >> - developing articles for creation lists and Wikidata element creation for >> them first in agency specialization area, then to cover all phenomena of >> importance in Tatarstan >> - 3+8 target languages for TIDA >> - presentations, training session to staff and various stakeholders and >> WiR-type ongoing consulting >> - ways to prepare the ground to have targeted Tatarstan Presidential or >> Government grants to local Wikimedia community, to avoid >> Wikimedian-in-Residence positions (complicated for TIDA and other agencies) >> and otherwise available procurement tenders (perceived low efficiency due >> to too much red tape and legal complexity vs. Wikipedia's strict policy >> compliance requirements for content) >> * current Wikidata based multilingual (3+8) priority articles for creation >> list https://w.wiki/PSU >> >> WHERE WE ARE: >> TIDA will be announcing a pilot public procurement tender for multilingual >> Wikipedia content creation (at this stage Tatar, Russian, possibly allow >> for English) any day now. It's expected to be organized at Tatarstan public >> procurement entity's https://goszakupki.tatarstan.ru/eng/ (CC-BY 4.0) >> dedicated procurement portal http://portal-zakupok.tatar in line with >> Russian Federation Public Procurement Law (FZ 44). It's expected to amount >> for RUB 1 million (USD13900) & open to bidding for by any legal entity or >> private proprietor that would like to apply. >> >> References: >> * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_procurement_in_Russia >> * Full text of Federal Law 44 Inofficial English translation at >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Antimonopoly_Service portal - >> https://en.fas.gov.ru/netcat_files/File/44-FZ%20eng.pdf >> >> HOW DID WE GET THERE: >> 1 >> https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wikidata_Map_November_2019_Huge.png >> - >> we need to get whole of the map bright and info available in all languages. >> 2 TIDA is interested to help with Tatarstan, would like to advance with >> small trial steps, being guided by those with experience and readiness to >> help them. They are capable and comfortable to organize a procurement >> contract first, meanwhile observing how others work on topics in the area >> they feel comfortable with >> 3 I am keeping Wikimedia Russia informed of all my contacts and progress, >> so during April 2 Online Meeting https://w.wiki/LsZ WMRU director >> Vladimir Medeyko https://w.wiki/WFi stated that our partnership or its >> individual experienced members should take part in TIDA-originated and >> other similar regional procurement procedures >> 4 Once TIDA got the approval to initiate procurement (approvals by >> Tatarstan Ministry of Finance, then Prime Minister, then President of the >> Republic, May 29, communicate to [wikimedia-ru] Russian-language list >> https://w.wiki/W7q & English-language Telegram group >> https://t.me/WikimediaGeneral/15582 ), I inquired with Wikimedia Russia >> colleagues and identified three respected editors from Russian Wikipedia >> (that have extensive experience with Paid editing and disclosing COI), who >> then agreed with my request to take part in the upcoming bidding procedure >> & provide a detailed response to preliminary request by TIDA: >> * Anna Biryukova - https://w.wiki/WEZ >> * Dmitry Erokhin - https://w.wiki/WEa >> * Dmitry Rozhkov - https://w.wiki/WEb >> >> OVERSIGHT >> I was unable to identify previous Wikimedia experience (and thus >> templates) for large scale cross-project and multilanguage declaration of >> Paid Editing & disclosure of possible Conflicts of Interest, as well as >> providing for Community Oversight of such projects, so I'm trying my best >> to keep the caravan moving whilst assuring everybody is informed and feels >> in control. >> TIDA and others agreed with my request that: >> 1 / Project is advancing stage-by-stage (first only Russian and Tatar, >> possibly some English) >> 2 / We do things publicly, including open statements on mandatory >> compliance with sourcing and other Wikipedia quality standards in the >> tendering procedure >> 3 / I keep Russia & International Wikimedia Community informed at all >> stages >> 4 / When preparing tender documentation, TIDA analyses links to specific >> policies that I provided them with in the project description, experienced >> Wikipedia editors' comments and other available experience >> 5 / I don't take part in either preparation or the tendering process to >> avoid COI as both initiator and an acquaintance of various parties, and my >> role of impartial communicator (3), >> 6 / As an interested party (citizen of Kazan, Tatarstan & Russia, as well >> as project initiator who wants to see this experience then scale globally), >> I am ready and willing to consult all parties, and open to engaging at the >> later stages (article analysis, improvement, translation, Wikidata Elements >> or Commons categorization etc.) >> >> MOVING FORWARD >> * I was informed that Russian Government Procurement Law does NOT allow >> setting too stringent qualifications for bidding participants, so the >> process will only set content qualification criteria. Keeping in mind how >> these can be interpreted by those without any prior Wikipedia experience >> (let's assume some copyrighting or PR company is willing to bid), I asked >> our partner to be ready that they might end up with a contractor who is >> unable to prepare content in line with target language Wikipedia >> communities' policies, practices and other expectations. TIDA seems to >> understand this and is willing to mitigate this possible outcome by >> breaking the process into stages, for necessary improvements to be done at >> later stages. I also calmed them down that whoever wins the bidding is >> better be ready to play well, as this case will most likely end up at the >> radar of Russia's and international Mass media, might be investigated and >> then forever described in Wikipedia. >> * I will post the link to this on English-speaking Facebook groups and >> Telegram channels of Wikimedia movement >> * I will inform respective Wikipedia language section's Village pumps once >> procurement contract details are out (Russian and Tatar for certain, >> possibly English). >> * Meanwhile, I start hearing similar interest from Tatarstan's Tourism >> Board (to be continued) >> >> -------- Пересылаемое сообщение -------- >> 30.05.2020, 15:26, "Фархад Фаткуллин / Farhad Fatkullin" <[email protected] >> >: >> >> Dear Richard and WREN colleagues, >> >> I have good news to share and a request for comment - one of my >> counterparts in Tatarstan receiving regional department of finance approval >> for funding Wikipedia related services via tendering state procurement >> contract in line with Russian regulations. >> Details below, grateful for any advice. >> >> regards, >> farhad >> -- >> Farhad Fatkullin - Фархад Фаткуллин http://sikzn.ru/ Тел.+79274158066 / >> skype:frhdkazan / Wikipedia:frhdkazan / Wikidata:Q34036417 >> >> We will start with them by making sure that https://w.wiki/SBF list >> entries (plus a few more Wikidata entities to be created) are equally well >> developed and sourced in Tatar, Russian and English, after which the intent >> is to venture into other domains (images, data, etc.) and 8 more languages >> of initial interest to them. >> >> I'm now thinking on how to structure all this in a way that our first >> engagement with the regional government entity is seen as a mutual success, >> as this is an important step to get backing of Tatarstan President >> necessary to have local GLAMs and Education entities more willing to >> consider cooperation with Wikimedia. >> >> In parallel, we are discussing a WiR position for training their staff, >> organizing events for their local and foreign partners, and moving their >> investments portal to CC-BY. >> >> I seem to be the only experienced local Wikimedian to be both active >> internationally and proficient in regional language (Tatar), so I am still >> undecided if I should concentrate on getting local partners happy or, >> instead of doing the raw writing and sourcing work they are ready to pay >> for, I better concentrate on making sure global Wikimedia community is >> comfortable with this activity. I understand that myself and other >> Wikimedia Russia members serving as eyes to assure material meets Wikipedia >> and wider Wikimedia principles and policies would be good, with >> international oversight from outside of Russia likely being an important >> component as well. >> >> On top of this, I am also talking to Tourism, Youth Affairs and Culture >> departments, as well as Office of the President for their Tatar language >> related initiatives, was recently invited to join an Advisory Committee on >> Preservation and Development of Tatar language. >> >> -------- Конец пересылаемого сообщения -------- >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> New messages to: [email protected] >> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, >> <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > New messages to: [email protected] > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l New messages to: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe>
