The ESEAP Conference 2026, held this May in Kaohsiung, served as a regional hub for Wikimedia volunteers to launch new youth initiatives and address gender representation gaps. Attendees Wiki Asmah and Raflinoer32 utilized the event to present community projects, participate in policy workshops, and establish the official ESEAP Youth Group, signaling a shift toward more structured, sustainable regional collaboration.
Launching the ESEAP Youth Group
A primary development at the conference was the formal launch of the ESEAP Youth Group, which aims to support student-led Wiki Clubs across the region. According to Wiki Asmah, these clubs act as a “self-renewing cycle” where experienced students mentor new contributors, ensuring community growth beyond the initial spark of a project. During the conference’s Youth Track, participants focused on moving students from passive knowledge consumers to active creators. The group intends to serve as a resource for regional youth to execute their own initiatives.
Addressing Gender and Representation
Representation remained a central theme throughout the event. Wiki Asmah, who represented youth women during the “Next Gen Wiki Women” track, advocated for a systemic approach to closing the gender gap. She noted that increasing female participation requires more than just recruitment; it involves fostering environments where experienced editors act as role models for younger women. Asmah stated that her experience at the conference highlighted the need for dedicated safe spaces and mentorship pipelines to empower women to take leadership roles within the movement.
Project Showcases and Community Growth
Raflinoer32 presented two community-led projects from Wikimedia Bandung during the conference. The first, “WikiCitaRasa,” introduced Wikibooks to volunteers via an Indonesian culinary recipe workshop, utilizing public domain references from Wikisource to simplify the editing process. The second project, “WikiTutuwuhan,” focused on documenting West Java’s botanical species on Wikimedia Commons and the Sundanese Wikipedia. Following feedback from botany curators at Wikimedia New Zealand, Raflinoer32 plans to continue developing the project for use in open educational resources.
Future Governance and Cross-Regional Collaboration
The conference facilitated new leadership roles and cross-regional ties. Raflinoer32 was elected as the ESEAP Community Connector for Cycle 2 on July 10, 2026, a position intended to represent the interests of young people and Indonesian communities within the ESEAP Hub. Meanwhile, Wiki Asmah plans to share the outcomes of the ESEAP Youth Track during the next bi-monthly call for the CEE Youth Group. This exchange may foster broader global collaboration, as the ESEAP Youth Group itself was originally modeled after the CEE’s framework, creating what Asmah described as a “full-circle moment” for the movement.
Worth a look
