Hi everyone,
I am writing to share an important opportunity for the offline wiki
community to shape the conversation in one of our most geographically and
technologically diverse regions.
The *ESEAP Conference 2026* (East, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific) will be
taking place in *Kaohsiung, Taiwan, from May 15–17, 2026*. The Call for
Program Submissions is currently open, and the *deadline is December 20,
2025*.
*Why this matters for us:* The theme for this conference is *"New Era of
ESEAP: Pioneer the Future Together!"*
There is perhaps no region where "offline" access is more critical to the
future than ESEAP. From the remote archipelagos of the Pacific Islands
where connectivity is often expensive or unreliable, to rural educational
settings in Asia, the "last mile" is still a massive barrier to knowledge
equity.
If we want to "pioneer the future," we must ensure that the future includes
the millions of people in this region currently disconnected from the sum
of all knowledge.
*Synergy & Language for Your Proposals:* If you are working on projects
involving Kiwix, Internet-in-a-Box, WikiFundi, or local offline
deployments, I strongly encourage you to submit a proposal. To help align
your offline work with the conference theme, here are some suggested
"synergy angles" and language you can adapt for your submission:
-
*Angle 1: The "Equity" Synergy*
-
*Language:* "Bridging the digital divide in the region is not just a
technical challenge; it is an equity imperative. Offline access ensures
that the 'New Era' of ESEAP leaves no community behind,
regardless of their
connectivity status."
-
*Focus:* Rights to information, indigenous communities (e.g., Manobo,
Kadazan-Dusun), and rural education.
-
*Angle 2: The "Resilience" Synergy*
-
*Language:* "In a region prone to natural disasters—from typhoons in
Asia to cyclones in the Pacific—offline knowledge databases serve as
critical, resilient infrastructure when the grid goes down."
-
*Focus:* Climate change adaptation, emergency preparedness, and
resilient networks.
-
*Angle 3: The "Education" Synergy*
-
*Language:* "Empowering the next generation of ESEAP editors starts
in the classroom. Tools like Kiwix allow us to bring Wikipedia
into schools
in East Timor, Cambodia, Indonesia, and beyond, fostering
digital literacy
before reliable internet arrives."
-
*Focus:* Partnerships with local schools, Ministries of Education,
and digital literacy programs.
*Key Details:*
-
*Conference Wiki:* ESEAP Conference 2026 on Meta
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/ESEAP_Conference_2026>
-
*Submission Page:* Program Submissions
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/ESEAP_Conference_2026/Program/Submissions>
-
*Deadline:* December 20, 2025
Let’s ensure that the *Offline* story is front and center in Kaohsiung.
Please reply here if you are planning to submit so we can coordinate our
message!
Best regards,
Butch Bustria
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