Dear Wikimedians, We hope this email finds you well. We invite you to join the next episode of WikiAfrica Hour "Behind the Buttons: Understanding Extended Rights on Wikimedia Projects”
We are very excited to discuss this topic with the episode guests and your joining is very valuable. What can you expect from the episode? Every Wikimedia project thrives on trust — and behind that trust are contributors who hold extended rights: administrators, interface editors, stewards, and many others who help ensure safety, fairness, and functionality across our platforms. In this episode of WikiAfrica Hour, we demystify how extended rights actually work: What are they? Who holds them? How are they granted? And how do these roles shape the health and governance of Wikimedia projects? We’ll also reflect on insights from the first-ever Extended Rights Pre-Conference at Wikimania Nairobi 2025 — exploring the ideas, feedback, and outcomes that emerged from this historic gathering. Finally, we’ll discuss diversity and inclusion: How can more contributors from Africa and underrepresented communities access these trusted roles? What barriers still exist? And how can we build a more balanced and transparent Wikimedia governance for the future? Who are the guest speakers? - Natalia Szafran: she has been an active contributor and community member for over a decade. She serves the Polish Wikipedia as an administrator and previously held roles as an arbitrator and oversighter. She also serves as an advisor to the Wikimedia CEE Hub and the Volunteer Supporters Network. Beyond her volunteer work, she has professional experience within the Wikimedia movement. She previously worked at Wikimedia Poland as a Community Support Manager and is currently a Lead Movement Communications Specialist at the Wikimedia Foundation, focusing on the European region. Her work centers on celebrating Wikimedians and supporting users with extended rights. - Konan N'Da N'Dri: He joined the movement in 2023 as a member, project manager, and trainer within Wikimedia Côte d'Ivoire and quickly became an active force in supporting the WikiChallenge African Schools project. He contributes as an administrator on the French Wikipedia and participates in local initiatives such as #WikiLovesAfrica 2025 and the Lingua Libre workshops. - Martin Rulsch: He is a steward, oversighter, CentralNotice administrator and sysop on Meta and a sysop at en.wikipedia and commons.wikimedia, a former sysop on de.wikipedia. He is also the 2024 Wikimedia Laureate of the Year. Hosting them, Nitesh Gill: a long-term Wikimedian who began her journey with Punjabi-language Wikimedia projects and now works closely with communities across South Asia to strengthen collaboration and shared learning. In recognition of her contributions to the movement, she received an Honourable Mention in the Wikimedian of the Year Awards this year. She currently works as a Program Officer with the Open Knowledge Initiatives (OKI) team at the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad, India. With several years of experience in the Wikimedia movement, Nitesh’s work focuses on community engagement, language equity, gender-focused leadership initiatives, and capacity building. She is the designer of the She Leads program, which supports women’s leadership and collaboration within Wikimedia communities in India. . When and where will the episode take place? Data: Wednesday 17th December Time: 16:00 UTC Join us LIVE on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgymM2fKOfQ You can also register in the event tool https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:WAH_Episode_53-Behind_the_Buttons,_Understanding_Extended_Rights_on_Wikimedia_Projects Looking forward to seeing you! -- *Donia* WikiAfrica Hour Production Coordinator & Wiki In Africa Tools Community Facilitator
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