Hi Lille and Isla, Thank you once again for your feedback and the helpful context you shared in your email. It was very insightful and greatly appreciated.
Our project aims to leverage Wikipedia and the Wikidata model to help manage misinformation and monitor election-related violence. This will be supported by a bot-driven fact-checking system and a user-friendly platform for reporting and sharing verified findings. We have a clear strategy and outcomes in place. At this stage, we are seeking collaboration with both a technology company and a fact-checking organisation to support the design and development of the system. Our goal is to launch a pilot ahead of the upcoming election in Benin. The insights gained from this pilot will then inform our implementation for the elections in The Gambia and Nigeria later in the year. As mentioned in my previous email, we are actively exploring partnerships to strengthen areas where we currently lack capacity and welcome support from organisations or individuals interested in collaborating. Warm regards, Olushola Olaniyan The plan is on-going, and we appreciate all feedback and support. Kind regards, Olushola Olaniyan On Mon, Dec 22, 2025 at 2:03 PM Lilli Iliev <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Shola, hi all, > > indeed an interesting project, wishing you best of luck! Adding some info > that might be of interest: > > You remember correctly, Isla :) WMDE took part in a public fact-checking > experiment with ZDF, Germany's second-largest public broadcaster, ahead of > the 2013 federal election to verify politicians' statements. Here is a > documentation > <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikimedia_Deutschland/ZDFcheck> > (in German). The idea: Wikipedian Tim Moritz Hector served as Wikipedian in > residence at ZDF, where he researched politicians' statements with a > professional fact-checking team and in collaboration with Wikipedians. ZDF > then made the graphics, interviews, and texts produced for this format > available under a Creative Commons license. Important to note: We hoped > that the format would raise awareness of the importance of fact-based > political decision-making and appreciation for the work of Wikipedia > volunteers, and generate a lot of free, high-quality content for Wikipedia. > However, there was also significant criticism of this concept from > community members, who primarily rejected the possibility of the community > being co-opted and perceived as a “service provider.” I'm afraid I don't > remember the long discussions and other points of criticism, please forgive > me. > > The page you linked to provides a brief description of two other WMDE > projects in the context of state, federal, and European elections: With the > tool Digital-O-Mat, voters could see which party best matched their own > views on policies for a digital democracy. It's a tool we created with > other digital rights organizations <https://digitalomat25.de/about/>to > make digital policy positions more known, visible, and comparable between > parties in the interest of free knowledge. The effect in brief: The tool > was accepted, but mainly by a bubble that was already interested in digital > policy. In Germany, there are now a large number of “-o-mats” for various > areas of interest before elections, but in my opinion, interest in them has > waned. Currently, we are no longer running the tool. > > Face the Facts was an app that visualized all the important details about > politicians right on the election campaign posters as an easy way for > voters to get an overall picture of a candidate and to quickly identify who > comes closest to their own political beliefs. The app was created as an > open source tool in the WMDE project UNLOCK Accelerator > <https://www.wikimedia.de/unlock/about-unlock/> (which also no longer > exists). > > Best regards > Lilli > > Am Fr., 19. Dez. 2025 um 23:16 Uhr schrieb Isla Haddow-Flood < > [email protected]>: > >> Hey Shola, >> >> What a fantastic and important project. I don’t have any direct >> Wikimedia-specific experience with election monitoring, however two things >> do immediately spring to mind. >> >> I remember Wikimedia DE did an interesting collaboration a while back >> with various media houses during an election (From what I remember, Tim >> Moritz Hector led a program called ZDF? You’ll have to do more digging!) . >> Not sure if this link is the final result, but it might be of interest: >> >> https://tech-news.wikimedia.de/2021/09/21/wikimedia-deutschland-presents-tools-for-the-german-federal-election/ >> >> The other memory is an organisation that is also pivotal in East Africa >> with regards to election monitoring is Ushahidi: >> https://www.ushahidi.com// - we can try to get you an intro in 2026 if >> you are interested in pursuing a relationship. I remember them being open >> focused (not sure if that is still relevant). >> >> So interested to see the results! >> Good luck - stay safe! >> >> Hope you get time this break to spend time with and cherish those you >> hold dear. Happy holidays! >> >> Warmest >> Isla >> >> >> >> >> Isla Haddow-Flood >> >> @havingaflood >> >> >> On Fri, 19 Dec 2025 at 22:49, Amb. Olushola Olaniyan < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Dear Van, >>> >>> Apologies, your email went to my spam folder, and I just stumbled upon >>> it. >>> >>> Thank you very much for reaching out and for sharing insights into the >>> DEM-Debate project. I appreciate the overview and the work being done by >>> Wikimedia Europe, the University of Amsterdam, Eurecat, and the Wikimedia >>> communities across Europe. >>> >>> The focus on fact-checking, moderation practices, and risk-mitigation >>> measures during the 2024 European Parliament elections is both timely and >>> highly relevant, particularly in the context of strengthening information >>> integrity and public trust in democratic processes. I also find the >>> Wikipedia Editorial Model Flowchart especially useful as a practical >>> framework for understanding editorial decision-making and safeguards >>> against disinformation. >>> >>> I would be glad to learn more about the project and explore possible >>> areas for collaboration or knowledge exchange. There may be valuable >>> opportunities to reflect on how these lessons and models could inform >>> similar efforts beyond Europe, including in emerging democracies and >>> different linguistic and cultural contexts. >>> >>> Thank you once again for sharing this work. I look forward to continuing >>> the conversation. >>> >>> We can continue our conversation off the list. >>> >>> Warm regards, >>> >>> Amb. Olushola Olaniyan >>> >>> On Mon, Dec 15, 2025, 3:46 PM Van Anh Dam < >>> [email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Dear Amb. Olushola Olaniyan >>>> >>>> We've been implementing DEM-Debate project as Wikimedia Europe, the >>>> University of Amsterdam and Eurecat – Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya and >>>> the Wikimedia communities in Europe. >>>> >>>> The DEM-Debate project aims to explore whether, and how, the >>>> fact-checking and moderation practices used by Wikipedia during the 2024 >>>> European Parliament election have enhanced the reliability of the >>>> information ecosystem. You can read more on our blog, where you can >>>> find mapping of Policies and risk-mitigation measures on election >>>> disinformation by Wikipedia and more. Based on English language >>>> content, we also drafted this Wikipedia Editorial Model Flowchart (our >>>> first public version that will be further improved and translated - anyone >>>> with feedback is welcomed to share it with us). Perhaps this could be >>>> useful. >>>> >>>> Let me know if you'd like to learn more :) We are happy to connect with >>>> you and explore if there is room for collaboration and exchange on the >>>> topic. >>>> >>>> Cheers, >>>> >>>> Van Anh >>>> >>>> On Mon, Dec 15, 2025 at 7:49 AM Amb. Olushola Olaniyan < >>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>>> >>>>> Dear Friends, >>>>> >>>>> Wikimedia User Group Nigeria( WUGN) is exploring a partnership with a >>>>> Nigerian technology company to develop an Election Monitoring and >>>>> Information Integrity System. The proposed platform will leverage >>>>> Wikipedia >>>>> and Wikidata to help curb election-related misinformation, document >>>>> verifiable electoral events, and track incidents of election-related >>>>> violence in a neutral, transparent, and verifiable manner. >>>>> >>>>> The initiative is conceived as a public-interest, non-partisan tool >>>>> that strengthens access to reliable information during electoral >>>>> processes, >>>>> while aligning with Wikimedia’s core values of neutrality, verifiability, >>>>> and free knowledge. >>>>> >>>>> As part of our ongoing engagement with the technology partner, we are >>>>> seeking insights from Wikimedia affiliates, movement partners, and >>>>> practitioners who have prior experience working on elections, civic >>>>> technology, misinformation response, open data, or human rights >>>>> documentation within the Wikimedia ecosystem and beyond. >>>>> >>>>> Specifically, we would welcome guidance on the following areas: >>>>> >>>>> 1. Ethical and Policy Considerations >>>>> >>>>> Risks related to editor safety, privacy, and data protection >>>>> >>>>> Neutrality, conflict sensitivity, and avoidance of political bias >>>>> >>>>> Compliance with Wikimedia policies, including BLP, NOR, and >>>>> verifiability >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> 2. Key Challenges and Risk Factors >>>>> >>>>> Misinformation, disinformation, and coordinated manipulation >>>>> >>>>> Data reliability, sourcing, and real-time verification constraints >>>>> >>>>> Legal, regulatory, and security challenges in electoral contexts >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> 3. Lessons Learned and Success Stories >>>>> >>>>> Examples of similar initiatives within the Wikimedia movement or >>>>> allied open knowledge communities >>>>> >>>>> What worked well, what failed, and why >>>>> >>>>> Strategies for community engagement and sustainability >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> 4. Potential Funding and Partnership Opportunities >>>>> >>>>> Likely funding organizations, donors, or grant mechanisms >>>>> >>>>> Opportunities for collaboration with civil society, election >>>>> observers, or research institutions >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> 5. Impact and Measurement (Optional Input) >>>>> >>>>> Indicators for measuring impact on misinformation reduction and public >>>>> trust >>>>> >>>>> Long-term value for Wikipedia, Wikidata, and the broader free >>>>> knowledge ecosystem. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> The feedback from this consultation will inform our design choices, >>>>> governance framework, and sustainability plan, ensuring the initiative is >>>>> responsibly implemented and aligned with movement-wide best practices. >>>>> >>>>> Best regards, >>>>> >>>>> Amb. Olushola Olaniyan >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], >>>>> guidelines at: >>>>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >>>>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >>>>> Public archives at >>>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/LIHLG3BLK6FROKAG77BIVWVZDB4BPACP/ >>>>> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> >>> African-Wikimedians mailing list -- >>>> [email protected] >>>> To unsubscribe send an email to >>>> [email protected] >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], guidelines >>> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >>> Public archives at >>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/TCHQCCB5XCBMXTVCCVOHBKALEXBBFMMK/ >>> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], guidelines >> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> Public archives at >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/YV5W76VFS5PORRGJPQBBFTVJ4DW4BO75/ >> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], guidelines > at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > Public archives at > https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/FF5NOHKVT5EJS4NKWFTVG4YYAUJMIZTL/ > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
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