ZedWiki Podcast: Knowledge Beyond Borders

(upbeat music) - Hi, I'm Blueprints, and welcome to the very last episode of the ZEDWiki podcast for 2025. It's Monday, December 1st. It feels like just yesterday when this journey began. As the year draws to a close, and we prepare to welcome 2026, we're dedicating this episode to our Knowledge Beyond Borders project for the year ahead. Believe it or not, in 2026, we're going big or going home. Today on the ZEDWiki podcast, we feature the Communications Officer to talk about our 2026 plans. We've got an engaging featured article, Community Updates, including news on who will host Wikimania 2027, plus an important update on Wikindaba in Tanzania, which was canceled. But first, let's take a step back in time. (upbeat music) Today in history, December 1st. On this day in history, 1800 French Revolutionary Wars. Austrian forces led by Archduke John of Austria, defeated two divisions of the French First Republic, led by Paul Grenier at the Battle of Amphung. 1822, Pedro was crowned the first emperor of Brazil, just seven weeks after beginning his reign on his 24th birthday. 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, sparking the Montgomery bus boycott. 1974, two Boeing 727's TWA Flight 514 and Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 6231 crashed in the Eastern United States in unrelated circumstances, killing 95 people on board both aircraft. 2019, Viviane Medema scored six goals and made four assists for Arsenal Women's Football Club, and their 11-1 victory over Bristol City Women's Football Club, breaking the record for the most goals scored in a football association Women's Super League match. Today is also World AIDS Day, a moment to raise awareness and honor those affected by HIV and AIDS. And that's a look back at some of the remarkable events that happened on this day in history. From major shifts in global leadership, to civil rights milestones, aviation tragedies, and record-setting achievements in sports, December 1st reminds us how far humanity has come. These moments also echo our theme, knowledge beyond borders. From the Battle of Amphine, where European powers reshape borders and influenced continental politics, to Brazil's imperial transition, the civil rights struggle in the United States, aviation lessons that change global safety standards and record-breaking achievements in modern football, each event shows how knowledge travels beyond its point of origin. History doesn't stay local, it moves across nations and generations, shaping perspectives worldwide. It connects us, informs us, and reminds us that knowledge has no boundaries. Stay tuned. (upbeat music) Moving to today's featured article, we featured the Zambia National Service article, and in this spotlight, we unpacked the Wikipedia article on the Zambia National Service, officially known as ZNS, and assess why it stands out as a key resource in Zambia's open knowledge landscape. According to Wikipedia, ZNS traces its origins back to 1963, when it was first established as the land army by the United National Independence Party. Back then, it was envisioned as a military fallback option should independence negotiations collapse. But when Zambia achieved peaceful independence in October 1964, the institution began to evolve. On 20 December 1971, ZNS was formally reestablished through an act of parliament. Since then, it has developed into a pivotal institution driving both security and national development. The Zambia National Service Act outlines its mandate clearly. Train citizens, protect the territorial integrity of Zambia, and execute tasks of national importance. Today, ZNS does far more than its original military function. It is heavily involved in agriculture, livestock production, land development, and infrastructure projects, such as feeder roads, dams, and airstrips. This broad scope makes ZNS a uniquely positioned institution. Part defense force, part development engine. Legally, the Zambia National Service Act, Chapter 121, remains the foundation that empowers ZNS to conduct leadership training, run development programs, and support national objectives. Today, the service operates under four strategic pillars, one, training of citizens, two, infrastructure development, three, enhancing national food security, and lastly, four, economic development. ZNS is also a major sponsor of Green Eagle's football club, further highlighting its impact on sports development in the country. The service is currently commanded by Lieutenant General Engineer Malidi Salochi II. The article is a must read and can be found on both Wikipedia and Chalo Chatu. Here's why this article fits into our knowledge beyond borders conversation. The dual role, ZNS carries two national missions, defending sovereignty and driving socioeconomic progress. The article clearly shows how the service grew from its land army roots into a modern institution shaping agriculture, infrastructure, and national preparedness. The knowledge gap, many Zambians recognize the uniform, but don't always know the full mandate. The article bridges that gap with accurate, accessible information, rooted in history and current operations. The border's connection. This is Zambian knowledge with global value. Documenting ZNS ensures the institution's story is not locked in internal reports or archives. It becomes open, reusable knowledge shared beyond Zambia's borders. And that wraps up our featured article, a story that proves just how far ZNS carries Zambia's knowledge across the map. Now let's keep that momentum going. It's time for our editorial spotlight. And today, we're turning the mic to communications officer Edward Peary. Welcome back to the ZEDWiki podcast. Today, we have Edward Peary, communications officer for Wikimedia Community User Group Zambia. Edward, it's great to have you with us. Thank you for the warm welcome and thank you for hosting me, your blueprint. Before we dive into Wikimedia, let's get to know you a bit. Where are you from? And what inspired your interest in knowledge, technology, and communities? Okay, so I grew up in Osaka, which is the capital city of Zambia. And for my inspiration, I was always fascinated by storytelling and having been a historian from secondary to high school. I took in interest in sharing knowledge and closing the gap in terms of communication and knowledge between communities and nation. And when you're not editing Wikipedia or coordinating community activities, what are you enjoying doing? So when I'm not coordinating Wikimedia activities, I enjoy portrait farming, playing football, and hosting a number of church activities and leadership process. Now let's talk about Wikimedia. How did you get involved in the movement and what keeps you motivated? Okay, thank you. I was involved in the movement by my friend, Mr. Isaac Tangoer. And what keeps me motivated is the lack of knowledge that lies between different communities. My aim is to close the gap that lies between the communities and that's what keeps me motivated. What has been your most memorable Wikimedia experience so far? The most memorable Wikimedia experience was the 2024 Wikinderwa in South Africa, where I got to meet different Wikimedia from different countries. And it was a beautiful experience 'cause I got to learn how they do their projects in their countries. And we exchanged a lot of knowledge. You're now the communications officer for Wikimedia Zambia. Can you tell us what that entails? Okay, so my role is to connect local communities and global communities and to support editors and go come the new contributors find their place in the Wikimedia world. How do you balance promoting content creation and ensuring accurate, high quality information? Okay, so it's a careful mixup of training, guidance, and mentorship. And usually we go with a principle which says quality of a quantity, meaning we get to get from the reliable source and through our collaboration with different institutions, we get to validate the data that we get before we edit. Now, Edward, let's talk about Zambia's knowledge without Borders Project 2026. What is it and why is it important? Okay, so our strategy for 2026 is to share the knowledge of Zambia across the board. And our three main focus are doing more content in local language, outreach, and making sure we reach other Wikimedians in other countries or communities. Looking ahead, what are Wikimedia Zambia's major plans for 2026 and what's the ultimate goal? Okay, so our ultimate goal or our plans for 2026 to expand the knowledge of Zambia through local language, context creation, and have different collaborations with schools, institutions, universities, and our end game for 2026 is putting Zambia on the map and its culture. Can you give us examples of how contributors can participate? Okay, so contributors can contribute or participate by writing articles about Zambia and its content and contributing through Wikicomans uploading photos and documenting about traditional ceremonies. Contributors can also participate by mentoring new contributors that join the Wikimedia movement. Thanks again, Edward, for sharing your journey and insights. It's clear that the work of communicating, mentoring, and connecting local knowledge to the global stage is critical. All right, let's bring everything together. From today in history, where we saw milestones and leadership, civil rights, and sports, to our featured article on Zambia National Service, ZNS, and Edward's perspective on communications, it all points to a bigger picture. Now it's time to take a closer look at what's ahead in 2026 with the knowledge without borders project. How do all these efforts? Wikimedia, Chalo Chatu, Wikipedia Sister Projects, and our local communities come together to ensure Zambia knowledge is shared openly, globally, and without limits. Let's dive in. (upbeat music) All right, it's now time to zoom out and look at the bigger picture for 2026. In 2026, the Wikimedia Community User Group, Zambia, is rolling out the knowledge without borders project. A bold, multi-layered initiative aimed at expanding the quality, diversity, and accessibility of Zambia knowledge across Chalo Chatu, Wikimedia, Wikipedia, and its sister projects. Building on the foundation laid in 2025, this project prioritizes community building, content creation, advocacy, and digital literacy, with a focus on local engagement, global alignment, and strategic partnerships. The vision is clear, a Zambia where free knowledge is widely accessible, culturally inclusive, and locally created by empowered communities. And the mission, to promote free access to knowledge for all Zambians, support contributors across the country, engage institutions in civil society, and reduce content and gender gaps while preserving cultural heritage. Here are our strategic objectives and key initiatives. One, community building. We want to strengthen and sustain a vibrant, diverse contributor network, including regional units and fan clubs. Leadership development is key. Contributors are empowered to lead edithons, workshops, and campaigns. Two, content creation and preservation. We are going to try and bridge knowledge gaps by prioritizing Zambia's history, culture, languages, and oral traditions. The project will continue contributions to international campaigns like WikiLove's folklore, WikiLove's earth, and WikiLove's monuments, while also running local photo walks and article writing competitions. Three, capacity development. We are going to make sure that we equip members with the skills to contribute effectively, from technical support for editing and multimedia uploads to audio-visual training and educational programs for lecturers and students. Four, advocacy and policy reform. We are going to run campaigns like Freedom of Panorama at RightsCon 2026 to protect Zambian creator's rights. The project also seeks to support informed participation in civic life and review data protection frameworks to safeguard free knowledge. Five, partnerships and collaboration. We are going to work with glam institutions, libraries, archives, museums, schools, universities, civil society, and Wikimedia affiliates globally. Chalo Chatu, as a local repository of knowledge, is a crucial partner, capturing oral history and community memory to feed into Wikimedia projects. Six, community engagement and communication. We already started a monthly ZWiki podcast in October 2025, and we hope to continue with that. Regular community meetings, social media campaigns, and the 2026 ZWiki workshops will mobilize and train contributors. And last but not the least, seven. Sustainability and governance. As a user group, we want to strengthen transparency, operational systems, and funding strategies. Document all activities, monitor outcomes, and ensure long-term growth. Now we will turn the mic to Isaac, the co-founder of Wikimedia Community User Group, Zambia, to share some insight in certain areas of the 2026 Knowledge Without Borders project. Hi, Isaac, and welcome once again. Thank you so much, Blue. I'm happy to always be here. Today we're looking at strategy, scale, and the road to 2026. Let's get right into it. The 2026 Strategic Plan clearly builds on what we learned during 2025. Can you walk us through the strategic shift we're making going into 2026? Well, certainly. In 2025, we learned that Zambia is ready for a structured Wikimedia engagement. We saw that institutions are willing to engage and partner with us. In 2026, it's about tightening that system for better governance, strong partnership, and more stable volunteer pipeline. So if you had to highlight the single biggest lesson from 2025 that triggered this shift, what would it be? Well, the biggest lesson was that enthusiasm alone doesn't scale. We saw a great participation, but without a structured system, things lose momentum. So in 2026, it is all about institutionalizing what works clear process, consistent programming, and strategic partnerships that should be able-- that was basically the main lesson and we want to grow from that. Let's move to Wikiklubs. We didn't run a pilot in 2025, but the surveys and school engagements gave us solid insights. How are we launching Wikiklubs in 2026? Well, we thought deep and had with the team on that one. And we scaled it down to using a hub and creator-- sorry, hub to chapter model where each school institutions forms its own club. But the central hub provides governance lending modules and the reporting system. It keeps everything aligned while allowing each club to operate within its own environment and means. But operationally, how do we make sure these clubs become productive communities and not just ceremonial groups? Oh, yes. You see, accountability is key. Each club will have performance indicators, content targets, training milestones, and simple reporting routines. Nothing heavy. Just something that is well-structed were also assigning trained mentors to keep the clubs active and guided. Now let's talk partnerships. Schools, universities, libraries, NGOs. 2026 is clearly partnership driven. What's the plan for securing and managing these partnerships? So in securing these partnerships, we're shifting to a once-off commitment agreement. That means we want to form MOUs and clear value exchange. It's only sustainable way to support weekly clubs on a long-term position if we were to secure these long-term partnerships. So what qualifies as a high-value partnership under this new model? Well, a high value means the institution that can commit to three things, which are number one time, space and leadership. If they can allocate a room, appointed coordinator, and allow your current programs, that's a meaningful partnership in our view. Because we're looking at what we need space for these students who are joining the Wiki Clubs. Isaac, let's touch on the ZED Wiki podcast and our growing partnership with Chalo Chatu. How do these two platforms support the 2026 program and the Wiki Clubs roll out? To be honest, both are critical. The production becomes a more communication and storytelling channel. While Chalo Chatu actually just chips into help us with the number of things in terms of validating certain facts, we hope this year we'll be able to get this often running where we can be able to actually get a few facts that are hardcore Zambian. And we are still working on how best we can work together with Chalo Chatu, the fact that it's a Zambian in Cyclopedia for Zambians and by Zambians. And so together, we want to see how best we can be able to work together with the Chalo Chatu Foundation. And how do we make sure the podcast and Chalo Chatu function as real knowledge infrastructure, not just side projects? Well, you see, blue, that's really simple. I think we can start off by aligning them with program milestones where each episode highlights club launches, training updates or national achievements. And Chalo Chatu can ensure everything we discuss on these episodes is documented accurately. And they become part of a reporting process, not only just media content. OK, looking at the 2025 events like the Zed Wiki Workshop, Drift 25 and Community Engagement, what capability gaps did out the most? So I can say three major gaps that is voluntary retention, lack of structured mentorship. And of centralization in Lusaka, because we wake a lot within the confines of Lusaka Town. And so in 2026, we are addressing O3 through leadership training, regional coordinators, and consistent year round activities. Oh, yes. And what role will data play in improving these areas in 2026? Well, data becomes our management backbone. Where every program feeds into dashboards, that attracts editors, gender ratio, club activities, and regional distribution. Once we see a trend clearly, that will actually help us make faster and better decisions. Moving on to the project itself, and I must say that the knowledge without borders project is ambitious. So Isaac, what transformative change do you expect it to create in Zambia's knowledge ecosystem? So blue, how I can answer that first tip is, we want free knowledge to become a national asset. The goal is for it to be adopted by institutions. We want a consistent youth participation and a national footprint. And on a long-term basis, we are developing-- or rather, we will be developing a knowledge literature iteration that sees the media as part of national development. How do we measure whether we're moving the needle nationally? So on that regard, we will track institutional tactics, content volume, regional coverage, and language diversity. If activities spread across the provinces, not just the provinces, not just Osaka, then we will know that the national impact is actually real and happening. Let's pivot. The plan shows a clear training pipeline, newcomers, skilled editors, leaders, trainers. What's the rollout plan? Well, so the rollout plan is simple. We will be launching a tier certification system where each level has learning outcomes, evaluation, and intellectual duties. What this does is that it creates a career pathway within the movement. And operationally, what's the biggest risk in rolling out this model? Well, you see, at the moment, we have too many learners, not enough trainers. So we are investing early or rather this year in 2025, we invested in training, the trainer of trainers so that we have a well-distributed trainer workforce to avoid any slowdowns. Yeah. Governance is tightening under the 2026 plan. Why was this necessary now? Well, you see, blue growth requires structure. The more partners we bring in, including platforms like Chalo Chato, the more accountability we must maintain. Because, believe me, governance ensures transparency, repeatability, and trust. OK. How do we enforce governance at club level without overwhelming volunteers? Well, we simplify mandatory reports, standard templates, and automated tools. Therefore, we have volunteers that will stay focused on creative content and running activities and not doing the paper week. Oh, yes. Now, under the community engagement and diversity, the surveys for 2025 showed rural representation, women editors, and regional diversity must be prioritized. What steps are we taking in 2026? Well, blue, the plan is simple. We are going to be creating district coordinators and women led training cohorts. And multilingual content strategists, because diversity is trust me embedded or rather engraved in our metrics and operational activities. How do we ensure those metrics translate into real inclusion, not just numbers? Inclusion, you know, must be designed intentionally. We co-create activities with women, rural youths, and linguistic communities, once ownership shifts to them. But especially, I tell you and trust me. But especially, it becomes authentic and sustainable. As founder and chair leading this transition, what's your vision statement for 2026? Well, you see, if by December 2026, we have fully operational weekclaps, a nation-volunteer pipeline that is working perfectly, a strong partnership network, aside from Justalochatu, and a consistent podcast engagement, and measurable national impact, then Zambia is finally shaping into a knowledge future. Then, will we know that actually-- or rather, that's it, I would know that we've actually hit the point that we would love to hit, because that is what will show that the vision has actually been achieved. Powerful. Any last words for the ZEDWiki community? Yes, I think I would say staying against every edit, every club activities that will come after we launch the clubs, every training session will push Zambia closer to a true knowledge equity. And 2026 is the year we scale together. Thank you. And that brings us to the end of today's deep dive into the Knowledge Without Borders Project 2026. We've explored milestones, strategy, partnerships, and the bold steps the Wikimedia Community User Group Zambia is taking to expand access to free knowledge across the country. From building vibrant community networks to preserving Zambia's culture, empowering contributors, and leveraging platforms like Chalo Chatu and the ZEDWiki podcast, 2026 promises to be a year of growth, inclusion, and measurable impact. A huge thank you to Isaac for sharing his insights. Next is the Wikimedia Tech and Tools Update. [MUSIC PLAYING] Right then, let's take a look at the Wikimedia Tech and Tools news, starting with some important deadlines happening today. First up, voting in the 2025 arbitration committee elections is still open. Eligible editors have until 2359 UTC tonight to make their voices heard. Candidate statements are available for review, giving insight into their priorities and approach. So if you want to participate, now is the time to submit your choices. Next, the articles for creation backlog elimination drive is underway this December. The goal is to rescue new articles stuck in draft limbo and make sure quality content reaches the main space. Both new and returning reviewers are encouraged to jump in and help out. On English Wikipedia, experienced editors have until 2359 UTC today to submit their candidacy for the third administrator elections. Once the sign-up closes, the discussion and voting phases will follow, shaping the next wave of Wikipedia administrators. In governance news, Bobby Shabongo became the first African elected to the Wikimedia Board of Trustees alongside Mikhail Buchinski. The new trustees will be appointed at the next board meeting in December 2025. For context, the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees provides governance and oversight for the global nonprofit that hosts Wikimedia and other Wikimedia projects, ensuring legal compliance, public trust, and strategic alignment. WISCOM has confirmed the cancellation of Wikimedia 2025 following escalating security concerns in Tanzania. The event, which had been moved to Dara Salam after the situation in Congo-Brazaville deteriorated, became unviable as post-election protest in Tanzania increased travel and operational risks. All alternative options, hybrid, fully virtual, or postponement, were assessed but found impractical to deliver with the required certainty and quality. WISCOM and the 2025 core organizing team will meet with the Wikimedia Foundation this month to conduct a full analysis and redesign the framework for future Indaba events. The foundation has issued guidance on winding up logistics and ensuring that all community efforts are appropriately honored. WISCOM reaffirms its commitment to safety and is now shifting focus toward preparations for the next proposed host, Abijan, Cote Devoir. Looking ahead to 2026, the Wikimedia movement is positioned for a high-value operational cycle anchored by three primary Wikimedia Foundation events. Wikimedia 2026 in Paris, July 21 to 25. The Wikimedia hackathon 2026 in Milan, May 1 to 3, and the Media Wikie Users and Developers Conference, MWD, 2026 in Salt Lake City, March 25 to 27. Wikimedia 2026 will operate as a hybrid engagement and will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first Wikipedias. The Wikimedia Scholarship Committee has confirmed that they have received over 2,000 applications. Evaluations are now underway and results will be announced in early January 2026. The broader events pipeline includes the virtual Wiki Workshop 2026, March 25 to 26, Wikicredcon 2026, and the Wikimedia ESCA conference scheduled for May 15, 17, 2026. Additionally, the Wikimedia Steering Committee has confirmed Santiago Chile as the host city for Wikimedia 2027, marking the conference's return to Latin America for the first time in over a decade, following Buenos Aires 2009 and Mexico City, 2015. Now then, moving to tech and tools news, the following Wikimedia technology and tools updates cover the period from 1st November 2024 to date, highlighting key upgrades across the platform. New syntax highlighter features. A new beta version of the Wikitext Editor's syntax highlighter is rolling out. It includes RTL, right to left language support, template folding, auto completion, and an improved search panel for a more efficient editing workflow. Keyboard shortcuts for the 2010 Editor, the classic 2010 Wikitext Editor now supports standard keyboard shortcuts, such as control B for bold, and control I for italics, closing a longstanding usability gap. Flow Structured Discussions Deprecation. Starting 28th of November, flow Structured Discussions, pages will be automatically archived and placed in read-only mode on several Wikis as the movement continues shifting towards discussion tools as the long-term discussion system. Code Editor Auto Completion. The Code Editor used for Lua, CSS, and JavaScript now supports live auto completion. Editors may toggle the feature off using control, if needed. Graphite to Prometheus Migration. Tool maintainers are being encouraged to migrate metrics from Graphite to Prometheus ahead of Graphite shifting to read-only mode in April 2025. Redirect warnings. Editors will now see an alert when creating a redirect that leads to a non-existent page, helping reduce broken redirects and cleanup tasks. PiWikiBot 9.5.0 update. Tool Forge has been upgraded to PiWikiBot 9.5.0, bringing multiple fixes and stability improvements for bot operators. FlagGrefs Fix. A fix was deployed to ensure that pages created by trusted users are automatically marked as reviewed under the FlagGrefs system. Talk page redesign. A new, cleaner talk page design has been deployed on several Wikipedia's, featuring a clear new topic button and higher readability. English Wikipedia is not included in this rollout yet. Protected page indicator. MediaWiki now automatically displays a lock icon on protected pages, reducing reliance on manual protection templates. Mobile Image Browsing Experiment. The Android app and mobile web are testing a new feature that allows readers to explore visual content more interactively. WikiVoyage Maps improvements. Map markers on WikiVoyage now automatically adjusts text color, black or white for better visual contrast. Global auto blocks. Stewards can now apply global blocks that trigger automatic global auto blocks, strengthening enforcement against cross-wiki block evasion. Campaign events collaboration lists. Organizers using the campaign events extension can now create lists of Wiki projects to help contributors find relevant groups easily during events. Temporary accounts. IP Masking. The IP Masking Initiative has expanded to additional Wiki's, replacing visible IP edits with temporary auto-generated usernames to protect user privacy. And that brings us to the end of episode three, and the final ZED Wiki podcast of 2025. As we transition toward 2026, the mandate is clear. We're leveling up. Stronger governance, deeper technical integration, and renewed regional collaboration are setting the pace. The movement is shifting, and Zambia is positioned right at the center of that transformation. A big thank you to our communication officer, Edward, for outlining the strategic roadmap, and to Isaac for anchoring the execution pathway and steering us toward delivery. These conversations aren't just updates. They form part of the operational backbone guiding our forward momentum. To every volunteer, partner, and supporter listening from Lusaka and across the globe, your contributions remain the driving force of this ecosystem. Your edits, your advocacy, and your commitment to free knowledge continue to power everything we do. We'll return in January as we open the 2026 season. Stronger, sharper, and ready to execute. The ZED Wiki podcast is brought to you by the Wiki Media Community User Group, Zambia, in partnership with Chalo Chadu. You can listen to the ZED Wiki podcast on your preferred podcast platform. From my producer Isaac, user ISM4K, my sound engineer, Lewis Revention24, this is Blueprint in Lusaka, signing off. Stay committed, stay innovative, and as always, keep knowledge moving across borders. (upbeat music) (upbeat music)