Building Bridges Between West Asia and ESEAP – Diff

From 15 to 17 May 2026, I had the opportunity to attend the ESEAP Wiki Conference in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, organized by Wikimedia Taiwan and the ESEAP Hub.

For many people, this might sound like just another Wikimedia conference. For me, it was much more than that. It was my first time attending an ESEAP conference, and as an Iraqi Wikimedian coming from West Asia and the MENA region, it felt like I was carrying more than just my backpack. I was carrying curiosity, many questions, and the responsibility of representing a region that is not often present in this space.

The journey before the journey

Before the conference, the political situation in my region was unstable. For around one and a half months, the airspace was closed, and traveling became almost impossible.

At that point, attending the conference felt less like planning a trip and more like solving a very complicated puzzle but with flights, visas, airports, and stress instead of puzzle pieces.

One week before the conference, I finally managed to secure a ticket from Baghdad to Kuala Lumpur through Dubai, and then from Kuala Lumpur to Taiwan. It was stressful, but my excitement to meet the ESEAP community was stronger than the stress. Also, after all that effort, cancelling was not really an option. I had already emotionally packed my bag.

Wikimedia hospitality in Malaysia

My journey started three days before the conference, when I first traveled to Malaysia. Once the Wikimedia Community User Group Malaysia knew that I was coming, they warmly welcomed me and hosted me in their office.

I spent two amazing days with them, learning about their work and how they organize Wikimedia activities in Malaysia. Zahurul generously offered me his room. Asmah, with her wonderful social energy, took me around Kuala Lumpur. Farouk patiently answered my many questions about Wikimedia work in Malaysia.

What touched me most was that they hosted someone they had never met before. This is one of the beautiful things about the Wikimedia movement. You can arrive in a new country, meet people for the first time, and somehow feel that you are not completely a stranger.

Maybe that is what free knowledge does. It gives us not only articles, images, and data, but also friendships in unexpected places.

Arriving in Kaohsiung

After two days in Malaysia, I joined the Malaysian community on the way to Taiwan for the ESEAP Wiki Conference.

The conference was held at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, and from the first day, I could feel the energy of the region. ESEAP is incredibly diverse, bringing together communities from different languages, cultures, islands, countries, and contexts. Yet, despite all this diversity, there was a strong shared spirit of people working together to make knowledge more open and more representative.

For me, being there as someone from Iraq felt very meaningful. I was not only attending as an individual. I was carrying with me the experience of Wikimedia Iraq, the voice of our community, and the hope that more bridges can be built between MENA, West Asia, and ESEAP.

Wikipedia Asian Month and West Asia

On the first day, I participated in a panel discussion about collaboration and prospects of the Asian communites within Wikipedia Asian Month.

For me, this discussion was important because many West Asian communities do not always feel that they are part of Asia. This affects how actively they participate in Asian initiatives, even when these initiatives are open and relevant to them.

As organizers of Wikipedia Asian Month on Arabic Wikipedia, I believe we need to plan earlier, include it more clearly in our annual planning, and use it as an opportunity to connect with other Asian communities. Wikipedia Asian Month can be more than a writing campaign. It can become a bridge between communities that may not usually work together.

Saying “Hello from West Asia”

On the second day, I presented a session titled “Hello from West Asia.”

The title was simple, but the meaning behind it was big. Through this session, I wanted to introduce our region not only through its challenges, but also through its energy, creativity, and potential.

I shared stories from Wikimedia Iraq, how we organize activities, engage youth, document local knowledge, and continue building community in a region where circumstances are not always easy. Organizing Wikimedia work in Iraq requires flexibility, patience, and sometimes a very strong relationship with uncertainty. Plans can change because of security issues, travel difficulties, but despite all of that, our community continues to grow.

During the session, I also shared two opportunities for collaboration connected to the wider MENA region: the Million Wiki Project, led by the UAE User Group, and the WikiCollection campaign, which started on Arabic Wikipedia to document content related to stamps, currencies, banknotes, and other collectible materials.

Wikipedia Birthday!

At the end of the second day, I was invited on stage with other Wikimedians who were also 25 years old. Since Wikipedia is also celebrating its 25th birthday, we were each given a peach-shaped cake. When we opened it, there were many smaller cakes inside.

It was also my fourth time celebrating Wikipedia’s birthday this year. At this point, I think Wikipedia and I are officially in a long birthday season together.

Learning from the sessions

On the third day, I attended “Applying Agile Thinking to Wikimedia Community Projects” by Sakti Pramudya from the Wikimedia Foundation. This session was very relevant to my work as an organizer in Iraq. In community work, we often try to create the perfect plan, but perfect plans rarely survive real life, especially when working with volunteers, changing schedules, limited resources, and unexpected challenges.

I also attended “Some Wild Ideas for Future ESEAP Collaborative Activities”. The session showed how the ESEAP Hub can support communities not by controlling them, but by helping them connect, share resources, reduce communication barriers, and build capacity. During the discussion, I shared the idea of WikiCollection and how it could be adapted by other communities.

Another important session for me was “Towards a Healthy Ecosystem of Wikimedia Organizations: Updates on the Movement Organizations Pilot, GRDC, and AffCom.” As someone applying to become an advisory member of AffCom, and as a community leader in Iraq, this session helped me better understand where the movement is heading in terms of affiliates, funding, accountability, and organizational development.

I also joined “Conversation with the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees.” This session helped me better understand the role of the Board, especially in approving the Foundation’s annual plan and budget, supporting long-term strategy, and making high-level decisions. It was also useful to understand what the Board does not do, such as approving individual grants or affiliate applications. For me, this distinction was important because it gave me a clearer picture of how responsibilities are shared across the movement.

I also joined a workshop on public policy advocacy, where I worked in a group with Rachel Judhistari from the Wikimedia Foundation. It was my first time learning that there is a dedicated team inside Wikimedia working on this area. The workshop made me think more seriously about how communities can understand policy challenges in their countries and advocate for a better environment for free knowledge.

These sessions gave me practical ideas, but more importantly, they helped me think about Wikimedia work beyond activities and content. They made me think more about structure, advocacy, sustainability, governance, and how communities can become stronger over time.

Giving youth their own space

One thing I really appreciated at the ESEAP Wiki Conference was the clear focus on youth engagement. The program included a dedicated youth track, giving young Wikimedians their own space to meet, share ideas, and discuss their role in the future of the movement.

At the end of the youth session, the newly established ESEAP Youth Group was introduced. This was inspiring to see, especially as someone working on youth engagement in Iraq.

For me, this focus is very important. Young people are among the most active users of the internet, and Wikimedia needs to empower them not only as readers or participants, but also as organizers and future leaders of the movement.

What I noticed

After attending several Wikimedia conferences, I felt that ESEAP was like a smaller Wikimania, but with a stronger regional focus. It was one of the most knowledge-rich conferences I have attended, especially because the discussions were not only about content, but also about collaboration, organizing, hubs, advocacy, and long-term community development.

One thing I noticed was the difference between the Arabic-speaking Wikimedia community and the ESEAP community. The Arabic community is very strong in content work, especially on Wikipedia itself. This makes sense because many communities contribute in the same language, which creates a shared focus and a strong content movement.

However, the organizational side in the Arabic-speaking region still needs more development. We still do not have a chapter, a hub, a youth group, or a clear sustainable organizational pathway for the region.

In ESEAP, I noticed something different. The program focused strongly on projects, collaborations, community structures, and regional development. There were also many Wikimedia Foundation staff members from different teams present at the conference, supporting discussions and sharing expertise.

Within the MENA region, I find myself more drawn to the organizing side because when I joined the Wikimedia movement, this area was not very clear and still needed more work.

A little love letter to Taiwan

Beyond the conference, Taiwan itself made the journey even more special. From the high-speed rail to the clean streets, welcoming people, and amazing hospitality, everything made me feel comfortable and excited to discover more.

And of course, I cannot talk about Taiwan without talking about the food. The seafood was delicious, the cream puff was unforgettable, and bubble tea was exactly where it should be: everywhere.

I ended my trip with a beautiful view of the Danjiang Bridge. Knowing that it was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects gave the moment a special meaning for me as an Iraqi.

Special thanks to Wikimedia Taiwan, Joyce, Reke, Betty, and all the organizers for making this conference such a welcoming and memorable experience.

To-siā, Taiwan — thank you for the knowledge, kindness, and memories.

About the “From Baghdad to…” series

This article is part of my “From Baghdad to…” series, a collection of Diff posts where I document my Wikimedia journeys and reflections from the conferences I attend around the world.

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