Program/Ubuntu for who? Equity by Free Knowledge?
- Notes
- Format
Workshop
- Keywords
- ubuntu
- Open Education
- Open Science
- Free Knowledge
- Marginalization
- Power Structures
- Colonialism
- When and where
- Saturday 21 July, 14:30
- Duration: 55 minutes
Montreal
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- Presenter(s)
- User:friedelitis
- User:edp05mab
- User:Taskeeeners
- User:14prinsp
- User:thatpsychprof
- User:SukainaWalji
- User:ShanaliG
- User:Christopher_Schwarzkopf_(WMDE)
- Topic area
- Relationship to theme
Access & accessibility
Participation & representation
Abstract
Open Education, Open Science and Free Knowledge are often presented uncritically as representing notions of ubuntu: democratization and equity. We would, however, be disingenuous to disregard the implicit ideological assumptions in our definitions and practices of Open (Funes, Mackness, 2018). More nuanced understandings of the different dimensions of openness - legal, technical and operational - suggest that critical approaches are required when enacting Open strategies (King, Hodgkinson-Williams, Willmers & Walji, 2016). Without a critical approach, technology can amplify inequality. Open can enable colonization by favoring the voices of those with means, power and reputation (Ito, Reich 2017; Nobes 2017). We aim to identify and deconstruct existing power structures and popular narratives. We propose ways of fighting for equity and against marginalization in education and knowledge sharing with Open and digital as tools. We aim to transfer these concepts and ideas to the practice of free knowledge sharing in projects such as Wikipedia.
Facilitation of this workshop will happen on-site and online so that more voices can be included and engaged. A core team of facilitators will be on-site, others can chime in virtually as participants in live formats, but also by providing provocations, thoughts, research and reflections online. In doing so, we hope to include views and voices of people who are often overlooked in the opening and digitizing of education and knowledge. This reflects the ongoing water crisis in Cape Town, but it also acknowledges the approach of giving room to marginalized voices by stepping back, by listening instead of speaking (Morris 2016).
With this submission, the authors aim to critically examine the conference theme of ubuntu and its application to the practice of knowledge sharing. While focussing on Open Education and Open Science, we aim to enable attendees to transfer these findings to the practice of knowledge sharing.
Sukaina Walji and Shanali Govender will be on-site to facilitate the workshop while an online session will take place simultaneously and in conversation with attendees on-site. Virtual facilitators will be: Taskeen Adam, Maha Bali, Rajiv Jhangiani and Christian Friedrich.
Please see the Towards Openness webpage for further details on how to participate virtually online: https://towards-openness.org/wikimania
Outcomes
We aim to enable attendees to transfer the workshop findings to the practice of knowledge sharing. We will collect materials and statements related to Free Knowledge, Open Education and Open Science from educators and activists from around the world. These statements will be freely accessible to anyone interested. Attendees will take away various perspectives on questions around ubuntu, inequality, equity and representation of marginalized communities in the creation of Free Knowledge. Attendees will also have access to scaffolding enabling them to further critically investigate their own practices after Wikimania 2018.
Signup
- MassiveEartha (talk)
- John Andersson (WMSE) (talk) 00:58, 15 June 2018 (UTC)
- Masssly (talk) 18:13, 18 June 2018 (UTC)
- Abdallahbigboy (talk) 10:40, 29 June 2018 (UTC)
- Virginia Díez (WMES) (talk) 11:34, 30 June 2018 (UTC)
- A ka es (talk) 06:33, 17 July 2018 (UTC)
- Christopher Schwarzkopf (WMDE) (talk)
- Bilqischondol (talk) 21:45, 17 July 2018 (UTC)
- John Weitzmann (WMDE) (talk) 10:29, 21 July 2018 (UTC)
- <add your username here if you are interested in attending>