DCW Board Elections/2025/Samiya Ahmed
Samiya Ahmed
| Summary |
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| Mandatory questions | ||
| Why are you running for the DCW Board? What unique contributions do you bring to the role? What areas would you like to learn more about? | The first time when I was involved with Wiki Club AMU as one of the founding members ,it was the passion within me for the free knowledge movement and the dedication to contribute to the knowledge of underrepresented sections of society .The passion alongside the leadership skills and analytical mind holds me at good position to run for the DCW BOARD .Apart from the above mentioned leadership skill , I am committed to the community engagement and diverse environmental collaborations . With the mind of an analyst, I can help at providing quality content and through the networking skills there can be a boost to the recruitment of new contributors. Being the team lead at Wiki Club AMU has polished my skills of being a leader and an active listener as well as ignited the multi-tasking person inside me.
I would like to learn more about the technical side of the Wikimedia sister projects as well as the strategies for combating systematic biases and dive deep into the judicial use of Wikimedia as a reliable and quality source, I would also like to educate myself on the broader aspect of the violations in the world of Wikimedia as well as discover more knowledge about the articles and editing practices on a developer level. | |
| Please describe your Wikimedia experience (such as contributions to the Wikimedia projects, activities as a Wikimedia movement organizer, or other relevant participation). | Being the team lead at WIKI CLUB AMU for overall management and communication , I am contributing to the mission by directly guiding and motivating the core members as well as mapping the way for our club in present and future through frequent core team meetups and documenting the insights of the meeting for future records as well as for providing tasks where they contribute on Wikimedia sister programmes such as Wikimedia Commons .One such practice which was though a collective effort of all the team members was the open photography contest where many of the Bonafide students from our respective university contributed for the first time and dissolved their confusions about the Wikimedia . On a wider view, I make sure that there is a collaborative environment in the team, and everyone has the free will to put forward the ideas as well as be vocal in every aspect.
On a personal note I have been a Wikipedian since a year or more and have contributed majorly to the Wikimedia Commons by portraying the historical buildings of AMU as well as other things which are beneficial in the free knowledge movement .One of the best experiences until now for me was the Train A Wikipedian Program by DCW which was led by Aafi Sir , through this one programme which has recently happened , I got many new insights on diverse perspectives such as research and citations as well as digital good infrastructure and the three keys . Not only this, the virtual sessions by Lianna and Manav as well as Tanveer sir were brainstorming and gave us plenty of this area. The participation at TAW confirmed to me that this knowledge movement path which I have been on is the divine solution for the betterment of humanity. These experiences can never suffice because I am a dynamic learner but here in the respect for the question this is all I can put through. | |
| From your perspective, what should the Deoband Community Wikimedia prioritize over the next 3 to 6 years? Why do you consider these priorities to be the most important? | The foremost priority for the DCW should be community partnerships as well as collaborations with institutions where presentations regarding the free knowledge movement can be distributed to the large audience and the benefits must be made crystal clear so that the future contributors must be aware of their rights as a wikimedian. There should be guidelines laid down by members from different communities where unity meets diversity, and drafted guidelines must not violate the rights of any community as well as promote the growth and development of all without suffering from systemic biases. In the next 3 years DCW should probably work more on expanding and diversifying its branches as building more wiki clubs in other states. In the next 6 years, DCW should start working on an international common ground but first build the national ground and recruit people to turn them into skilled contributors. DCW should also nurture more of the training programmes where presenters must not hesitate to answer questions from basic and newly skilled wikipedians must be given chances to present so as to build on the mistakes and develop skills of public speaking alongside. | |
| Optional questions - Professional Experience and Education | ||
| Describe your educational background, including degrees, certificates, and courses of study finished, and their relevance to board work. | I am currently pursuing Masters In Chemistry From Aligarh Muslim University and my educational background has been solid science student but this science student can handle the chemicals and the extra-curriculars in one brain at one time with the same intensity .Honoured to discuss the most closest position to my heart of being a volunteer at INDIAZAKAT which has not only enhanced my excel skills but also upgraded my perspective of constructive feedback .As a volunteer , I raise causes for the beneficiary and review scholarship applications from different states alongside other volunteers. This position has given me the asset of collaborative working and observing details as well as revolutionized my goal of doing something great for humanity. I have been campus ambassador at different platforms such as jurni, muskurahat; etc. I have also been sprint volunteer at CRY(CHILD RIGHTS & YOU) wherein the sessions focused majorly with the children from BPL and that makes sense again with the BOARD MEMBER ; as who can understand the underrepresented in more better way than someone who has been in a close call with that section of people .And this has induced within me the idea of framing these sections through free knowledge movement by portraying them in spotlight with due respect so as to help them gain access to many of the resources indirectly and this can happen when I will be able to feed the knowledge about them in the globe which will be accessed by someone else and the chain goes on ending up never. I have also been content writer at Al Shifa academy and then later upgraded to the social media development team which clearly indicates the remarkable skills of creative writing.
Intentionally mentioning about the main branch in my Msc at the end. The name goes as Analytical chemistry. So will it not be fantabulous to have an analyst who has research as well as observation skills and a creative perspective of everything in comparison to someone who’s not an analyst. Well analysts analyse every possibility with accuracy. I hold certificates including:
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| Describe your experience in making impactful decisions. | Decision making reminds me first of the reviewing. During the proper documentation for scholarship provision to needy, it was mandatory to have particular documents within time frame but due to few of the unexpected reasons, they violated the time frame and at that time I was having a chance of rejecting them which would have put the future of those at risk or else I would have taken whole burden on me and contacted administration, gone through long process and saved the future of those. And within a blink of an eye, I made the decision to go long, I deduced the approximate number and through proper channels guided the students for documentation and helped them submit the fees. Here, not only immediate action was required but also critical thinking regarding the fee norm, deadline as well as the strategic answer to the finance head. The other decision, which was made being an admin, a wonderful one, was the extension of the planned bunk because of the travel blockage of many classmates during winters and that was where networking came handy, and the communication skills were beautifully portrayed. The last which I will discuss was the decision of establishment of wiki club AMU alongside Sana who came up with the idea as guided by Aafi Sir. That one sudden text from her and the unplanned meet where all she said was Wikipedia and we need to contribute, and the echo of the free knowledge movement still persists since that day. I would have missed the team of amazing people and the support as well as knowledge I have been providing to the people who seem confused regarding the wiki club. Also, the dedication towards wiki commons came up from the idea of DCW vision statement which indirectly seems to flatter me always. | |
| Outline your career experience and key roles you have held. | I have held several roles such as:
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| Provide two examples where you successfully addressed or advised on complex organizational challenges. How did you collaborate with others to resolve these issues? | During the farewell of our seniors, I was the one who initiated the plan (5 more boys joined later in the same idea) and personally addressed the communication gaps, established crystal clear goals and prioritized the tasks as well as built customized teams to improve trust and workflow. This not only increased the efficiency but also made the programme successful with the devotion of all the classmates as well as the dearest seniors. Thereby saving the credibility of our batch and enhancing relationships.
At Wiki Club AMU, I assure to address the unconscious bias and the cultural competence between seniors and juniors as well as work with the strategy of DEI (DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSIVITY), wherein people from diverse backgrounds are treated equally and always made to feel inclusive in the environment of discussions. In both of the above cases collaboration is easy by connecting to them on a personal note and giving them space and freedom to portray the thoughts and wander through the paths of mind blowing ideas which can sometimes be implemented so as to make them feel appreciated. | |
| Add any relevant links describing your professional background, experience, profile (such as LinkedIn, etc.). | ||
| Optional questions - Leadership and Strategic Thinking | ||
| How have you been able to empower people to make their voices heard? | From Being an active volunteer at India zakat to being one of the admins in the class, voices have been amplified by my voluntary involvement. Empowering does not always seek argumentative agreements but, in my case, I try empowering people by networking with them and promoting the respective voice with due boundaries and within best fit of one’s current scenarios. My social media has been flowing with posts and stories where people need empowerment and through personal shares and reposts as well as guiding them to respective platforms which can be an asset to them, the purpose is served. And whatever I start with, I make sure I take it as a personal challenge to give my optimum efforts and help the voice get heard. | |
| In professional settings, personality conflicts can arise. How do you stay productive and maintain effectiveness in such situations? | Conflicts are a part of professional setting and not everyone has a similar personality therefore to be productive, I invest more of my time in learning and providing to people than pondering over the fragmented discussions and ruled out opinions. Being vocal about the conflict with structured words and actions have always been fruitful. To maintain the effectiveness, one should have a perspective of not taking everything personally. According to me, productivity comes from an active mind and activity comes from constructive mindset, otherwise destruction seems to gather and one can not focus. I try my best to avoid personal discussions in professional settings so as to induce more productivity and try to build flexible boundaries which will not completely omit the danger of personality conflicts but reduce the chances. Adapting and promoting conflicts are never amongst my first triggered responses. Being able to decide when to be silent and when to be positively vocal must be kept in the knowledge of someone who cherishes productivity despite personality conflicts. Drafting a written document comparatively has less chances of personality conflict on some idea therefore I try to be more inclined at document than word of mouth. | |
| Describe ways in which you have helped to form a bridge between multiple communities. | Understanding someone and actively listening to what they mean to say is the game changer. Instead of taking it in a way to reflect, I try taking it the way to refract where firstly bending is the need and then reflection is the response of what we have taken in our perspectives. The purpose different communities share as one is the major bridge between them as strong and devoted people look forward to shared purposes irrespective of which community they belong to. I am fond of finding common ground where values are shared by different communities and variations do not dominate over the purpose. Also, intermittent meets and regular discussions can be fruitful to bridge between. Lastly, collaboration is the key and while I visited Jamia Milia University as a delegate in regard to one week workshop, I was confirmed that collaboration can move mountains and benefits whosoever is covered under its canopy. Collaboration can be in many forms be it funding or other aspects. | |
| verification | verification performed | |
eligibility:  verified
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identification: verified
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| Moderator notes | The candidate is allowed to contest in the DCW Board Elections as their term as a Team Lead at Wiki Club AMU is coming to an end. | |