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Latest tech news from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. Translations are available.

Recent changes

• There is a new user preference for “Always enable safe mode“. This setting will make pages load without including any on-wiki JavaScript or on-wiki stylesheet pages. It can be useful for debugging broken JavaScript gadgets. [1]
• Gadget definitions now have a new “contentModels” option. The option takes a list of page content models, like wikitext or css. Gadgets that use this option will only load on pages with the given content models.

Changes later this week

• The new version of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from 3 October. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from 4 October. It will be on all wikis from 5 October (calendar).

Future changes

• The Vector 2022 skin will no longer use the custom styles and scripts of Vector legacy (2010). The change will be made later this year or in early 2024. See how to adjust the CSS and JS pages on your wiki. [2]

Tech news prepared by Tech News writers and posted by bot • Contribute • Translate • Get help • Give feedback • Subscribe or unsubscribe.

This post is part of a series of Safety and Advocacy posts by the Community Resilience and Sustainability team. This post was authored by staff from the Trust and Safety Disinformation team, whose training module on disinformation you can find on learn.wiki. 

Introduction and Definition

Building the largest online encyclopaedia and filling it with notable information from the world’s knowledge is a massive undertaking. For over two decades, contributors have curated content, created and shaped policies, and crafted the world’s knowledge in an accessible format for readers. 

More recently, disinformation is a growing problem around the world, and Wikimedia projects are not immune to disinformation campaigns. So what is disinformation? Why is disinformation different on Wikimedia projects? And what can Wikipedia editors do to tackle this problem?

First things first, let’s define our terms (as with many buzzwords, the term itself can be incredibly difficult to define clearly). Although many different definitions exist, the most common ones contain three key elements:  

• Disinformation contains false or misleading information. 
• Disinformation is shared with the intent to deceive. 
• Disinformation has the potential to harm readers. 

Without any of these three key elements, the information shared cannot be defined as disinformation, but it may still be a form of information disorder, such as misinformation or malinformation. Misinformation is false or misleading information, but it is shared without the intent to deceive. Malinformation may be shared out of context, but the information itself may be correct. Doxxing is a form of malinformation (which you can read more about and suggestions of how to protect yourself on Diff). 

Disinformation is different here

Disinformation as an academic discipline emerged in the immediate aftermath of the 2016 US Presidential Election. However, it is important to note that it is not a new phenomenon. Misleading information campaigns have been used as part of pandemics, wars, and elections for centuries. And where disinformation reigns, anti-disinformation work begins. This work, too, has taken place for many a year. Take, for example, the case of Thomas Browne, author of the 1646 treatise Pseudodoxia Epidemica, or Enquiries into very many received tenents and commonly presumed truths. Browne sought to refute some of the false and misleading claims which made their way into everyday life.

But this does not mean that all anti-disinformation work looks alike. The Wikimedia ecosystem retains a number of factors which make anti-disinformation work unique. These include:

Community – there is a vested interest in the Wikimedia movement to stop disinformation from manifesting on our projects.

Platform – rather than thousands of opinions on a single topic, Wikipedia aims to achieve community consensus based on the best verifiable sources on one page per topic.

Methods – rather than using technology, like bot accounts, disinformation spreaders are forced to engage with wiki bureaucracy in order to maintain their misleading content.

Guidelines – verifiability, neutral point of view (NPOV) and no original research.

In short, disinformation works differently in the Wikimedia ecosystem than it does elsewhere, such as on social media. As a result, our solutions to the problems that disinformation brings need to be tailored to our specific needs. So what do we do to challenge disinformation threats, and how can we do it better?

The Wikimedia Model for Challenging Disinformation

Local Administrators

The first port of call for challenging disinformation should be the administrators of your local project. They are best placed to understand the context and history of the pages under threat, and can best direct community resources to resolve content issues. 

Wiki Initiatives

There are a range of different initiatives across the movement which deal with disinformation in one way or another, including: WikiCred, a project aimed at training media professionals how to use Wikipedia; the Knowledge Integrity Risk Observatory; and various projects led by the Foundation’s Moderator Tools team. The Foundation’s Global Advocacy team is working on a map of some of these initiatives, to which you can contribute. 

Trust and Safety Disinformation Team

Should the issue include serious behavioural issues which local administrators are unable to resolve, the Wikimedia Foundation has a Trust and Safety Disinformation team. This team is available to help with a range of issues:

• In cases which involve serious threats of harm, they can be contacted via emergency@wikimedia.org;
• In cases that cannot be adjudicated by local community mechanisms, they can be reached via ca@wikimedia.org;
• The Wikimedia Foundation’s Trust and Safety Disinformation team also runs the Disinformation Response Taskforce (DRT) around elections at high risk of disinformation attacks. In cases where the community is concerned about disinformation efforts connected to prominent elections or geopolitical events, they can be contacted via drt@wikimedia.org.

Ahead of a bumper year of elections in 2024, the Trust and Safety Disinformation team has begun preparing for several Disinformation Response Taskforces (DRTs), designed to support Wikimedia communities to maintain knowledge integrity during high-risk events.

The Trust and Safety Disinformation team has also recently published a training module about anti-disinformation work, which you can find on learn.wiki. If you would like to establish your own personal toolkit for challenging disinformation in your wiki community, please check it out! 

Members of the Disinformation team will be available during the next Community Resilience and Sustainability Conversation Hour in November. Join, ask your questions, and learn more.

Overview

When the Movement Strategy recommendations came out, it advocated for Investing in skills and leadership development “to intentionally make our Movement more distributed and sustainable”. Our commitment to decentralisation and empowerment of volunteers is our DNA and one of the reasons for the Wikimedia Movement’s success and resilience. Yet, there still is room for improvement. To create ideas on how to empower contributors to make a difference, the Community Development team assembled a Leadership Development Working Group (LDWG) – that’s us! We came together in June 2022 as a group of globally distributed volunteers from all sorts of backgrounds within and outside the movement. 

Our mandate was to come up with strategies to foster leadership in the Wikimedia Movement. But how does one go about that? After all, to many, the idea of “leader” and “leadership” sounded like a few people deciding what their subordinates are supposed to do – the opposite of what Wikimedia is about. It was clear to us that the first thing to do was to elaborate on what shape leadership needs to take to suit our Movement. 

• We first set out to come up with a shared definition of leadership that encompasses our grassroots spirit. 
• Building on that foundation, we drafted a Leadership Development Plan tailored to the special needs of the Wikimedia Movement. 
• In the remaining time of our one-year tenure, we started implementing parts of the plan in several small- to medium-scale projects and initiatives.

Amplifying our work at Wikimania

Most of what we accomplished was to establish a vocabulary of concepts (the definition) and a directory of tools (the development plan) to make it easier for Wikimedia members to progress on their leadership journey. Consequently, our work critically depends, even more so than other projects, on Wikimedians being aware of what we did so that they can use it. Wikimania 2023 in Singapore was our time to shine – and we took full advantage of that! 

• We collaborated with Let’s Connect to co-organise and co-facilitate a series of Learning Clinics on-site. These learning clinics were non-recorded spaces for people to acquire useful leadership skills through practical workshop-style sessions. We identified the following three scenarios for these Learning Clinics:
  • Networking for introverts – how to make the most of this conference
  • Communication skills for collaborative leadership
  • How not to lose a volunteer after the first edit: volunteer retention strategies
• We hosted an interactive session to announce the formation of a Leadership Development Network and identify ways in which the Leadership Development Plan could be used by communities and individuals. It was an engaging session where we were able to recognize how diverse community needs and experiences actually are, and strengthen our resolve to work in a distributed and coordinated manner to implement the resources in the leadership development plan.  
• Finally, we co-facilitated a Connectathon with Let’s Connect. It was an open, lighthearted, and safe space for participants to share common interests, skills, get to know one another and build trust. The LDP states that effective leaders, whether they be individuals or groups, bring people together for a common mission. This is the spirit of human connection we wanted to express through this session.

What working together taught us about leadership

As many working groups before us, we faced – and eventually dealt with – the occasional lack of motivation, disagreement over the content, lengthy discussions about priorities and the choice of process to get them done. Managing issues like these is at the heart of leadership, so observing and reflecting on how we worked together had a special place in our group. We elaborated on some of these topics extensively in our Leadership Development Plan, but based on what we learned while we were writing it, we would like to share three pieces of advice that helped us a lot:

1. Be open about your abilities and needs, especially availability and energy levels. There is no point in keeping up appearances here – we are all volunteers, no one knows everything or is available 24/7. You do yourself and your team a favor when you are transparent about these things.
2. Make consent-building a habit. No matter how you choose to work on a project, in the end, all of your names will be on it. Reaching alignment on what to do and publish is often hard but you can make the process a whole lot easier when it becomes habitual. We, for instance, adopted Sociocracy-based consent-building processes after a couple of us attended a workshop on the topic.
3. Be a community – get to know your colleagues. You, as a team, will be much stronger when you can truly appreciate the personalities and stories your fellow Wikimedians have to share. There are really interesting people around here!

What’s next?

We envision a vibrant and collaborative network where individuals from across the Wikimedia community will unite to foster leadership growth. During Wikimania Singapore, we kickstarted the Leadership Development Network. This initiative aims to create a dynamic space where people can freely exchange ideas, share their challenges and showcase their leadership projects within the Wikimedia ecosystem. This network will facilitate the transition from the Leadership Development Working Group drafting concepts into a more decentralised, distributed and flexible working space that puts leadership development into practice. By nurturing this supportive environment, we hope to encourage both seasoned contributors and newbies to innovate and drive sustainable change within Wikimedia. We welcome all individuals who are interested in working on leadership development in your projects, communities and regions to join the Leadership Development Network. You can already do so now by following this link to our semi-formal telegram group. We’d love to hear from you soon!

In a world where knowledge is power, access to information should be a universal right, unhindered by gender, identity, or geography. It is with this unwavering belief in mind that we proudly unveil the logo that encapsulates the spirit of WikiWomenCamp 2023.

The logo was unveiled during the excitement of Wikimania 2023 where everyone came together to celebrate the free knowledge mission.

This symbol, meticulously crafted with the emotional intent of our collective mission, serves as a beacon of hope and unity, guiding us as we navigate the seas of diversity within the free knowledge movement. As we embark on this journey to bridge gender gaps, we invite you to join us in unlocking the true potential of a world where everyone can contribute and access the sum of human knowledge.

The Journey

The journey of ideating and creating the WikiWomenCamp 2023 logo was a thoughtful and deliberate process. The WikiWomenCamp team  worked closely with the Wikimedia Foundation Brand team and poured their hearts and minds into its creation, engaging in extensive discussions about the myriad concepts and symbols associated with women-centric movements. 

After much contemplation, we embraced a design philosophy that favored simplicity and depth. The result is the logo that now stands before you, a visual embodiment of our commitment to inclusivity and unity. 

At its core, the logo revolves around the idea of circles, inclusivity, and mandalas, representing the unbroken bonds that tie us all together. It signifies not only the strength of individual identities but also the interconnectedness that empowers us when we stand together. 

Here’s how these concepts intersect with the empowerment and identity of women:

Circles

Circles often symbolize unity and the idea of coming together. In the context of women, circles represent the power of community and support. 

Women have a long history of gathering in circles to share stories, wisdom, and experiences. These circles depict safe spaces where women can discuss topics that matter to them, offer guidance, and provide emotional support.

Circles empower women by fostering a sense of belonging and sisterhood. They encourage open dialogue, enabling women to exchange ideas, challenge norms, and collectively work towards positive change. 

Circles also showcase the idea that every voice matters, reflecting the strength that arises when women come together to inspire, uplift, and advocate for each other in a single space.

Inclusivity

Inclusivity encompasses the rich tapestry of experiences, backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives that women bring to the table. 

Women are not a monolithic group; they come from various ethnicities, races, religions, socio-economic backgrounds, sexual orientations, and abilities. Recognizing and celebrating this diversity is essential to acknowledging the complexity of women’s lives and identities.

Embracing inclusivity and diversity empowers women by acknowledging and valuing their unique journeys. It challenges stereotypes and fosters a broader understanding of the struggles and triumphs that women experience. 

When diverse women come together, they contribute a wealth of perspectives, ideas, and solutions that drive progress and create a more inclusive society.

Mandalas

Mandalas are intricate, uniformed designs that often represent wholeness, balance, and unity. They are used in various cultures as a tool for meditation, self-discovery, and spiritual growth. 

Mandalas are a visual representation of the interconnectedness of all things and the journey towards inner harmony.

They can serve as a metaphor for the complexity and depth of women’s lives. Just as a mandala’s patterns interconnect to create a complete design, women’s experiences, roles, and identities intersect to shape their multifaceted lives. 

Creating or reflecting on mandalas can provide women with a means to explore their inner selves, celebrate their unique journeys, and find balance in a world full of demands and expectations.

Usability

The WikiWomen logo is a unifying symbol, bringing together all activities and initiatives for and by WikiWomen. It signifies our collective commitment to gender equity and knowledge sharing within the Wikimedia movement. 

It encourages collaboration, connects like-minded individuals, and provides a consistent identity for our efforts. 

In essence, it’s a powerful emblem that unites us in our mission to make a positive impact on the Wikimedia ecosystem. 

WikiWomen Summit Logo

Logo & Designer for the WikiWomenCamp 2023

We would also like to introduce the remarkable designer of the WikiWomenCamp, User:Kurmanbek, a creative visionary who has beautifully captured not only the vibrant festivities and colors of India but has also ingeniously incorporated this central design into the broader WikiWomen initiatives.

The logo is an extended design of the central WikiWomen logo for the upcoming WikiWomenCamp in India.

Endnote

In all, the logo embodies the spirit of our global community, which is united by its shared commitment to addressing gender gaps in the free knowledge movement. 

It started as a simple design, lines and colors coming together with purpose. But as it evolved, it took on a life of its own. It became more than just an emblem; it became a representation of a global movement—a movement of empowerment, knowledge, and equity. 

These concepts remind us that women are not only individuals with their own stories but also part of a collective journey towards empowerment, understanding, and positive change. 

No matter where you are, when you see this logo, you know you are in the company of Wiki Women—a global network of individuals who believe in the power of information, the strength of unity, and the beauty of diversity.

At WikiWomenCamp 2023, we will come together to build relationships, learn from each other, and support each other’s work.

What do Messi, the city of Gerli and the Lepidobatrachus species have in common? Wikipedia.

This story is part of a series of minimal stories created by Wikimedists, these are not large projects but rather anecdotes found in the work of editing or transiting this open movement. As a paleontologist and part of the Wikimedistas del Museo de La Plata I found in Wikipedia an ideal space to make visible the work and scientific work that paleontologists carry out daily.

Going through this profession I realized that science can use atypical resources to be visible or that in Argentina, most paleontologists are soccer fans. That football passion was further enhanced by the end of 2022 when Argentina won the Men’s Football World Cup. 

So I’m going to tell you this love story between paleontology and football.

In May 2023, two scientific articles were published creating three fossil species whose names pay homage to Emiliano Dibu Martínez, goalkeeper of the Men’s Soccer Team winner of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, to Lionel Messi, for being one of the best soccer players in the world (I would say, the best in the entire history of this honorable sport but I would need a proper reference for this statement to stand) and to Club El Porvenir, based in the city of Gerli, between the partidos of Lanús and Avellaneda (something administratively impossible in Argentina).

Paleontologists Guillermo Turazzini and Raúl Gómez published a work about the discovery of a fossil specimen, which they called with its generic name (pre-existing) and the addition of a specific epithet “dibumartínez”. The species, Lepidobatrachus dibumartínez, pays tribute to Dibu, for his role in winning the world championship and for bringing that joy to our country.

The species is very well preserved and, something quite unusual in this type of fossils, many of its bones are articulated (that is, in relative positions similar to those they had in life). Guillermo gave in to the  Wikimedistas del Museo de La Plata the photos of the discovery to illustrate the article and it didn’t take us long to upload those to Commons. We also added a reference in the tributes to Dibu article in Spanish-language Wikipedia.

Our peer Damián Pérez, from CENPAT, discovered and published in Ameghiniana two new species of brachiopods of the genus Discinisca. One of them, named Discinisca messi, pays tribute to Lionel Messi. We wrote an article and left a few lines in the football icon’s Wikipedia article, in the section social impact. The other species, Discinisca porvenir, is named after Club El Porvenir, of which Damián is a fan. El Porve (as the club is affectionately named by its fans) is in Primera Nacional B of Argentine soccer and is based in the City of Gerli, cut in the middle by the boundary between the districts of Lanús and Avellaneda (I found out by reading the Wikipedia article).

Since its creation, the page of the species Discinisca messi was visited 13 times more than its sister species, Discinisca porvenir. We find a similar pattern in the visits to the escuerzos: that of the Dibu has between 5 and 16 times the visits of the other escuerzos of the same genre, which are also alive, and therefore it is more expected that they will be searched in the encyclopedia (data obtained of Page Views). It is clear to us that the community reads more about paleontology if it associates these species with soccer icons. The love of soccer and paleontology come together in Argentina.

Do you want to know more about the work carried out by the Wikimedistas of the Museo de la Plata?

You can visit our social networks

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Meta.Wiki

Needed citations: 

Our peers works:Pérez, Damián E.; Farroni, Nicolás D.; Mosquera, Aylén Allende; Cuitiño, José I. (12 de mayo de 2023). «First Discinid Brachiopods (Brachiopoda: Lingulida) from the Cenozoic of Patagonia (Gaiman Formation, Lower Miocene, Argentina)». Ameghiniana 60 (3). doi:10.5710/AMGH.23.01.2023.3544

Turazzini, Guillermo F.; Gómez, Raúl O. (30 de mayo de 2023). «A new old Budgett frog: an articulated skeleton of an Early Pliocene Lepidobatrachus (Anura, Ceratophryidae) from western Argentina». Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology doi:10.1080/02724634.2023.2207092. 

Wikimedia projects are a result of successful collaboration of contributors towards shared objectives. Certainly not everything goes smoothly in this community. Because we are a large group of humans working together, sometimes challenges arise and difficult decisions must be made. Decisions are not made by one governing body, but rather by various committees focusing on certain topics, issues, or resources.

Volunteer committee members often need support to carry out their work. The support comes in a number of ways, including peer support and support from the Wikimedia Foundation. The Wikimedia Foundation recently added a Committee Support team within Community Resilience and Sustainability to support volunteer committees. A fun fact: all of the staff on that team came from the community! The Committee Support team works to ensure governance committees are able to succeed in their duties and volunteers on committees are able to grow in their commitment to the community and Wikimedia projects.

Committees can be traced back to the early formation of the Wikimedia projects. Since that time, committees have grown and expanded to support the vast community of contributors with various important roles. Who are these committees and what do they do? I asked long-time community member and now Vice President of Community Resilience and Sustainability, Maggie Dennis, to share some insights about this post’s featured committee, the Case Review Committee (CRC).

How did community committees get started?

Maggie Dennis: When humans first gathered in groups beyond families, they realized that they could work better if they created clusters, and, lo, the first committees were born. From time beyond memory, we have come together in committees to get things done, creating first oral and then written bylaws, taking minutes, making charters. The Wikimedia Movement, too, embraced this universal human trend, with individual communities creating committees and working groups around many facets of the wikiverse. The Meta-wiki page on committees was launched in 2004 with nomination for leadership of a variety of committees to do Wikimedia work, ranging from finances to technical matters. It was totally A Thing. In time, that almost jovial but simultaneously sincere desire to organize and lead specialist groups to get work done evolved into fully formed committees. And in 2020, the Trust and Safety Case Review Committee emerged among them.

What is the history of the CRC in particular?

The Trust and Safety Case Review Committee (CRC) was forged from multiple streams, including conversations of Movement Strategy, but the final instigation was a call by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. The Statement on Healthy Community Culture, Inclusivity, and Safe Spaces called for the Foundation to establish such a review committee. “Work with community functionaries to create and refine a retroactive review process for cases brought by involved parties, excluding those cases which pose legal or other severe risks,” said the Board, footnoting that “To clarify: it means that review happens post-action, and not as a precondition to taking action.” Mindful that the ongoing conversations around the Universal Code of Conduct and its subsequent Enforcement Guidelines might come up with a different practice, staff consulted with functionaries and launched the CRC as an interim approach at first. The committee was fully operational by October 2020.

What is the role of the CRC in the movement?

MD: The role of the CRC is to work in close collaboration with designated Wikimedia Foundation staff to review appeals by users directly involved in cases closed by the Foundation under its office action policy for harassment. As noted above, the CRC does not evaluate cases which the Foundation’s attorneys deem ineligible because they are legally mandatory or because they constitute strong danger to the physical safety of community members. 

A key component of the success of the movement is our movement-wide commitment to self-governance. In almost all cases, local user communities are best positioned to regulate content and regulate user behavior. This system has served the movement quite well for decades, including in the development of local policies, albeit within the framework of certain global policies, such as the Terms of Use and now the Universal Code of Conduct. As the movement has grown and globalized, the Foundation continues to work to recognize this essential and values-aligned respect for autonomy while also ensuring we meet our responsibilities as an online host. 

In practice, this means that we have evolved a policy of leaving most cases of inter-user conflict to local communities and global functionaries, like the stewards, to handle, becoming involved either on request of administrators or functionaries or when local communities lack policies and processes to handle problems. Because there is typically a certain amount of “gray area” in determining when local policies and processes are not sufficient, and because sometimes inter-user behavioral conflicts are not clear-cut, we value the availability of a body of experienced volunteers who can, on request, review these cases to ensure that Trust and Safety is working within its mandate–to protect community members from overly intrusive, overly strict, or overly lax enforcement of conduct standards by the Foundation. 

In any case brought before the committee, the CRC is asked to evaluate four things, that: a) The cases were appropriately handled by the Foundation rather than deferred to local community processes, b) The Trust and Safety team assembled sufficient evidence to assess the allegations within the parameters of respecting the safety of any confidential information, c) The Trust and Safety team correctly determined according to evidence assembled if the conduct described in the report does or does not qualify as a violation of relevant policy, and d) Sanctions issued by Trust and Safety (or choice to issue no sanction) are appropriate to the circumstances of the case.

If they disagree with any of these four statements, they may either immediately overturn a Trust and Safety decision or, in some cases, recommend to the Foundation’s General Counsel that they be overturned. (They do not, for instance, have the right to immediately issue a Foundation ban if the Trust and Safety team did not, and they cannot reverse a ban without review if that ban was assessed as necessary for the safety of other users. Such cases require final legal approval.)

Why is the CRC anonymous?

MD: After consultations with functionaries and legal review, the decision was made when the CRC was created that its members need to be anonymous during their service and for a certain term thereafter. However, there are a few staff and volunteers who know who they are. While even Trust and Safety staff do not know who participates on the CRC, the Ombuds Commission has agreed to review the final list and verify the generalized information about the group which is released on Meta-wiki. The CRC is anonymous for the members’ safety. Community governance carries with it several risks, including a risk of retaliation by people disappointed with case review outcomes (even from those who are simply informed that their case is not eligible for review, for instance, because it is criminal in nature) and a risk of pressure to expose private information, even through hostile external organizations or governments. Committee members are permitted to disclose their own involvement if and when they feel safe after they depart the committee but not to disclose who participated with them.

Why should community members be interested in what the CRC does?

MD: The CRC has not often been called into service, although individuals are informed of their right to appeal to the group when the Foundation communicates about sanctions. In fact, they’re such a quiet committee that we’ve shifted their reporting to quarterly. Historically, the bulk of appeals that are sent to them are not the kind of “borderline” or “grey area” cases they were created to review, but rather those which our lawyers have determined are essential to uphold the Foundation’s responsibility as a service provider. Nevertheless, their existence offers an important outlet for those who worry the Foundation has overstepped in their case or has acted with inadequate evidence. They also stand to support those who think the Foundation did not take serious enough action. (The bulk of Trust and Safety cases lead to no sanction, and this can obviously feel very unfair to those who request the Foundation to act.) We know that those who appeal aren’t likely to be satisfied by anything short of getting the outcome they want–and that will not always happen. However, we think it’s important to do everything we can to ensure that the system is fair, and these checks and balances help achieve that.

You can find reports from the Case Review Committee on Meta-wiki. Are you interested in joining the CRC? Read more about what some of the CRC members had to say about their work on the committee. Their answers might inspire you to join.

One member of the CRC says:

My sense of justice and knowledge of Wikimedia guidelines motivated me to participate in the Case Review Committee. Being part of the CRC allows me to learn more about the movement, the relationships between the different parts of the movement, and the user experience. I see my work as finding ways for valuable contributors to continue their work building the Wikimedia projects.

Another member says:

At first I hesitated about joining the Case Review Committee. I worried about dealing with the Wikimedia Foundation bans because of the lack of transparency in a movement which values open discourse, transparency and community autonomy. The CRC actually started because of the most controversial Foundation ban.

I felt joining the CRC would mean I was aligning myself with the parts of Foundation bans which the community did not like. Maggie Dennis emailed me and changed my mind. She was right. We do need people who can disagree and discuss with civility. I participate on this committee to make sure people are being treated appropriately and bans are not overstepping where the community could handle the situations. Now that I am on this committee, I would like to see the CRC review additional Trust and Safety cases, particularly where the Foundation rejects cases. 

In this weekly series, I quote some impressive Diff posts which were recently published.

WikiWomenCamp 2023

Gender equality in Wikimedia Movement is crucial. One of the activities to achieve the goal is WikiWomenCamp. WWC2023 and Shreya Dwivedi introduce it in a post titled “Unveiling the Wiki Women Camp and its Cohorts for Strategic Advancement and Capacity Development.”

The WikiWomenCamp 2023 (WWC 2023) is a highly anticipated event that celebrates and empowers women contributors within the Wikimedia Movement. After a gap of six years, the WWC returns, and this time, WWC 2023 is happening in India – a country known for its rich cultural diversity and immense potential in fostering gender equality. 

As WWC 2023 expands its reach globally, hosting this event in India signifies its commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion on a global scale. 

Considering the changed scenario and strategic advancement, the camp is designed with a renewed vigor and focus, under the theme “Map Up, Rise Up.” Acknowledging the need for a more targeted approach, WWC 2023 has organized its program under two cohorts:

1. Strategic Cohort: This cohort is dedicated to analyzing the current status of women within the Wikimedia Movement and devising comprehensive plans to foster their growth. Discussions on gender disparities, strategic initiatives, and long-term goals will be the focus.
2. Capacity Cohort: The capacity cohort will equip participants with the skills and knowledge to translate the strategies formulated by the strategic cohort into action. With a two-year plan in place, this cohort will work diligently to carry forward the initiatives and effect positive change.

WWC2023 and Shreya Dwivedi (14 September 2023) “Unveiling the Wiki Women Camp and its Cohorts for Strategic Advancement and Capacity Development” Diff.

Wikimedians’ storytellings

In a post titled “Bringing WikiForHumanRights into focus: Climate storytelling from around the Wikimedia Movement,” Euphemia Uwandu introduces various storytellings of Wikimedians.

Wikimedia communities often deploy a variety of communication tactics to share their participation in movement campaigns. In 2023, during the WikiForHumanRights Campaign, we witnessed new and inspiring communication strategies used by organizers in the movement.

The 2023 Senior Content Campaign Organizing Fellow, Euphemia Uwanduaccompanied by Wikimedia communities, adopted a regular weekly storytelling practice on LinkedIn.

……Beyond this, some communities leveraged radio shows for elevating the campaign work. For example, the WAFTAI community in Cameroon engaged in a talk show on Nkwalla radio and the Algeria community on the Mostaganem radio. 

Inspired by these innovative storytelling practices and campaign activities, Romeo Lomara, a 2022 Organizer Lab participant initiated the WikiForHumanRights 2023 Podcast to feature stories of implementing communities. 

Eugine Masiku, the communications officer at Open Foundation West Africa and podcast participant, shared their strategy and motivation in organizing a local campaign photowalk in the Walewale community in Ghana.

Euphemia Uwandu (13 September 2023) “Bringing WikiForHumanRights into focus: Climate storytelling from around the Wikimedia Movement” Diff.

The value of Movement Strategy

Did you know there is a strategy of Wikimedia Movement? Nada kareem22 explains the value of Movement Strategy in a post titled “Your first interactive session: How to overcome the challenges.”

I observed that our Arabic-speaking community is reluctant to engage in conversations, discussions, and activities related to movement strategy. To enhance their involvement, I applied for a MS grant to launch and activate Movement Strategy’s Arabic educational material and deliver the material in interactive sessions. 

The movement strategy 2030 has been a dream and a challenge. The movement community had set 10 recommendations, 10 principles, 8 prioritized clusters, and a very ambitious 47 initiatives (currently) to achieve. To push these initiatives forward into action, we need to work together and merge our skills, diversities, and previous experiences and knowledge.

The highlight of the movement strategy is inclusivity and specificity. All members and affiliates are invited to participate. You can take one initiative and push it a step forward.

The movement strategy 2030 has been a dream and a challenge. The movement community had set 10 recommendations, 10 principles, 8 prioritized clusters, and a very ambitious 47 initiatives (currently) to achieve. To push these initiatives forward into action, we need to work together and merge our skills, diversities, and previous experiences and knowledge.

The highlight of the movement strategy is inclusivity and specificity. All members and affiliates are invited to participate. You can take one initiative and push it a step forward.

Nada kareem22 (11 September 2023) “Your first interactive session: How to overcome the challenges” Diff.

Adding information based on their experiences

In a post titled “SAAB Veterans Shared Their Knowledge at Metadata Workshop,” you can learn about a unique event which Wikimedia Sweden held. It gathered people with connections to SAAB’s aircraft manufacturing and asked them to add information to images on Wikimedia Commons.

The photos uploaded often have minimal information, or metadata, associated with them. Typically, they only have a title and a year, information obtained from the labels on the physical folders in the photo archive. We wanted to gather people with strong connections to SAAB, those who have worked or currently work there, to provide insights into what the images depicted. This way, we could add structured data to Commons through Wikidata tags and captions and descriptions directly in Wikimedia Commons.

The highlight of the event was that a man featured in one of the photographs was present! He could provide many details about what he was doing when the photo was taken and why. Other participants added information about both that image and others. They shared details about the locations, aircraft models, equipment, purposes, which photos depicted actual activities, and which ones were staged.

Josefine Hellroth Larsson WMSE (11 September 2023) “SAAB Veterans Shared Their Knowledge at Metadata Workshop” Diff.

Acknowledgement

First of all, I appreciate my friend Caner (User:Kurmanbek), who created a fantastic logo for Diffquote. I’m really happy to collaborate with such a talented designer and Wikimedian under the Wikimedia Japan-Türkiye Friendship project. Of course, I also appreciate all the contributors, organizers, and readers of Diff. It’s a great pleasure for me to know Wikimedia Movement around the world through Diff.

As Wikipedia turned 15 years old in 2016, Wikimedia’s leadership looked at our vision – Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge – and acknowledged that this vision cannot be accomplished in any of our lifetimes. It is a vision with an infinite time horizon, and it was in this spirit that the Wikimedia Endowment was born. 

The first gift to the Wikimedia Endowment was a generous bequest from a longtime Wikimedia donor, Jim Pacha, who had passed away in 2014 but left direction that his legacy gift go into an endowment fund to support the Wikimedia projects, if one ever was established. In the years since, over 2,000 other donors have similarly been inspired to make planned gifts to the Wikimedia Endowment. 

This journey of support has led to today’s important announcement that the endowment has moved into its own independent 501c3 charity in order to better support the Wikimedia projects for the long-term.  The mission and the leadership of the endowment stay the same; we just have a new permanent home. Endowments everywhere – whether at hospitals, museums, or other entities – are a way to ensure impact beyond the immediate moment. 

During the endowment’s start-up phase from 2016 to 2023, nearly 3 million generous donors contributed founding gifts at all levels to help seed the fund. In this seed phase, the endowment was housed at the Tides Foundation, which helps launch nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. This allowed us to focus on fundraising and keep our costs low as we got the endowment off the ground.

With the Wikimedia Endowment now entering a new phase of its maturity, the Wikimedia Endowment Board has authorized a new multi-year fundraising campaign that will allow the endowment to return even greater support for Wikimedia projects for years to come. 

How the Wikimedia Endowment works 

The Wikimedia Endowment is our promise to the future of the Wikimedia projects. It’s our commitment that Wikipedia will be there for generations to come. It does this by pooling donations into a permanent fund that generates earnings – a portion of which are then disbursed to support Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, in accordance with the Wikimedia Endowment spending policy. 

Each year, the Board of Directors of the Wikimedia Endowment decides on a spending rate of between 2.5 and 4 percent of the market rate of the endowment’s investment portfolio.  This policy is designed to preserve the endowment’s principal while also providing funds to cover the operational expenses of the endowment and to make grants to critical projects that will help ensure a future of innovation for the Wikimedia projects.

Last year, we conducted interviews with people who donated to the Wikimedia Endowment and asked them what the endowment should support in the near future, in line with its purpose to support the sustainability of Wikimedia projects. The theme that emerged from these conversations was a focus on funding technical innovation, so that the Wikimedia projects stay relevant in a time of rapid technological change. You can find a list of initiatives that the Wikimedia Endowment supported last fiscal year here. This work is led by the Endowment Board’s Grantmaking and Community Committee (comprised of longtime Wikimedia community members Phoebe Ayers and Patricio Lorente).

They are joined on the Wikimedia Endowment Board by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and experts in finance, philanthropy, education, and business. The Endowment Board includes some of the Wikimedia movement’s largest donors who have been supporting the Wikimedia Foundation for over a decade.  Board members must also be active fundraisers for the endowment; they have helped to host fundraising events to help grow the fund. In order to minimize costs, the endowment is supported by staff from the Wikimedia Foundation who spend a portion of their time to support the endowment (the endowment then reimburses the Wikimedia Foundation for these costs). 

Why donors choose to donate to the Wikimedia Endowment

While gifts to the Wikimedia Foundation’s annual fund are spent on immediate needs in the current fiscal year, gifts to the Wikimedia Endowment are never spent. Rather, they are invested alongside other endowment gifts so that they can generate returns year after year.  Over the long term, every gift to the endowment will ultimately return more funds to the Wikimedia projects than if the donor had made a single gift to the annual fund.  Conversely, many people prefer to donate to the Wikimedia Foundation’s annual fund so that their donation can have the largest impact that year.  We are proud to offer our donors the opportunity to contribute to the annual fund or to the endowment depending on their preference – or both if they are so inspired. You can find more information about the Wikimedia Endowment at www.wikimediaendowment.org. 

Donate to the Wikimedia Endowment here.

Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation Annual Fund here.

Code for Africa (CfA) continues its dedicated mission to empower the Wikimedian-in-Residence (WiR) community through its bi-weekly webinar series. The fourth webinar held on 18 August 2023 had 24 African Wikimedians from Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda. The webinar was led by Precious Obiorah, co-founder of Wiki fact-checkers, and adeptly facilitated by Bukola James, CfA’s WiR community coordinator, to shine a spotlight on the indispensable “Citation Hunt tool.”

Why Citations Matter on Wikipedia

In the academic and digital world, citations are the bedrock of credibility. This is especially crucial in regions like Africa, where scepticism regarding the reliability of Wikipedia still lingers within academic and professional circles. The Citation Hunt tool emerges as a saviour, identifying articles lacking proper citations and providing a straightforward pathway to rectify these shortcomings.

The essence of citations on Wikipedia can be distilled into two key facets:

1. Enhancing Credibility: Each claim on Wikipedia requires verification, and reliable citations serve this purpose, lending authenticity to the content.
2. Building Trust: For readers and contributors, seeing a well-cited article bolsters trust in the information presented, especially in areas or topics that may be controversial or unfamiliar

Deep Dive: Features of Citation Hunt

The Citation Hunt tool offers a range of innovative features tailored to simplify the process of identifying and adding citations on Wikipedia with the following features:

1. Customise: The ‘Customise’ feature provides users with the flexibility to tweak and adjust the interface based on their personal preferences. This adaptability ensures a user-centric experience, allowing editors to tailor their citation-hunting journey to their specific needs.
2. Leadership Board: Transforming the editing experience into a competitive yet collaborative endeavour, the ‘Leadership Board’ showcases top contributors in terms of citations added. This gamified feature motivates users to contribute more actively, while also acknowledging and celebrating the efforts of the top citation hunters.
3. Dark/White Theme: Recognising that users have diverse reading preferences, this feature offers the flexibility to toggle between a dark and white theme. Whether editing at night or during the day, users can choose a theme that is easy on the eyes, promoting longer, more comfortable editing sessions.
4. Select Your Preferred Language: Catering to Wikipedia’s global community, this feature empowers users by allowing them to work in their preferred language. Given the multilingual nature of Wikipedia’s readers and editors, this feature ensures that language isn’t a barrier to contributing quality citations.

Benefits of Creating an Article List on Citation Hunt

Citation Hunt offers a host of advantages that enrich the editing experience:

• Thematic editing: Citation Hunt allows users to curate and edit articles around a specific theme or topic, ensuring consistency and depth in their contributions.
• Collaborative editing: The unique sharing feature means that multiple editors can collaborate on the same list of articles, turning the editing process into a group activity that’s both fun and productive.
• Dynamic updates: The lists on Citation Hunt are regularly updated, ensuring that users always have access to the most recent articles in need of citations.
• Citation Hunt’s Multilingual Prowess: A notable highlight of the tool is its multilingual support, catering to Wikipedia’s global audience. However, challenges related to the absence of some African local languages were identified, signalling opportunities for future improvements in this area.

Practical Demonstrations and Attendee Engagement

During the insightful session led by Precious Obiorah, attendees were guided through a series of hands-on demonstrations to grasp the utility of Citation Hunt, ensuring that they left the webinar equipped with practical knowledge. 

Two major practical applications were explored:

Practical Application I: Searching for Wikipedia articles on Citation Hunt

Steps:

1. Navigate to the Citation Hunt tool.
2. Utilise the search box to find specific Wikipedia articles in need of citations, e.g., “Geography of Africa”.
3. Once the article is identified, clicking on it will display the exact text that requires citation.
4. To address the citation issue, click on “I’ve got this”. This will redirect you to the Wikipedia page, pinpointing the exact location of the text in question. For instance, in the article ‘Geography of Africa’, there might be specific sections with texts that are citation-deficient.

Practical Application II: Creating a Custom Wikipedia Article List using Citation Hunt

Steps:

• Go to the ‘Customise’ section within Citation Hunt.
• Select the option ‘Search for an article in Citation Hunt’. A search box will then materialise.
• Within this search box, input the desired article name.
• The resultant list will display the searched article. Click on it to make a selection.
• Repeat the search for other articles as desired, creating a curated list.
• Any unwanted articles can be easily removed by using the ‘Delete’ icon.
• Once the list is finalised, click on ‘Submit’.
• There’s also a ‘Click to preview’ option to oversee the articles that have been selected.
• This custom article list can then be shared among other editors to collectively address the citation needs, fostering a sense of community and collaboration.

Additional Resources

In addition to the hands-on experience, attendees were encouraged to read additional resources on Wikipedia that offer in-depth insights into the concepts of Reliable Sources and Verifiability which are instrumental in helping editors gain a comprehensive understanding of Wikipedia’s standards and guidelines, to further enhance the quality of their contributions. 

Key Takeaways

Several key takeaways emerged from the informative webinar:

• Citation Hunt’s Potency: The Trainer underscored how this tool expedites the location of citation-deficient Wikipedia articles, making the editing journey smoother and more efficient.
• User-centricity: The tool’s intuitive design, from search refinement features to the choice of themes, stood out as a testament to its commitment to providing an exceptional user experience.
• Collaboration: The Trainer shed light on how the tool fosters collaborative editing, enabling users to share lists of articles with their peers and transforming the editing process into a collective endeavour, promoting knowledge sharing and growth within the WiR community. 

Feedback and Reflections 

As the session wrapped up, the floor was opened to questions, and participants eagerly shared their thoughts:

“I learnt quite a great deal today”

…Iwuala Lucy

“It was a really wonderful session today. Kudos to the organisers”…

…Sayvhior

“Toute mes félicitations pour la présentation” …

Harouna 674

“I had a good knowledge about citation hunt”…

Chidex02 

“I got new knowledge and skills”

…Opusmo

“The tutor did great”

…Ofonwilliam 

As the CfA WiR initiative continues, tools like Citation Hunt will play a pivotal role in ensuring the reliability and trustworthiness of Wikipedia’s content.

Excited to join our next event or missed this session? Kindly visit our community programmes page watch the session recordings and test your knowledge on our academy Africa. Ensure you are registered for the upcoming CfA WiR Bi-weekly webinar and immerse in our vibrant community. To stay abreast of our initiatives, complete this form, and let’s shape the future together!

In August, over 30 Israeli wikimedians gathered for a very special learning and connection experience. This time, our destination was Abu Gosh, a village steeped in history, located in the heart of Israel. This expedition provided an incredible opportunity to explore fascinating sites, meet inspiring people, and strengthen our bonds as Wikimedia community members.

The “Thousand Words” Initiative

The journey to Abu Gosh was not just an ordinary excursion; it was part of the “Thousand Words” Initiative. This initiative serves as the epicenter for organizing trips across Israel, tailored to meet the photography needs of Wikipedia. The primary goal? To populate Wikipedia with high-quality, free-to-use images.

Wikipedia articles may be meticulously written, filled with essential and captivating information. However, the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words holds true. An image accompanying an article allows readers to better grasp the subject matter and be captivated not only by the written content but also by what meets the eye. The vision of the “Thousand Words” Initiative is to address the need for more freely usable images. It calls upon Wikipedia contributors to embark on journeys, explore, and capture images.

Deror Lin and the Project’s Continuity

It is impossible to discuss the “Thousand Words” initiative without mentioning the pivotal role played by Wikimedia Israel board member, Deror Lin, a dedicated editor who conceived, initiated, and led the project over the years. Deror Lin left an impressive legacy, having contributed to over 8,700 articles and more than 37,000 images on Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. His commitment to expanding human knowledge and sharing valuable images will remain unforgettable. With his recent passing, we welcome Yoav Dotan, who asked to take on the responsibility of continuing the project  in order to preserve and continue the project that was so important to Deror. The Abu Gosh expedition marked the beginning of this new phase under Yoav Dotan’s leadership.

Exploring Abu Gosh

The journey was expertly guided by Sharon Reguev, who boasts a wealth of experience in her field. Sharon had served as the head of the Department of Religions at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs for many years. Her deep knowledge and insights into the subject matter were invaluable, enriching the experience for all participants.

Our first stop was the well-preserved Crusader church, where we had the privilege of meeting Abu Gosh’s head of council, Salim Jaber. Mr. Jaber warmly welcomed us and shared insights into the village’s history, including its harmonious relations with the local Jewish community. His account offered a glimpse into the region’s multicultural coexistence, setting the stage for our immersive experience.

Next on our itinerary was a meeting with Brother Olivier, a Benedictine monk from the Olivetan Order. Brother Olivier shared his fascinating life story and provided us with a deeper understanding of the monastic order to which he belongs, known as “St. Joseph of Revelation” His words resonated with our group, fostering a sense of connection and shared humanity.

Our journey continued to the Church of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant, where we learned about the significance of this holy site. We explored the history of the religious order that maintains it, delving into the spiritual and historical importance of the location.

The third and final site we visited was Saxum, a visitor center run by the Catholic “Opus Dei” order. There, we had the opportunity to gain further insights into the region’s religious diversity and its role in promoting interfaith understanding.

Our excursion concluded with a delightful meal at “Abu Sa’id” restaurant, where we shared stories and reflections on our day’s discoveries. This culinary experience provided the perfect ending to a day filled with cultural enrichment and meaningful encounters.

Participants shared heartfelt testimonials about the experience. Wikipedian “Ovedc” expressed delight in the journey, emphasizing the richness of interactions and learnings. User “Elians” praised Yoav Dotan’s organization of the trip and underscored the importance of the photos taken during the expedition.

The “Thousand Words” initiative continues to create opportunities for Wikipedia contributors and enthusiasts to deepen their understanding of Israel’s history and culture. Through these immersive journeys, participants not only capture valuable images for Wikimedia projects but also cultivate a broader perspective on the communities that shape our diverse nation. Each trip is a testament to the power of collaboration and shared exploration, fostering connections among Wikipedians that extend beyond the digital realm.

In May 2022, the Wikimedia Community Kilimanjaro emerged as a vibrant group with a humble beginning of just 15 members in the picturesque Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. Today, as we celebrate a year since our inception, we take immense pride in recounting our journey of remarkable achievements and impactful contributions.

From the outset, our mission was clear: to create a platform that would not only bring together like-minded individuals but also serve as a catalyst for positive change through the power of knowledge-sharing and collaboration. As we reflect on our journey, we are thrilled to share the milestones that define our success.

Community Growth: Our ranks have swelled, and the Wikimedia Community Kilimanjaro now boasts an impressive membership of around 44 dedicated individuals. This exponential growth is a testament to the shared passion and commitment to our cause.

Workshops and Campaigns: A cornerstone of our success lies in our ability to organize engaging and informative workshops and campaigns. One standout initiative was the “Let’s Connect” peer learning program in Tanzania. Through this program, we united leaders in Wikipedia-related matters from across Tanzania, fostering an environment of skill-sharing and knowledge exchange. This program has not only empowered our members but also strengthened the bonds within our community.

Impactful Campaigns: Our campaigns have left an indelible mark on both local and global scales. The “WikiForHumanRights 2023 Kilimanjaro(https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Wikimedia_Community_Kilimanjaro/WikiForHumanRights_2023_Kilimanjaro)” campaign exemplified our dedication to improving Wikipedia’s coverage of human rights and pollution-related topics. Additionally, the “Africa Day 2023 in Kilimanjaro” campaign showcased our commitment to amplifying African narratives.

Climate Change Awareness: The “Swahili Climatic Change and Environment Voices in Northern Tanzania 2023(https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Wikimedia_Community_Kilimanjaro/Swahili_Climatic_Change_and_Environment_voices_in_Northern_Tanzania,_2023_C)” campaign illuminated the urgent need for climate change awareness. By documenting climate change-related topics on Swahili Wikipedia, we have effectively contributed to raising awareness on a pressing global issue.

Empowering Voices: Our involvement in the “Feminism and Folklore 2023 in Tanzania(https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Wikimedia_Community_Kilimanjaro/Feminism_and_Folklore_2023_in_Tanzania)” initiative demonstrated our unwavering support for women’s empowerment and cultural preservation. This international writing contest showcased the rich tapestry of folk cultures and women in folklore on Swahili Wikipedia.

Education and Outreach: Beyond campaigns and workshops, we have strived to empower our community by providing valuable education. Our training sessions on various Wikipedia projects, including article creation, editing, and translation to Kiswahili, have empowered individuals with the tools to share knowledge effectively.(https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Wikimedia_Community_Kilimanjaro/African_Month_2023_Kilimanjaro)

Impact Beyond Ourselves: Our aspirations extend beyond our community. We are committed to making a lasting impact in the Kilimanjaro region by spreading the message of Wikipedia in local schools through the “Wikipedia in the Classroom” initiative.

As we celebrate our achievements, we remain resolute in our vision for the future. Our upcoming plans include expanded training sessions covering topics such as Wiki Commons, Wikidata, Wikiquote, and Wiktionary. We are eager participants in various Wikipedia contests, poised to make our mark. Moreover, we aim to be a beacon of knowledge, producing numerous articles that provide insights into environmental and health-related matters.

Our success story is a testament to the incredible potential that can be unlocked when a group of passionate individuals comes together with a shared vision. The Wikimedia Community Kilimanjaro stands as a shining example of what can be achieved through collaboration, dedication, and a drive to make a positive impact on the world. We look forward to the chapters yet to be written as we continue our journey of knowledge-sharing, empowerment, and community-building. visit our main dashboard (https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/campaigns/wikimedia_community_kilimanjaro/overview)

As the Wikimedia movement continues to grow and evolve, it is important to reflect the incredible work being done by Wikimedians worldwide. 

It is with this objective that the WikiWomenCamp 2023 team seeks Highlight Videos that capture the essence of your gender gap projects and inspire others to contribute. 

In this blog, we call upon all Wikimedians to create and share their impactful work addressing the gender gap in the movement.

Showcasing Impact

The Highlight Videos will present a concise and visually appealing snapshot of the projects, initiatives, and achievements within the Wikimedia movement. 

They serve as a platform for sharing success stories, showcasing the diverse range of contributions, and inspiring others to get involved. 

Whether it’s a local community event, a Wikipedia edit-a-thon, or a project aimed at increasing content diversity, every effort deserves to be celebrated and highlighted.

What we’re looking for

We invite you to submit short 3-5 minute videos highlighting your projects, initiatives, or efforts that have made a significant difference in addressing the gender gap. 

We know that many of you are doing remarkable work in various corners of the world, and we want to shine a spotlight on your achievements.

Why Short Videos

Our camp sessions are extensive, covering a wide range of topics and discussions. 

In the interest of time and with a commitment to showcasing the amazing initiatives across our movement, we believe that short videos are an effective way to capture and share the essence of your work.

How your Videos will be Used

The selected videos will be featured on our social media channels and played during breaks at the camp. 

This provides an excellent opportunity for you to showcase your work to a broader audience and inspire others to get involved or collaborate with you.

Submission Guidelines

• Videos should be 3-5 minutes in length.
• Please focus on the impact of your work, highlighting how it contributes to addressing the “gender gap”.
• Be creative and engage in your presentation.
• Ensure video quality is clear and audible.
• Narration (Optional): If possible, include a brief voiceover or text captions to provide context and explanation.
• Language: While English is preferred for wider accessibility, videos in other languages are also welcome. Kindly ensure that non-English videos are accompanied by English subtitles or captions.

Submission Deadline

To be considered for inclusion in our camp programming, please submit your videos by Thursday, 5 October 2023. 

Late submissions may still be featured later on our social media channels.

How to Submit

To avoid any issues with file sizes, we recommend using a file transfer service like WeTransfer or Google Drive while sharing your videos with us at admin@wikiwomencamp.org . 

In your email, include a brief description of your project, affiliate name / your name or username, and contact information.

In closing, 

Together, we can continue to make a difference one highlight at a time  

We believe that your stories and experiences are powerful tools for change. By sharing them with our community, you contribute to a collective effort to bridge the gender gap worldwide.

Thank you for being a part of the WikiWomen initiatives, and we look forward to receiving your inspiring videos.

In this weekly series, I quote some impressive Diff posts which were recently published.

How easy!

Everyone was once a beginner. In a post titled “University of New Mexico students participate in the #WikiForHumanRights Campaign for the second time,” Pambelle12 introduced the voice of Wikimedia beginners. The words would touch many Wikimedians’ hearts.

“I thought to edit Wikipedia you would have to have a degree so was surprised how easy it was to edit. I felt like it was fun to contribute to the site.” says Kelsey, a participant of the training.

Sophia added that, “It is astonishing to me how easy it is to upload images and to edit things on Wikipedia.”

Pambelle12 (5 September 2023) “University of New Mexico students participate in the #WikiForHumanRights Campaign for the second time” Diff.

Preservation of oral culture

Amrit Sufi showed concern about the vanishment of oral culture in a post titled “Indic Oral Culture meetups launch: Discussion on current status, hopes and challenges for underrepresented languages,” but also showed the possibilities of Wikimedia projects.

Folk songs, folk tales and other aspects of oral culture and tradition are democratic and community based knowledge that are vanishing fast. This is especially relevant in the case of underrepresented languages where oral culture is being engulfed by politics, socio-economic changes, changes in lifestyle etc. This group of individuals is a bid to document and preserve these by creating a media library for the current and future speakers of the language. 

There is a parallel between Wikimedia, a place where every individual can contribute to the sum total of all human knowledge, and oral folk culture which is created and carried forward across generations by the language community.

Amrit Sufi (5 September 2023) “Indic Oral Culture meetups launch: Discussion on current status, hopes and challenges for underrepresented languages” Diff.

As powerful allies in scientific dissemination

If you read a post titled “A Wikipedia Editathon to Popularize Science in Brazil,” you can understand why Wikimedia projects are important for science.

Amanda Jurno, the Manager of Education and Scientific Dissemination at WMB, emphasized the significance of Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects as powerful allies in scientific dissemination. “Wikipedia, along with the other Wikimedia projects, acts as a potent ally in scientific dissemination, enabling the free and wide circulation of content produced within universities and scientific institutions,” explains Amanda. She highlighted that when content produced by institutions is placed within a wiki environment, it gains a much greater potential for social transformation due to the expansive reach that these projects possess.

VRezende WMB (4 September 2023) “A Wikipedia Editathon to Popularize Science in Brazil” Diff.

Why is Wikimania fantastic?

Kurmanbek’s post “An event where diversity, collaboration and the future meet: Wikimania 2023” is a great report of Wikimania 2023. From this report, we can learn the detail of the event and why we should continue to hold it.

Wikimania 2023 gave me very positive ideas and gained dozens of new Wikimedian friends. Here I will examine the work of people I meet in their own communities, and seek answers to questions such as what we can improve for our communities or what similar work we can do.

Kurmanbek (6 September 2023) “An event where diversity, collaboration and the future meet: Wikimania 2023” Diff.

Collaboration between GLAM and Wikimedia projects

Did you know some GLAM (Gallery, Library, Archives, and Museum) upload the pictures they have to Wikimedia projects? You can learn the collaboration between DPLA (Digital Public Library of America) and Wikimedia if you read “Culture Heritage and Structured Data: How DPLA became the biggest institution to contribute to Structured Data on Commons.”

the Culture and Heritage team at the Wikimedia Foundation has been involved with Structured Data-related initiatives in order to engage heritage materials on the Wikimedia projects. Our objective, together with the Structured Data Across Wikimedia (SDAW) team, was to support and increase image usage across the projects, as well as to structure Wikimedia to help it reach communities globally.

One of the main projects we worked on together was the initiative with the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). This institution became one of the biggest Wikimedia Commons contributors, with 3.7 million images available on the project, by not only being the main institution in the United States directly uploading files to the platform, but also because of its structured data activities. Since 2020, DPLA has worked on adding and modeling structured data and engaging in discussions around the topic, precisely to make its files (the files from the 300 institutions that contribute to the DPLA’s Wikimedia pipeline) more findable and used on Commons, on Wikipedia, and elsewhere. Currently, DPLA presents around 15 million edits to 50-100 million structured data on Commons statements.

Giovanna Fontenelle and Dominic Byrd-McDevitt (7 September 2023) “Culture Heritage and Structured Data: How DPLA became the biggest institution to contribute to Structured Data on Commons” Diff.

Acknowledgement

First of all, I appreciate my friend Caner (User:Kurmanbek), who created a fantastic logo for Diffquote. I’m really happy to collaborate with such a talented designer and Wikimedian under the Wikimedia Japan-Türkiye Friendship project. Of course, I also appreciate all the contributors, organizers, and readers of Diff. It’s a great pleasure for me to know Wikimedia Movement around the world through Diff.

This project is a collaboration between Wikimedians in Southeast Nigeria, the Department of Geography, and the Institute of Climate Change Studies, Energy, and Environment, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). Wikimedians in Southeast Nigeria are made up of Wikimedians in UNN and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, (UNIZIK). The project is a six-month project supported by the Wikimedia Foundation with a grant. The project involved the training of the students of the Department and Institute to document information on Deforestation in Nigeria in Wikipedia based on existing literature and to support them on field trips to deforestation sites in Nigeria to capture pictures to support their documentation.

This project arose out of a 9-week training organized by the Wikimedia Foundation for their outstanding project organizers which the project leader, Ngozi Osadebe attended. The training was aimed to equip the participants with the skill to identify areas of information gap on Climate change and sustainability in Wikimedia that are relevant to their society and collaborate with experts in the field to close the gap. 30 Wikimedia event organizers were selected globally by the Wikimedia Foundation to participate in the training. 17 participants completed the training successfully and were asked to apply for a grant to implement their learning.

Personally, the project leader identified Deforestation as one of the issues that is threatening Nigeria, and which has very little coverage in Wikimedia. Having identified an area of interest, she approached the Department of Geography through Professor Madu who identified Dr. Godson Asuoha as one of the experts on deforestation in the department. Dr Asuoha informed the Head of Department (HOD). The HOD was delighted about the project and suggested that to make our proposal much stronger and the project effectively implemented if approved, the University’s Institute of Climate Change Studies, Energy and the Environment should be made part of the project. 

From January to March 2023, the trio (The project lead, representing Wikimedians in South East Nigeria, the Department of Geography, and the Institute of Climate Change Studies) wrote and rewrote the grant proposal after each stage of the review process. It was not easy but in the end, the proposal was successful and the grant sum was paid.

The project though started on April 24, 2023, took off officially in the University of Nigeria on May 22, 2023, with a training workshop organized for selected editors from the Department of Geography and Institute of Climate Change Studies, Energy and the Environment. The training workshop was anchored by users: Ngozi Osadebe, Beatrice Ewa, Ezimoo, Olugold, and Obuezie. On May 24, the project team paid a courtesy call to the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Charles A. Igwe to notify him officially of the project. After the courtesy call, the Vice Chancellor represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration, visited the training workshop venue where he declared the workshop open. Also, to create awareness for the program, there was a radio talk on Deforestation in Nigeria at the University radio station, Lion FM.

After the physical workshop, there were online workshops held on Mondays from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 5:00-6:00 p.m. on two consecutive occasions.  A series of discussions featuring a step-by-step guide on how to contribute to Wikipedia goes on on the WhatsApp group platform. Another radio talk was held on August 21, 2023, on Deforestation in Africa at the University radio station.

Since the project was declared open, the participants have been contributing content to Wikimedia. A look at the project dashboard will show what the participants have been able to accomplish.

https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/University_of_Nigeria,_Nsukka/Deforestation_in_Nigeria/home

A report with demographic information can be found at the link below.

The first image of Project Korikath was uploaded by a 17 years old Wikimedian on August 16, 2022 who was going to attend his high school classes. He randomly clicked a photo of one of the tallest building of Bangladesh on his way, noticed that the building has very few images on Wikimedia Commons comparing to its fame among the local people, and he uploaded it. He found it rewarding, kept clicking and uploading images from his surroundings, added them to Wikimedia project pages, brought his non-Wikimedian friends to Wikimedia Commons, named this initiative as Project Korikath and thus the project came into light! Phew!!

Now the project has 17.5k+ images and videos, 350+ of them are quality images on Commons, three of them are valued, one is featured (also commons POTD), and one video was used as the “media of the day” on 5 March, 2023. The media files have been used in over 3k Wikimedia project pages and received a total view count of an overwhelming number of over 6 million so far. The project has over 50 members from seven countries who collectively can communicate in 11 languages. And the best part is, most of them are young and high schoolers. The members have together conducted more than 50 photo walks, 3 photo tours and one Wikipedia editing campaign – everything without any grant support from the Wikimedia Foundation.

The motto is simple, bring frames from your surroundings to Wikimedia Commons and help the world see them. We try to bridge the gap in visual knowledge in Wikimedia Projects regarding local topics. Our work is extending very fast and we are also doing spin offs! “Project Mowrossih“, “Project Shoili” are just two of them who are going to come public at any moment – stay tuned to learn more!

If you’re reading this part of the short (!) blog, congratulations! You’ve survived the quick fire round.

If you want to know more (In the tranquil embrace of our surroundings, perchance cradling steaming cups of coffee in our gentle grasp!), you can mail us at contact@korikath.org.

Or if you’re more of a person of action, just push the bright blue button at the bottom of this page and make your hands dirty!

Other languages: Bahasa Indonesia, Deutsch, English, Tiếng Việt, français, italiano, norsk bokmål, polski, português do Brasil, suomi, svenska, čeština, русский, українська, עברית, العربية, বাংলা, ಕನ್ನಡ, 中文, 日本語, ꯃꯤꯇꯩ ꯂꯣꯟ

Latest tech news from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. Translations are available.

Recent changes

• The Vector 2022 skin will now remember the pinned/unpinned status for the Table of Contents for all logged-out users. [1]

Changes later this week

• The new version of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from 26 September. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from 27 September. It will be on all wikis from 28 September (calendar).
• The ResourceLoader mediawiki.ui modules are now deprecated as part of the move to Vue.js and Codex. There is a guide for migrating from MediaWiki UI to Codex for any tools that use it. More details are available in the task and your questions are welcome there.
• Gadget definitions will have a new “namespaces” option. The option takes a list of namespace IDs. Gadgets that use this option will only load on pages in the given namespaces.

Future changes

• New variables will be added to AbuseFilter: global_account_groups and global_account_editcount. They are available only when an account is being created. You can use them to prevent blocking automatic creation of accounts when users with many edits elsewhere visit your wiki for the first time. [2][3]

Meetings

• You can join the next meeting with the Wikipedia mobile apps teams. During the meeting, we will discuss the current features and future roadmap. The meeting will be on 27 October at 17:00 (UTC). See details and how to join.

Tech news prepared by Tech News writers and posted by bot • Contribute • Translate • Get help • Give feedback • Subscribe or unsubscribe.

My name is Adjovi Essenam FUMEY, I’m an engineer in information science. Currently working as a media librarian, I’ve been living in Senegal for 11 years, a West African country with a population of 17.54 million. Senegal is renowned for its magnificent beaches and exceptional tourist sites. I’m part of an emerging community of editors in Senegal and I participate in several Wikimedia projects, including Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Meta Wiki, and my personal favorite, Wikidata.

How did I get into the movement?

The adventure began during lockdown in May 2020, when one of my colleagues encouraged me to sign up for a series of webinars on “Editing on Wikipedia” organized by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). My enthusiasm immediately prompted me to take part in the 1lib1Ref campaign during African Librarian Week, which was taking place at the same time.

My passion for this initiative inspired me to continue my involvement, and I participated in the following editions in 2021 and 2022. In 2021, I signed up for the Wikipedia in African Libraries Course (#WikiAfLibs) organized by the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AFLIA). In 2022 and 2023, I had the honor of being one of the “country organizers” for Senegal and Togo. Since 2022, I’ve also been actively involved in organizing various contests related to Wikimedia projects.

This ongoing engagement with the Wikimedia movement stems from my passion for learning and sharing knowledge. For me, Wikimedia projects are an exceptional way of achieving this goal. What’s more, as a documentary information professional, I’m deeply convinced that our role is essential in supporting collaborative contribution to online content creation.

My Wikimania 2023 experience

I was incredibly lucky to take part in my first Wikimania this year in Singapore. This wonderful experience was a real eye-opener for me. Not only did I learn a lot about creating and sharing collaborative knowledge, but I also had the opportunity to meet brilliant minds from all over the world.

At the WikiWomen Summit, I had the opportunity to give a presentation on “Women and leadership in Wikimedia projects in Africa: Wiki Wake Up Africa (WWUA) – An opportunity”. During this presentation, I shared the experience of mobilization and action of five remarkable women in their communities, namely: Ourytima, Andriah Laingo, Bassératou Kindo and Pascale Appora-Gnekindy and myself AdjoEsse, thanks to the support of the Wiki Wake Up Africa Project, which enables us to learn and organize Wikimedia events.

From the moment we submitted our presentation summary to the day of our speaking engagement, the Wikimania organization team never stopped supporting us and providing us with their expertise so that we could deliver a quality presentation. The WikiWomen Summit was an opportunity for me to discover the achievements of other Wikimedians in promoting women’s participation and reducing gender gaps. I’d also like to commend the work of the organization team and the friendliness of the participants. At no time did I feel isolated, lost or excluded in this multicultural environment.

Wikimania as a whole has been an invaluable source of inspiration. I attended captivating presentations on a wide range of subjects, from artificial intelligence to the preservation of cultural heritage. There was also a presentation by Iola Pensa, chair of Wikimedia Italy, on the collaboration between Wikimedia projects and museums, and one by Mark Graham, director of Wayback Machine, on the latest advances at Internet Archive aiming to make Wikipedia more useful and reliable. I had the opportunity to understand how Wikimedia actively contributes to influencing our understanding of the world through its open collaboration.

What really stood out in my experience were the human encounters. I had the opportunity to interact with passionate people from diverse backgrounds, ranging from dedicated Wikimedia editors to open source software developers. The round table discussions were particularly enriching, offering an opportunity for exchange and learning. They highlighted the universal challenge that every Wiki community has faced at some point: retaining its editors. These conversations reinforced my commitment to sharing knowledge and creating a global community devoted to this mission. Given that the Wikimedia community in Senegal is still in its development phase, I was also able to build strategic connections to support it as it evolves and matures.

I can’t conclude without mentioning Africa Baraza, satellite meetings, sightseeing tours, relaxing evenings, and above all the excellent gastronomic discoveries of Singaporean flavors.

To sum up, Wikimania 2023 was an exceptional educational and human adventure. I learned, I shared, and I was inspired. The experience reinforced my belief that collaboration and knowledge sharing are powerful forces that can change the world.

After participating in Wikimania in Singapore in August 2023, I modestly plan to do the following within my community:

Sharing knowledge: organizing a discussion workshop to share information, ideas and lessons learned at Wikimania, in order to encourage massive participation in Wikimedia projects and international meetings.

Constant contribution: continuing my commitment to Wikimedia projects. Sharing my expertise and knowledge whenever needed to help reduce gender and knowledge biases about Africa.

Raising awareness of the cause: informing members of my community about the importance of free and collaborative documentation, as well as the challenges and issues faced by the Wikimedia community.

Creating a local network: connecting with other Wikimedia enthusiasts from Senegal and creating a local network to collaborate on specific projects or organize more educational events across the country.

Overall, my participation at Wikimania is an exceptional opportunity to foster engagement and contribution within the Senegalese community, putting into practice the lessons and ideas I’ve learned at this event. I hope that my commitment will lead to other opportunities as rewarding as this one.

Wikimania is a rare opportunity for Wikimedia contributors from around the world to come together to celebrate, share, connect, and grow. Wikimania 2023 – whether we participated virtually or in person – was a great reminder of this and so much more. The event piloted a regional model of collaboration for the volunteer core organizing team with excellent results. As aspired to by the Wikimania Steering Committee, we witnessed the benefits of future organizers participating with and learning from current ones, as with the 2023 ESEAP and the 2024 CEE teams.

In this spirit, we announce the organizers of Wikimania in 2025 and 2026.

Greetings East Africa

A cradle of history, biodiversity, art and architecture, and a hub for intergovernmental collaboration, technology, and so much more, East Africa is full of possibilities for Wikimedia. Wikimania 2025 will be hosted by a dynamic collaboration of volunteers and affiliates in East Africa. We were delighted to receive multiple expressions of interest from Wikimedians in the region to collaborate and host Wikimania. This will mark the 20th Wikimania and a significant milestone as the third Wikimania in Africa, only the second in Africa south of the Sahara, and the first in East Africa. We believe in the impact of this Wikimania in further energizing new and active communities in the region and fostering growth for content and contributions where we currently have large gaps. This Wikimania will also present a novel opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of Wikimedians in the region and across the continent of Africa. The exact city will be decided in the coming months based on political and safety assessments as well as input from experienced organizers, Wikimedia stakeholders, and local partners.

Bonjour Paris!

The 2026 Wikimania will be hosted in Paris by Wikimédia France in partnership with WikiFranca, the international association bringing together francophone individuals and groups in the movement. This will be the first Wikimania in France and a first for the global collaboration of French-speaking Wikimedia communities. Paris will be the perfect setting for this special Wikimania, marking the 25th anniversary of multiple editions of Wikipedia, such as Basque, Catalan, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, and others, including English. From the banks of the Seine to the tops of hills and towers, from world class museums to historic libraries and cafés where philosophers once debated, we will usher in the next 25 years of open content and free knowledge collaboration when we come together in 2026 – in Paris or online – to celebrate this great milestone.

The Wikimania Steering Committee is pleased to make this announcement in partnership with the Wikimedia Foundation, the East Africa Regional and Thematic Hub (EARTH), the Wiki Indaba Steering Committee (WISCom), WikiFranca, and Wikimédia France.

Wikimania 2024 and 2027

Wikimania is co-created with Wikimedians from around the world. Whether you’re an experienced editor, a newcomer that just connected with the movement at a Wikimania, a passionate advocate for open knowledge, or a curious organizer, Wikimania is a chance to shape our movement’s ecosystem. Wikimania 2024 will take place in Poland – preparations are already under way and a call for volunteers will be launched soon. Please take part in on-wiki discussions, contribute a session whether in-person or online, or join a sub-committee to support the regional organizing team. There is something for everyone at Wikimania. Participating at events has drastically changed over the past few years and we will support organizing teams to improve hybrid and virtual participation and expand on-demand content for all timezones. 

Selecting locations years in advance means less pressure for organizers and better choices of venues, more time for visa processes, and greater learning and collaboration opportunities. For Wikimania 2027, we hope to put out a call for expressions of interest next year, particularly welcoming interest from regions we have not been to for a long time, like Latin America, or those we are yet to bring Wikimania to, like South Asia.

The Wikimania Steering Committee – welcoming new members

The Wikimedia movement is a beacon of inspiration, a platform for innovation, and a celebration of human collaboration, and Wikimania is its annual conference. Organized by volunteers and hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, Wikimania is a celebration of the diversity of our people and our contributions. It features a wide range of programming, including lectures, workshops, keynotes, hackathons, and of course, social events. Wikimania has great potential for local impact – whether for welcoming newcomers or energizing existing contributors, or for host cities, countries, and regions where content naturally improves and considerably expands when Wikimedians have explored – the 2023 Wikimania is a great example. 

As the stewards of Wikimania, the Steering Committee puts much care and consideration in selecting locations for the conference. This includes opportunities for impact, growth potential for the movement, ease of travel, safety, visa access, venues, logistics, and more. There is no perfect location. That is why in making our decision, we consult with the Wikimedia Foundation, community organizing teams, and event experts. Please let us know if you would like to join such conversations. We are looking for new community members with Wikimania or other event organizing experience to join the Steering Committee. Please reach out to us on wiki or at wikimania@wikimedia.org.

Wikimedia Indonesia is pleased to announce that the 2023–2027 strategic plan has been finally approved. This post will dive into this plan and see what it means for Wikimedia Indonesia’s future.

Wikimedia Indonesia is a non-profit organization promoting free knowledge in Indonesian and local languages in Indonesia. We envision a future where every Indonesian can freely access, share, and contribute to knowledge. This vision aligns with the principles of the Wikimedia movement: emphasizing openness, collaboration, and resilience.

The strategic plan outlines six key focus areas that will guide Wikimedia Indonesia’s efforts over the next five years:

1. Expanding access to knowledge: One of the central missions of the Wikimedia movement is to make knowledge accessible to all. We aim to break down barriers to access by improving the availability of content in the Indonesian language and local languages, such as Minangkabau, Banjarese, and Gorontalo. This includes increasing the number of Wikipedia articles, multimedia resources on Wikimedia Commons, and Wikidata items.
2. Strengthening community engagement: Our strategic plan stresses the importance of caring for and growing our Wikimedia communities in Indonesia. This means helping out our community members and ensuring everyone feels welcome and supported in our environment.
3. Understanding public needs: In this direction, we aim to engage more closely with existing partners who have been working with us since their early days by conducting targeted research on public needs. We are also working to learn more about audience preferences by providing multiple forms of social media content to enable more people to connect with our organization and participate in our programs.
4. Advancing education and outreach: We are committed to collaborating with educational institutions, libraries, and other GLAM organizations to promote the use of Wikimedia projects in education and the cultural sector. This includes training educators, students, and the public on effectively using and contributing to Wikimedia platforms. 
5. Advocating for open knowledge: Wikimedia Indonesia will actively promote practices championing open knowledge and free access to information. This effort entails socializing and collaborating with policymakers, stakeholders, and the public to highlight the significance of open knowledge accessibility.
6. Strengthening organizational resilience: Wikimedia Indonesia has established organizational structures and governance to grow in management and internal capacity over the past few years. We look to provide opportunities for our staff to develop themselves and unlock other funding streams.

Any strategic plan must have mechanisms to measure its success, and our plan is no exception. The organization will track its progress through various metrics, including the number of articles, contributors, events, partnerships, and the impact of advocacy efforts. Regular evaluations help ensure the plan remains on track and adapts to changing circumstances.

As supporters of open knowledge and collaborative information sharing, we eagerly anticipate the positive impact that this strategic plan will have on Wikimedia projects in Indonesia and beyond. To learn more about our strategic plan, visit this page. Together, we can help shape a brighter future for information sharing and access to knowledge.

While numerous in-person events were shut by COVID-19, and non-closing virtual meetings were opened via Zoom, Jitsi, etc. Does this portend the end of Wikimania? Well, in 2021 and 2022, our movement was able to host two online Wikimanias. I’m Nada, a Wikimedian from Gaza, and here is my journey to attend Wikimania Singapore. I feel a sense of belonging to this community and a greater understanding of the huge universe of free knowledge as a result of having the opportunity to participate in Wikimania online for two years in a row. I participated more in global discussions, created interactive sessions about movement strategy for my community, and became more involved in leadership in our movement. 

I need 24 hours to get to Cairo in order to leave Gaza; I can only travel by car; I must wait a long time for my documents to be checked; and I must remember that Rafah, our exit point from Gaza, is blocked for two days over the weekend. I crossed the Sinai Desert 4 days prior to my departure to Singapore to attend my first in-person Wikimania, which is known later to be the biggest edition ever, but what makes it special to me is that it is my first time to travel, and a future note for first-time travelers: make sure to chew something during takeoff and landing; your ears will thank me later. 

While fighting jet lag, my first Wikimania activity was at Google, where we are minding the gap not only in content in sister projects but also in indexing it. Thank you, Google and Wiki organizers. Now I have to run to prepare for a learning clinic hosted by Let’s Connect and the Leadership Development Working Group (LDWG).

I am a member of the Leadership Development Working Group. A community-driven working group of 15 diverse members from the 8 regions has been selected to draft a shared definition of leadership and a leadership development plan and to advise on community development’s role in the implementation of the leadership development plan (LDP). In Wikimedia’s definition of leadership, it is a collective effort that can be supported by communication skills and practices delivered during our second learning clinics. I had fun co-facilitating the learning clinic with Jan-Bart de Vreede, Chinmayee Mishra, and Beverly Jiang.

I have also presented our LDWG work in a session, and in a very excited, unbiased tone, I ENCOURAGE you to join the Telegram group for Kickstarting a Leadership Development Network to help implement the leadership development plan and exchange stories, experiences, and efforts in this domain.

A trivial fact about me, aside from my leadership work, is that I am a doctor, and I am super fascinated by Wikicite, Scholia, upgrading medical practice using Wikidata, and enriching Wikidata with scholarly publications.

I had the pleasure of attending a meetup at Wikimania Singapore organized by Manar, specifically for the Arabic-speaking community. It was an enlightening experience, filled with engaging discussions about the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing within our community. What made the event even more memorable was the karaoke session where we sang an Arabic song.

Wikimania was the place to discover the hidden gems in our movement. It also joined me with friends whom I have known online for years. I have got to make new ones too. I talked about Gaza a lot instead of providing a Wiki link. And finally,  I attended a Wiki wedding. Nassima and Yamen are married in the eyes of Wikidata. I was the lucky girl to get the wedding bouquet, and yes I still have it.    

Nanour, Nassima, Yamen, Manar, Jan-Bart, Chinmayee, Beverly, Domenika, Florence, Euphemia, Sky ex, and many more. Thank you for making my first Wikimania a great one.

Pause here and play my journey to attend Wikimania over and over again; it makes me happy. On the other hand, I will go to finish the Gardens by the Bay puzzle, my souvenir from Singapore.