<div dir="ltr">The conference was attended by a few Israeli Arabs. <br><br>The organizing team did all in its worldly power to bring over guests from neighboring countries, with no success. We even made sure two Palestinian guests were issued entry permits, but in the end they never showed up to pick them at the liaison office.<br>
<br>As the Arab Israeli reporter who interviewed me for one of the biggest websites among the Arab Israeli population told me when I admitted our problems in this regard, "they are now busy with other things". He meant of course the political uprising in many of those countries.<br>
<br>One has to bear in mind that there are many and diverse social, cultural and economic barriers stopping many in the Muslim world not only from attending Wikimania in Haifa, but from attending any Wikimania (how many Arab attendees in Gdansk?), and from participating in the Wikimedia projects. Most of the active editors on Arab Wikipedia are living in the Arab diaspora in Europe and America, not in the Middle East.<br>
<br>I'm happy to say we did have guests from Indonesia, a Muslim country with no diplomatic relations with Israel, and had a planned guest from Mali, another Muslim country with no diplomatic relations with Israel, who in the very last moment had visa problems with France (his changeover station), unrelated to us.<br>
<br>I'm also delighted to hint that in the wake of Wikimania and the connections it helped forge, some upcoming projects for Wikimedia Israel among Arab Israelis (who make about 20% of Israeli population) and with Palestinian organizations are now being discussed and considered. <br>
We're really keen on increasing the number of editors on Arab Wikipedia from among Israeli Arabs, whose socioeconomic, educational and political status in comparison to neighboring countries make us hopeful will indeed become active editors. <br>
<br><br><br>Harel Cain<br>Secretary, Wikimedia Israel<br><br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 10:58, Gerard Meijssen <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:gerard.meijssen@gmail.com">gerard.meijssen@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">Hoi,<br>Having Wikimania during Ramadan will prevent people from attending. The dates for Wikimania next year are also likely during Ramadan. <br>
<br>One way of looking at the absence of the Muslim world is that in Alexandria there was a sizable group from Israel. In the end it is about taking the opportunity. The opportunity for most was there with the exception from for instance our Iranian friends who are expressly forbidden to come.<br>
Thanks,<br><font color="#888888"> Gerard</font><div><div></div><div class="h5"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2011/8/21 WereSpielChequers <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:werespielchequers@gmail.com" target="_blank">werespielchequers@gmail.com</a>></span><br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
I flew home on Friday. Unfortunately I had been unable to find anyone capable of printing a Tshirt with "Do I look like the sort of person who packs my own luggage?", or at least not on a Tshirt in my size (walrus). And as promised I hadn't made a Wikimania CD. <div>
<br></div><div>It took me 40 minutes to get through security, check in and passport control, and unlike in Heathrow I didn't have to remove my shoes or belt, or even discard my water. After I said that I had received a gift while I was in Israel they were a little interested in my Wikimania bag, and I had to dig it out of my backpack and let it be cursorily inspected. Maybe next year we can make the bag from Hemp and include in it some sparklers or small fireworks for the closing party with perhaps a blade or some scissors for people wanting to customise their badges.</div>
<div><br></div><div>As one of those who argued against holding Wikimania in Israel, I must say that I was very impressed at how well the whole thing was done. I think that the organisers did a brilliant job, I liked the food, and they even had sufficient WiFi. The music at two of the parties was a bit loud for socialising, but that's probably me showing my age. However I don't think this was really a completely Global Wikimania. As some of us feared it would be, this was a Wikimania that largely missed the Muslim world. I don't think that this is the fault of the organisers, but clearly holding our annual conference in Israel during Ramadan was not the best way to encourage people from Islamic countries to attend. I hope that in future we can make sure that Wikimania is more inclusive than that.</div>
<div><br></div><div>WSC</div><div><div></div><div>
<div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2011/8/18 Harel Cain <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:harel.cain@gmail.com" target="_blank">harel.cain@gmail.com</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr">I don't suggest taking the train from Jerusalem to the airport - it takes a very long time - the train to Jerusalem is very slow and is more of a tourist attraction than anything else.<br><br>It's much, much easier to call a sherut taxi called Nesher which will pick you up from home/hotel and take you to the airport for NIS 58. No security process involved....<br>
<font color="#888888">
<br><br>Harel <br></font><div><div></div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote">2011/8/17 KIZU Naoko <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:aphaia@gmail.com" target="_blank">aphaia@gmail.com</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
@ TLV T3 Departure floor<br>
<br>
In addition to the previous mails, I'd recommend who plans railway<br>
trip to arrive your departure station enough earlier than your train,<br>
specially if you are in Jerusalem or perhaps a place easy-to-reach<br>
from the West Bank.<br>
<br>
Security check at Malha Jerusalem Station would be as serious as at<br>
the airport. Though they keep being polite but the check on me took<br>
over 10 minutes. I was asked by two officers respectively to show them<br>
my passport, open every bag, what I bought in the Old City, and then<br>
again explain what almost each item in the bags was, and which places<br>
I had visited during my ongoing trip, specially in the West Bank,<br>
which Arab countries I had visited both in this particular trip and in<br>
the past and finally if I carried weapons. Finally they had me go<br>
through with smiles and best wishes on trip, so generally there was no<br>
problem at all, but if my schedule had been tight, it might have<br>
caused problems.<br>
<div><div></div><div><br>
On Wed, Aug 17, 2011 at 10:21 AM, Federico Leva (Nemo)<br>
<<a href="mailto:nemowiki@gmail.com" target="_blank">nemowiki@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> Federico Leva (Nemo), 17/08/2011 08:59:<br>
>>> PS: I didn't find them very good-looking either, like someone claimed.<br>
>><br>
>> Uh? :-? By the way I agree, but looking at some of the lots of the<br>
>> trainees the situation might improve in the future. :-p<br>
><br>
> Oh, and I forgot to say that one of them was also even drawing (smilies<br>
> etc.) together with a traveler on her to-be-embarked laptop box. Perhaps<br>
> she had enough books for her next layover.<br>
><br>
> Nemo<br>
><br>
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