Wikimedia-l October 2025

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68 participants
38 discussions

Wiki Science Competition 2025 in India
by Dev Jadiya 25 Oct '25

25 Oct '25

Dear all, The Wiki Science Competition 2025 in India will take place from *1 to 15 December 2025*. The contest invites students, teachers, researchers, volunteers, and individuals from all fields to share scientific photographs and media on Wikimedia Commons. This is India’s first national edition, supported by Campus Ambassadors across universities to connect classrooms and labs with the global science community. Learn more and participate: Commons page: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Science_Competition_2025_in… Website: https://wikisciencecompetition.in Best regards, Dev Jadiya (User:Dev Jadiya <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Dev_Jadiya>) National Lead, Wiki Science Competition 2025 – India

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Re: ==> A new core curriculum: seven comprehensive video modules from the Wikimedia Foundation for beginners
by Asaf Bartov 24 Oct '25

24 Oct '25

Excellent! I look forward to learning from WMPL's experience with this similar curriculum. You can always contact the WikiLearn team at wikilearn(a)wikimedia.org. Cheers, A. Asaf Bartov (he/him/his) Lead Program Officer, Emerging Communities Community Development Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! https://donate.wikimedia.org On Thu, Oct 23, 2025 at 2:28 PM Ada Skirło <ada.skirlo(a)wikimedia.pl> wrote: > Hi! > That's great news! Congratulations on the project - I'll definitely have a > closer look at this training course! > > At Wikimedia Poland, we ran a very similar initiative called the Wikimedia > Academy. We started it about two years ago during our business > collaboration with Grow Uperion (we presented the project at Wikimania in > Katowice). The course introduces complete beginners to the world of > Wikipedia, presenting its rules, the community of editors, their > communication methods, and the role of WMPL. During the course, we > teach participants how to perform basic activities on Wikipedia (there are > also tasks that refer directly to Wikipedia). We also introduce wiki guides > from ‘Adopt-a-user' program. > > The course programme is as follows: > > 1. Welcome to Wikipedia! – the five pillars that form the basic principles > of Wikimedia projects > 2. First steps on Wikipedia – how to create an account, where to find help > and how to edit articles > 3. Get to know the Wikipedia community! – how Wikipedia works behind the > scenes, who really creates it and how they communicate with each other > 4. Go ahead and edit Wikipedia! – how to add graphics, footnotes, tables > and much more > > The course worked best for organised groups (for example, students do it > as part of their classes). With other individuals in mind, I managed to > transfer this course to Wiki > <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Polska+WMPL003+2025/about> > Learn in September. It is available there in a slightly different form, as > a self-study course. > > Unfortunately, it is currently available only in Polish, but we would like > to translate it into English at least. I would love to let you know once > that happens, and we can exchange feedback and comments. > > Warmest regards, > > > *Ada Skirło* > > > *Senior Technology Specialist* > > > tel: +48 790 290 275 > > e-mail:ada.skirlo@wikimedia.pl > > > > > Support free knowledge! <https://wikimedia.pl/darowizny/> > > Make a donation to Wikipedia <https://wikimedia.pl/darowizny/> > > wikimedia.pl > > al. Szucha 16/15, 00-580 Warszawa, Polska > <https://goo.gl/maps/R5LidcMYNs4T1qJv5> > > KRS 0000244732 > > NIP 728-25-97-388 > > Information on processing can be found in the Privacy Policy. Contact: > rodo(a)wikimedia.pl > > wt., 21 paź 2025 o 19:11 Asaf Bartov <abartov(a)wikimedia.org> napisał(a): > >> Dear Wikimedians, >> >> The Community Development team has developed *a set of online learning >> modules* >> <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP000+2025/a…> >> on the core content policies of (English) Wikipedia, and is inviting you to >> make use of them in your outreach work, as well as to adapt or remix them >> to your needs, or translate (if relevant) to other languages. Feedback on >> the content of the learning modules is also very welcome! Details below: >> >> ==Contents== >> >> In addition to a brief introductory module, there are seven content >> modules: >> >> >> 1. Preparing to participate in Wikimedia projects (norms and attitudes) >> >> 2. The Voice of Wikipedia: Neutral Point of View >> >> 3. Sourcing knowledge: Verifiability on Wikipedia >> >> 4. Notability: The standard of inclusion in Wikipedia >> >> 5. Copyright and free licenses tutorial >> >> 6. Communicating on-wiki (talk pages; getting help) >> >> 7. 101 ways to contribute to Wikimedia (beyond writing Wikipedia >> articles) >> >> ==Course structure== >> >> The full course includes 13 hours of videos, cut into very digestible >> short segments (rarely more than 5 minutes each; often shorter). Some >> segments are followed by comprehension quizzes to assist learners in >> ensuring they understood the segment. All videos have English subtitles, >> to ease understanding and to prepare for potential translation. >> >> The modules are intended for complete beginners, and assume no prior >> knowledge about Wikimedia, but do assume proficiency in English and a >> high-school level of education. >> >> They are intended to be taken in order, but can be taken separately. >> This is so that learners who are not complete beginners, but only want to >> strengthen their understanding of, for example, copyright and free >> licenses, can directly take just that module. >> >> ==Rationale== >> >> The Community Development team (with Dumisani Ndubane in the project's >> earlier stages) developed this course to support massive outreach in >> sub-Saharan Africa, based on input received from African Wikimedia >> communities, which shared a need for high-quality video resources on the >> core policies. (This is why many of the examples in the course are of >> African topics.) >> >> Despite that, the course is general and useful for anyone seeking to >> integrate into English Wikipedia anywhere in the world. >> >> Also, unlike some existing resources focused on teaching techniques (e.g. >> "this is how you add an image to an article"), this course focuses on >> imparting principles and attitudes needed to comply with Wikipedia >> policies, which, in our experience, is the steeper learning curve for >> most newbies. >> >> ==Uses for these materials== >> >> Based on the channels this is sent in, you are probably not a complete >> beginner, so perhaps you have no need to take the full course. Here are >> ways you can nonetheless make use of it: >> >> >> 1. You can use these modules as materials in your own trainings, >> in-person or online. (The slides are available and linked from the >> beginning of each module.) You can also assign watching particular units as >> tasks in any Wikimedia training you give. In addition to the full >> learning-platform experience, the materials (slides and videos) can be >> viewed directly on Commons >> <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Wikimedia_Core_Curriculum> >> (albeit without subtitles so far). >> >> >> 2. You can (and we would love it if you) direct interested newbies to the >> online course. If you have folks reaching out to you personally or through >> your affiliate's online channels asking for training, you can now direct >> them to the course's public landing page >> <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP000+2025/a…>, >> which will guide them through creating a Wikimedia account and then taking >> the course. >> >> >> We are also launching a geo-located CentralNotice campaign in sub-Saharan >> Africa aimed at complete beginners (shown to Wikipedia readers), to >> invite them to take the course, and it would be great if you repost our >> external campaign message in any relevant circles you have access to. >> >> >> 3. You can translate the modules and/or remix them for your needs (with >> appropriate adaptations to your own Wikipedia's policies). >> >> >> If you are interested in doing this, get in touch with the team at >> comdevteam(a)wikimedia.org and we will set up your own copy of the modules >> you're interested in and you can begin customizing them. >> >> >> 4. Finally, this is just the initial release of the course. We are >> confident we can still make many improvements to the modules (as well as >> add additional modules in the future), and your feedback, both from your >> own wiki-experience and from any learners you support using these modules, >> would help us tremendously! Your feedback is very welcome at >> comdevteam(a)wikimedia.org or at the talk page. >> >> >> ==Where is it?== >> >> The complete course is on the WikiLearn platform >> <https://learn.wiki/courses>, the movement's open courseware platform >> (based on Open edX software), maintained by the Community Development team >> at the Foundation. To take the course, learners must have a Wikimedia >> account. This does mean complete newbies first need to create a >> Wikimedia account, before they'd be able to log into the learning platform >> (which only accepts logins via Wikimedia OAuth). >> >> >> Here are direct links to each module: >> >> 0. a brief introductory module >> <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP000+2025/a…> >> >> 1. Preparing to participate in Wikimedia projects >> <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP001+2025/a…> >> >> 2. The Voice of Wikipedia: Neutral Point of View >> <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP002+2025/a…> >> >> 3. Sourcing knowledge: Verifiability on Wikipedia >> <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP003+2025/a…> >> >> 4. Notability: The standard of inclusion in Wikipedia >> <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP004+2025/a…> >> >> 5. Copyright and free licenses tutorial >> <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP005+2025/a…> >> >> 6. Communicating on-wiki >> <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP006+2025/a…> >> >> >> 7. 101 ways to contribute to Wikimedia >> <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP007+2025/a…> >> >> >> ==FAQ== >> >> Q: Will it be available in languages other than English? >> >> A: This is an experimental Wikimedia Foundation program aimed at growing >> the active editor base in sub-Saharan Africa, and we experiment in English >> for practical reasons. *If* it succeeds, we will certainly be investing >> more in the program, including the [co-]creating at the very least a >> version of the curriculum in French. >> >> >> Q: What about other languages? >> >> A: We think the modules are good and can be useful to most Wikipedias, >> with appropriate adaptations to local policies (Notability does not work >> the same way in different Wikipedias, for example). We *encourage* volunteers >> interested in translating the modules into other languages to get in touch >> with us. Do note that the Foundation itself won't be investing in >> translation before it determines whether the approach is sufficiently >> effective. >> >> >> Q: Will there be additional modules covering other topics, such as >> Conflict of Interest, paid editing, Dispute resolution, tools, etc.? >> >> A: Conceivably. These are topics we only mentioned in passing in these >> core modules, to keep this already-comprehensive course manageable. But if >> the approach proves effective, we do expect to develop and offer additional >> modules. >> >> >> Q: Why is the Foundation doing this at all? Isn't outreach and training >> materials something the community normally does? >> >> A: Certainly, outreach is generally practiced by the communities. This is >> an experiment with a particular hypothesis described here >> <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Africa_Growth_Pilot_phase_two_Self-…>. >> It is the result of both repeated requests from our African communities and >> the Foundation's own observations about obstacles to mission progress in >> Africa. If communities show up to take this and run with it, we would be >> delighted. >> >> >> Again, your feedback is very welcome at comdevteam(a)wikimedia.org or at >> the talk page >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Africa_Growth_Pilot/Online_self-paced_…> >> . >> >> >> A. >> >> Asaf Bartov (he/him/his) >> >> Lead Program Officer, Emerging Communities >> >> Community Development >> >> Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> >> >> Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the >> sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! >> https://donate.wikimedia.org >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines >> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> Public archives at >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org… >> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-leave(a)lists.wikimedia.org > >

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Final hours: 2025 Board of Trustees Voting Period to close
by Elections Committee 24 Oct '25

24 Oct '25

Hello, A reminder that the voting period for this year's Board of Trustees election will close soon. If you have not voted yet, make sure to have your say - go to the SecurePoll voting page and vote now. Thank you to everyone who has already voted [1]. The results will be announced in a few weeks after the scrutineers have completed their work [2]. The official announcement of the new trustees will happen sometime in December 2025. Data produced during the election will be published when the final results are announced [3]. Voting will close on October 22nd at 23:59 UTC. Best regards, Abhishek Suryawanshi Chair, Elections Committee [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:SecurePoll/vote/405 [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2025/Results [3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2025/Stats

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You're invited to the 34th DCW Conversation Hour
by Ariba 23 Oct '25

23 Oct '25

Hello everyone, I’m delighted to invite you to the 34th edition of the DCW Conversation Hour, featuring Dumisani Ndubane, a long-time South African Wikimedian and Director of Monitoring & Evaluation at MMG Earth. He has also worked with the Wikimedia Foundation in various monitoring and evaluation capacities and continues to play a pivotal role in advancing the Wikimedia Movement Strategy. In this session, “2030 Strategy and the Wikimedia Movement,” Dumisani will share insights into the evolution of the Movement Strategy, its current phase of implementation, and the key priorities guiding Wikimedia’s collective path toward 2030. We’ll discuss how sustainability, inclusion, equity, and community-led innovation form the pillars of the Strategy—and how affiliates, user groups, and individual contributors can align their efforts to make meaningful impact. The Conversation Hour is scheduled for Saturday, 25 October 2025, at 13:30 UTC (7:00 p.m. IST). You can find event details and registration on the page below: https://dcwwiki.org/dc-p0 We look forward to your participation and thoughtful engagement in this important discussion. Kind regards, Ariba Deoband Community Wikimedia

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Incident at Wikiconference North America today
by Maryana Iskander 22 Oct '25

22 Oct '25

Hi all, We are writing to let you all know about an incident that occurred earlier today during the opening ceremony of Wikiconference North America. The most important thing to start with is that everyone is safe and no one was hurt. During the opening ceremony, a conference attendee entered the venue with a gun and approached the stage, announcing an apparent suicide attempt. The individual was quickly detained by conference participants and then removed from the premises by law enforcement. Investigations are underway, including internally and with law enforcement, to gather more information. We are not going to be providing more information about the individual involved while investigations are ongoing, and would ask others to not share details in this public forum. Both of us want to extend our gratitude - to the individuals who moved so quickly during the opening ceremony to respond, and to all of the attendees for staying calm in the moment, following safety protocol, and supporting one another. Folks here at the conference have had time together today, and plan to resume the program tomorrow with more security onsite. Thank you to everyone who has reached out today offering support and concern. We’ll share more information when we can. Maryana Iskander, Wikimedia Foundation CEO Pacita Rudder, Wikimedia NYC Executive Director

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New User Trends on Wikipedia
by Galder Gonzalez Larrañaga 22 Oct '25

22 Oct '25

Dear wikimedians, I recommend reading the very interesting diff post by Marshall Miller about new user trends on Wikipedia: https://diff.wikimedia.org/2025/10/17/new-user-trends-on-wikipedia/. The post talks about two main trends affecting our views: AI summaries and video consumption by new generations. We don't have a good solution about the first one, but I would like to talk about the second one, because in the Basque Wikimedians User Group we have been working on this for some years now, and I think our experience can be part of the solution. Five years ago we detected this trend and saw that, while there was a rise on educative/informative videos for learning, those videos were mainly done in English or hegemonic languages. Students and teachers were using videos more than ever, but those videos weren't free nor in Basque. That's why we created the platform Ikusgela on wiki and external media channels (Wiki platform: https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari:Hezkuntza/Ikusgela, other links to social media and video platforms there) After four years creating videos we have nearly 250 free educative videos in Basque, many of those subtitled in other languages. We cover topics from philosophy to evolution, from literature to basic science. And now we are publishing an average of 2 new videos per week. We are now working on two new series about migrations/rights and linguistics. The videos have received the highest award in the Basque Country for communications and are used now in education by teachers in many schools and MOOCs. More than 540 articles in Wikipedia have a video from Ikusgela available, with many more to come this school year. Making good quality videos is expensive, and we are making this in our own with our funding and from competitive grants. However, once the videos are made, remaking those in other languages should be cheaper. Building the videos together is also cheaper than doing it alone. If your chapter or user group is interested on that, let me know and we can make things together. We, Basque Wikimedians, saw how this trend was coming and worked to take advantage from it, instead of seeing how it decreases our relevancy. I hope efforts from the WMF and other affiliates can go in the direction of multimedia soon. Best, Galder

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==> A new core curriculum: seven comprehensive video modules from the Wikimedia Foundation for beginners
by Asaf Bartov 21 Oct '25

21 Oct '25

Dear Wikimedians, The Community Development team has developed *a set of online learning modules* <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP000+2025/a…> on the core content policies of (English) Wikipedia, and is inviting you to make use of them in your outreach work, as well as to adapt or remix them to your needs, or translate (if relevant) to other languages. Feedback on the content of the learning modules is also very welcome! Details below: ==Contents== In addition to a brief introductory module, there are seven content modules: 1. Preparing to participate in Wikimedia projects (norms and attitudes) 2. The Voice of Wikipedia: Neutral Point of View 3. Sourcing knowledge: Verifiability on Wikipedia 4. Notability: The standard of inclusion in Wikipedia 5. Copyright and free licenses tutorial 6. Communicating on-wiki (talk pages; getting help) 7. 101 ways to contribute to Wikimedia (beyond writing Wikipedia articles) ==Course structure== The full course includes 13 hours of videos, cut into very digestible short segments (rarely more than 5 minutes each; often shorter). Some segments are followed by comprehension quizzes to assist learners in ensuring they understood the segment. All videos have English subtitles, to ease understanding and to prepare for potential translation. The modules are intended for complete beginners, and assume no prior knowledge about Wikimedia, but do assume proficiency in English and a high-school level of education. They are intended to be taken in order, but can be taken separately. This is so that learners who are not complete beginners, but only want to strengthen their understanding of, for example, copyright and free licenses, can directly take just that module. ==Rationale== The Community Development team (with Dumisani Ndubane in the project's earlier stages) developed this course to support massive outreach in sub-Saharan Africa, based on input received from African Wikimedia communities, which shared a need for high-quality video resources on the core policies. (This is why many of the examples in the course are of African topics.) Despite that, the course is general and useful for anyone seeking to integrate into English Wikipedia anywhere in the world. Also, unlike some existing resources focused on teaching techniques (e.g. "this is how you add an image to an article"), this course focuses on imparting principles and attitudes needed to comply with Wikipedia policies, which, in our experience, is the steeper learning curve for most newbies. ==Uses for these materials== Based on the channels this is sent in, you are probably not a complete beginner, so perhaps you have no need to take the full course. Here are ways you can nonetheless make use of it: 1. You can use these modules as materials in your own trainings, in-person or online. (The slides are available and linked from the beginning of each module.) You can also assign watching particular units as tasks in any Wikimedia training you give. In addition to the full learning-platform experience, the materials (slides and videos) can be viewed directly on Commons <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Wikimedia_Core_Curriculum> (albeit without subtitles so far). 2. You can (and we would love it if you) direct interested newbies to the online course. If you have folks reaching out to you personally or through your affiliate's online channels asking for training, you can now direct them to the course's public landing page <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP000+2025/a…>, which will guide them through creating a Wikimedia account and then taking the course. We are also launching a geo-located CentralNotice campaign in sub-Saharan Africa aimed at complete beginners (shown to Wikipedia readers), to invite them to take the course, and it would be great if you repost our external campaign message in any relevant circles you have access to. 3. You can translate the modules and/or remix them for your needs (with appropriate adaptations to your own Wikipedia's policies). If you are interested in doing this, get in touch with the team at comdevteam(a)wikimedia.org and we will set up your own copy of the modules you're interested in and you can begin customizing them. 4. Finally, this is just the initial release of the course. We are confident we can still make many improvements to the modules (as well as add additional modules in the future), and your feedback, both from your own wiki-experience and from any learners you support using these modules, would help us tremendously! Your feedback is very welcome at comdevteam(a)wikimedia.org or at the talk page. ==Where is it?== The complete course is on the WikiLearn platform <https://learn.wiki/courses>, the movement's open courseware platform (based on Open edX software), maintained by the Community Development team at the Foundation. To take the course, learners must have a Wikimedia account. This does mean complete newbies first need to create a Wikimedia account, before they'd be able to log into the learning platform (which only accepts logins via Wikimedia OAuth). Here are direct links to each module: 0. a brief introductory module <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP000+2025/a…> 1. Preparing to participate in Wikimedia projects <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP001+2025/a…> 2. The Voice of Wikipedia: Neutral Point of View <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP002+2025/a…> 3. Sourcing knowledge: Verifiability on Wikipedia <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP003+2025/a…> 4. Notability: The standard of inclusion in Wikipedia <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP004+2025/a…> 5. Copyright and free licenses tutorial <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP005+2025/a…> 6. Communicating on-wiki <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP006+2025/a…> 7. 101 ways to contribute to Wikimedia <https://learn.wiki/courses/course-v1:Wikimedia-Foundation+WMF_AGP007+2025/a…> ==FAQ== Q: Will it be available in languages other than English? A: This is an experimental Wikimedia Foundation program aimed at growing the active editor base in sub-Saharan Africa, and we experiment in English for practical reasons. *If* it succeeds, we will certainly be investing more in the program, including the [co-]creating at the very least a version of the curriculum in French. Q: What about other languages? A: We think the modules are good and can be useful to most Wikipedias, with appropriate adaptations to local policies (Notability does not work the same way in different Wikipedias, for example). We *encourage* volunteers interested in translating the modules into other languages to get in touch with us. Do note that the Foundation itself won't be investing in translation before it determines whether the approach is sufficiently effective. Q: Will there be additional modules covering other topics, such as Conflict of Interest, paid editing, Dispute resolution, tools, etc.? A: Conceivably. These are topics we only mentioned in passing in these core modules, to keep this already-comprehensive course manageable. But if the approach proves effective, we do expect to develop and offer additional modules. Q: Why is the Foundation doing this at all? Isn't outreach and training materials something the community normally does? A: Certainly, outreach is generally practiced by the communities. This is an experiment with a particular hypothesis described here <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Africa_Growth_Pilot_phase_two_Self-…>. It is the result of both repeated requests from our African communities and the Foundation's own observations about obstacles to mission progress in Africa. If communities show up to take this and run with it, we would be delighted. Again, your feedback is very welcome at comdevteam(a)wikimedia.org or at the talk page <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Africa_Growth_Pilot/Online_self-paced_…> . A. Asaf Bartov (he/him/his) Lead Program Officer, Emerging Communities Community Development Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! https://donate.wikimedia.org

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Birth of a new visualisation tool: please share your experience by answering a survey
by Florence Devouard 21 Oct '25

21 Oct '25

Hello everyone You are warmly invited to answer a survey to help a team developing a new visualisation tool. Your answers will be incredibly useful for the team to move forward. The survey is about sharing how your evaluate the quality of articles, and what would be useful to you in terms of visualisation to analyse quality of a set of articles. 👉 *Access the survey** now: https://survey.linux.it/index.php/189183?lang=en* Participating to the survey does not require you to do any investigating work on the future tool. But if you want to know more about the tool and the team please read below the context and follow the links *Context*/ Visualizing Sustainability and Climate Change/is a research project aimed at identifying and visualizing knowledge gaps related to sustainability and climate changeon Wikipedia. The project helps visualize these knowledge gaps, supports communities in improving content on this important topic, facilitates collaboration among multilingual communities and partners, and strengthens the capacity of Wikipedia contributors to document and share information on climate change (as well as sustainability and SDGs). In practice, in collaboration with Wikimedia projects focused on sustainability and climate change,the initiative will produce a visual toolthat allows users to evaluate and monitor the quality and quantity of articles related to sustainability and climate change on Wikipedia across different languages. In the long run, the tool is expected to serve beyond the specific « Climate change » topic ;) The projet is developped as part of a research project, promoted by SUPSI, funded by the SNSF, with the patronage ofWikimedia Italia <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Italia>. On the Wiki Community side of things, the organizations involved areWikimedistas de Uruguay <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedistas_de_Uruguay>,Wiki in Africa <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_In_Africa>, andWiki Education Foundation. <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Education_Foundation> If you are interested in knowing more of the project, I suggest you head here : https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Visual_Analytics_for_Sustainability_and_Cli… If you want to see the first sketches, first definition of user requirements, the dataset we are working on, go there : https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Visual_Analytics_for_Sustainability_and_Cli… <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Visual_Analytics_for_Sustainability_and_Cli…> * * Warm Regards, Anthere for the VIZWP tool team

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Call for Experienced English Wikipedians To Lead the Live Review of Unpublished Articles (Drafts) Created by WikiHeritage Fellows
by Amb. Olushola Olaniyan 20 Oct '25

20 Oct '25

Dear friends and partners, The *WikiHeritage Initiative* invites four (4) experienced English Wikipedians to serve as *Lead Reviewers* in the upcoming *Live Review of Unpublished Articles* session—an interactive event marking the conclusion of the WikiHeritage Fellowship program. This session offers a unique opportunity to demonstrate, in real time, how unpublished Wikipedia articles are evaluated and improved before publication. It highlights the strengths and weaknesses that define a high-quality encyclopedic entry. The event reflects our mission to promote *editorial excellence*, *knowledge equity*, and *capacity building* within the Wikimedia ecosystem—particularly around topics related to cultural heritage documentation. Objective The two-hour session will feature a live review of unpublished WikiHeritage articles, allowing the audience to observe and learn from experienced Wikipedians as they analyse real drafts. Participants will gain insights into: 1. The criteria that determine whether an article meets English Wikipedia's publication standards. 2. How to identify weaknesses in structure, tone, or sourcing. 3. The importance of neutrality, verifiability, and notability. 4. Real-world editorial decision-making and collaborative improvement. Draft articles will be shared with the selected reviewers before the session. This format fosters a transparent, hands-on learning experience that deepens understanding of Wikipedia's editorial culture. Why Participate Joining as a Lead Reviewer provides an opportunity to: 1. Contribute to improving WikiHeritage articles on cultural heritage. 2. Share expertise with new and emerging editors. 3. Showcase editorial best practices in a live educational environment. 4. Strengthen Wikimedia's culture of mentorship and community learning. 5. Support open access to quality, verifiable, and balanced information. Role of the Lead Wikipedian As a Lead Reviewer, you will: 1. Evaluate selected unpublished articles live, explaining your editorial reasoning. 2. Demonstrate how to apply Wikipedia's key content policies (Notability, Neutrality, Verifiability, and Reliable Sources). 3. Provide constructive feedback and editing guidance. 4. Engage with the audience through discussion and Q&A. 5. Encourage quality improvement and ethical content development. Eligibility We welcome Wikipedians who: 1. Have significant editing experience on the English Wikipedia. 2. Are familiar with review processes such as *Articles for Creation (AfC)* or *Peer Review*. 3. Can clearly explain and apply core content policies. 4. Value collaboration, mentorship, and open knowledge. *Audience:* 1. WikiHeritage Fellows 2. Interested Wikipedians Privacy and Data Protection The WikiHeritage Initiative prioritises your *data protection, privacy, and identity security* in compliance with international data protection standards and Wikimedia's privacy policy. 1. You may participate anonymously using only your Wikipedia username or pseudonym. 2. No personal data will be made public without your explicit consent. 3. All information submitted through the Google Form will be stored securely and used solely for coordination purposes. 4. Participants may request a private discussion with the organisers to clarify any privacy preferences before or after submission. We are committed to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment that safeguards contributors' rights and encourages open, honest participation. Event Details 📅 *Date:* November 7–8 📍 *Venue:* Zoom ⏰ *Duration:* Maximum of Two (2) Hours 🎯 *Format:* Live review, editing demonstration, and audience interaction Register Your Interest To express your interest in serving as a Lead Reviewer, please complete the registration form below: 👉 *Fill out the Google Form [here]* The form will collect: https://forms.gle/btXphQ3zRsvzyn3VA 1. Your Wikipedia username (real name optional). 2. A short biography (150–200 words). 3. A brief summary of your editing or review experience. 4. Any privacy or anonymity preferences you wish to be respected. All data will be securely stored and used only for participant coordination and event communication. About WikiHeritage The *WikiHeritage Initiative* documents, preserves, and promotes cultural heritage through Wikimedia platforms—ensuring that local knowledge, traditions, and stories are accessible to the world. You can read further about the Fellowship here <https://meta.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiHeritage_Fellowship> The Live Article Review Session exemplifies our commitment to *transparency*, *mentorship*, and the *continuous improvement* of open knowledge. *On behalf of WikiHeritage* *Amb. Olaniyan Olushola *

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Announcing Africa Wiki Challenge 2025 Winners — Celebrating African Voices and Digital Impact
by Jael Boateng 20 Oct '25

20 Oct '25

Hello everyone, This year marked the fifth edition of the Africa Wiki Challenge (AWC) <https://meta.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Africa_Wiki_Challenge_2025/Home>, held under the theme “Reclaiming Our Narrative: Justice for Africans and the Diaspora through Reparations.” The aim of this annual campaign is to amplify African voices, perspectives, and histories while contributing to reshaping the digital narrative of the continent. Running from 25th May to 31st July 2025, the campaign brought together organizers and participants from across Africa, affirming its truly pan-African spirit. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Challenge. Your contributions have played a vital role in increasing the visibility of African content online, and we deeply appreciate your time, effort, and dedication. This year’s Challenge brought together 17 organizers mainly from Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Botswana, The Gambia, Tanzania, and Burundi. The top five organizers, based on the number of contributions from their respective communities, are: 1. Wikimedia Communities in Nigeria <https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Wikimedia_communities_in_Nige…> 2. Tamale Wiki Hub <https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Open_Fondation_West_Africa/Af…>, Ghana 3. SDD UBIDS Wiki Club <https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/SDD_UBIDS_WIKI_CLUB_-OPEN_FOU…>, Ghana 4. Accra Wiki Hub <https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Accra_Wiki_Hub/Africa_Wiki_Ch…>, Ghana 5. Global Education Open Initiative <https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Global_WikiEducation_Initiati…>, Tanzania We also recorded a significant rise in participation—1,331 editors joined the Challenge this year, up from 1,230 participants in 2024. Collectively, contributors created 8,830 new articles, edited 11,798 existing ones, and translated content into 17 languages—including Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Twi, Swahili, and, for the first time, Setswana and Waali. Additionally, 701 media files were uploaded to Wikimedia Commons, enriching the visual and cultural documentation of this year’s reparations theme. We are thrilled to announce that the jury has finalized the contest results, and for the first time since the campaign’s inception, our overall winner is female! 🏆 Winners of AWC 2025 - Overall Winner: User: Sirjat <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Sirjat> (Nigeria) - First Runner-Up: User: Muhammad Idriss Criteria <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Muhammad_Idriss_Criteria> (Nigeria) - Second Runner-Up: User: Pharouqenr <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Pharouqenr> (Nigeria) - Top Female Contributor: User: KISUMAR123 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:KISUMAR123> (Ghana) - Best Commons Upload: KwameGhana <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Bust_portrait_of_Corporal_Patrick…> (Bright Kwame Ayisi, Ghana) Read more about the campaign and this year’s highlights in our Diff post <https://diff.wikimedia.org/2025/10/14/building-communities-creating-impact-…> . We look forward to your continued participation and energy in next year’s Africa Wiki Challenge as we keep reclaiming and celebrating African narratives online. Warm regards, -- Jael Serwaa Boateng Executive Director Open Foundation West Africa

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