Hello everyone,
On *Thursday, December 11th, at 1730 UTC* (check your local time
<https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1765474200>), the Community Affair
Committee
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Comm…>
is hosting an *Open Conversation with Trustees*. This would be the last
session in this format, as we are looking ahead to various transitions
within the Board and the Foundation.
The call will be 90 minutes, with the first half devoted to updates and
celebrations (which will be recorded and shared later), and the second half
devoted to breakout discussion on the topics presented (which will not be
recorded). This format will allow us to speak directly with those present
about some of the most pressing issues we have been working on in the past
few months. The full agenda will be available soon on Meta
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Comm…>
.
*To join us, please register* for the event. You can request the Zoom link,
as well as a live interpretation for the call, by emailing
askcac(a)wikimedia.org. We also encourage you to send us questions /
discussion topics in advance, as it will help inform us on the topics for
the breakout rooms.
*We have a lot to discuss and to celebrate, *so looking forward to seeing
as many of you as possible join us.
All best wishes,
Shani.
Dr. Shani Evenstein Sigalov
<https://wikimediafoundation.org/profile/shani-evenstein-sigalov/>
Chair, Community Affairs Committee
Board of Trustees, Wikimedia Foundation
Dear Wikimedians,
The EduWiki Hub
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_%26_Education_User_Group/EduWiki_…>
is
inviting you to participate in a short community survey to help
improve the Programs
& Events Dashboard <https://lime.wikimedia.pt/wmbr/index.php/234763?lang=en>,
a tool widely used to track Wikimedia education programs, edit-a-thons,
campaigns, and other community activities.
As part of our ongoing efforts to support the global Wikimedia education
movement, we are gathering broad input on which new features and
enhancements should be developed first. Your feedback will directly shape
the Dashboard’s development roadmap of the EduWiki Hub TIWG.
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_%26_Education_User_Group/Working_…>
About the survey
-
Open to: Anyone who uses the Dashboard, especially those who run
Wikimedia education programs.
-
Estimated time: 8–12 minutes
-
Language: The survey is in English, but you may respond in any language,
we will translate all submissions.
-
Anonymity: Responses are anonymous unless you choose to provide an email
at the end for follow-up.
-
Deadline: 5th December
The survey includes:
-
A short section to understand your program context
-
A ranking of feature ideas identified in the Dashboard technical plan
-
Space to share your feedback or additional suggestions
-
Optional sign-up for future P&E Dashboard workshops or feature-testing
activities
Take the survey here:👉
https://lime.wikimedia.pt/wmbr/index.php/234763?lang=en
Your input is essential. Whether you use the Dashboard for classroom
assignments, university programs, community training, GLAM partnerships,
local campaigns, or edit-a-thons, we want to hear from you.
Feel free to share this survey with everyone that uses the P&E Dashboard
who might be interested.
Thank you,
Bukola James <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:BJames_(EdWH)>
Coordinator, EduWiki Hub
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_%26_Education_User_Group/EduWiki_…>
Dear Wikimedians,
We are pleased to announce that scholarship applications and program
submissions for the ESEAP Conference 2026 are now open!
▶Scholarship Applications◀ Scholarships are available to support
participation from Wikimedians who have a connection with the ESEAP region
and may need financial assistance. We strongly encourage applications from
emerging communities, under-represented groups, active newcomers, and
volunteers working on key regional or thematic initiatives. Details:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/ESEAP_Conference_2026/Scholarships
▶Program Submissions◀ We invite proposals for talks, panels, workshops,
roundtables, lightning sessions, and other creative session formats.
Whether you represent an affiliate, a local community, a project, or an
individual initiative, we welcome your ideas. This is your opportunity to
share learning, highlight collaborations, and spark conversations that
shape the future of our region. Details:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/ESEAP_Conference_2026/Program/Submissions
▶Important Note◀ If you require assistance to travel to Kaohsiung to
deliver your session, please submit a separate scholarship application.
Program and scholarship applications are reviewed independently, so
acceptance of a program proposal does not automatically grant a travel
scholarship, and vice versa.
▶Why Participate?◀ * Connect with Wikimedians across the ESEAP region *
Share knowledge, challenges, and emerging practices * Build new
partnerships and strengthen existing ones * Contribute directly to shaping
regional collaboration and the future of the ESEAP Hub
We look forward to your applications and proposals, and to welcoming many
of you in Kaohsiung next year!
--
Sincerely,
Butch Bustria
_______________________________________________
Please note: all replies sent to this mailing list will be immediately directed to Wikimedia-l, the public mailing list of the Wikimedia community. For more information about Wikimedia-l:
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
_______________________________________________
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To unsubscribe send an email to wikimediaannounce-l-leave(a)lists.wikimedia.org
Hello everyone!
We're excited to announce that the next Language Community Meeting is
happening soon - on November 28th at 16:00 UTC! If you’d like to join,
simply sign up on the wiki page
<https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Language_and_Product_Localization/…>
.
This is a participant-driven meeting where we share updates on
language-related projects, discuss technical challenges in language wikis,
and collaborate on solutions. For example, in our upcoming meeting, we plan
to hear from contributors of the Wikitongues project and Fante
Wikimedia Community.
Got a topic to share? Whether it’s a technical update from your project, a
challenge you need help with, or a request for interpretation support, we’d
love to hear from you! Feel free to reply to this message or add agenda
items to the document here
<https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/language-community-meeting-nov-2025>.
Also, we’d like to highlight that the 9th edition of the Language &
Internationalization Newsletter (October 2025)
<https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Language_and_Product_Localization/…>
is
now available. This newsletter provides updates from the July–September
2025 quarter on new feature development, improvements in various
language-related technical projects and support efforts, details about
community meetings, and ideas for contributing to projects. To stay
updated, you can subscribe to the newsletter
<https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Newsletter:Language_and_Internationalization…>
on
its wiki page.
Are you interested in contributing to the technical work around language
development? See a curated list of technical contribution tasks here:
T407935 <https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T407935>.
We look forward to your ideas and participation at the Language Community
Meeting. See you there!
Cheers,
Srishti
*Srishti Sethi*
Senior Developer Advocate
Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
Dear Wikimedia Community,
The Community Affairs Committee (CAC) [1] of the Wikimedia Foundation Board
of Trustees assigned the Sister Projects Task Force (SPTF)[2] to update and
implement a procedure for assessing the lifecycle of Sister Projects — wiki
projects supported by Wikimedia Foundation (WMF)[3].
A vision of relevant, accessible, and impactful free knowledge has always
guided the Wikimedia Movement. As the ecosystem of Wikimedia projects
continues to evolve, it is crucial that we periodically review existing
projects to ensure they still align with our goals and community capacity.
Despite their noble intent, some projects may no longer effectively serve
their original purpose. Reviewing such projects is not about giving up—it’s
about responsible stewardship of shared resources. Volunteer time, staff
support, infrastructure, and community attention are finite, and the
non-technical costs tend to grow significantly as our ecosystem has entered
a different age of the internet than the one we were founded in. Supporting
inactive projects or projects that didn’t meet our ambitions can
unintentionally divert these resources from areas with more potential
impact.
Moreover, maintaining projects that no longer reflect the quality and
reliability of the Wikimedia name stands for, involves a reputational risk.
An abandoned or less reliable project affects trust in the Wikimedia
movement.
Lastly, failing to sunset or reimagine projects that are no longer working
can make it much harder to start new ones. When the community feels bound
to every past decision—no matter how outdated—we risk stagnation. A healthy
ecosystem must allow for evolution, adaptation, and, when necessary,
letting go. If we create the expectation that every project must exist
indefinitely, we limit our ability to experiment and innovate.
Because of this, SPTF reviewed two requests concerning the lifecycle of the
Sister Projects to work through and demonstrate the review process. We
chose Wikispore as a case study for a possible new Sister Project opening
and Wikinews as a case study for a review of an existing project.
Preliminary findings were discussed with the CAC, and a community
consultation on both proposals was recommended.
== Wikispore ==
The application to consider Wikispore as a new Sister Project was submitted
in 2019 [4]. SPTF decided to review this request in more depth because,
rather than being concentrated on a specific topic, as most of the
proposals for the new Sister Projects are, Wikispore has the potential to
nurture multiple start-up Sister Projects.
After careful consideration [5], the SPTF has decided not to recommend
Wikispore as a Wikimedia Sister Project. Considering the current activity
level, the current arrangement allows better flexibility and
experimentation while WMF provides core infrastructural support.
We acknowledge the initiative's potential and seek community input on what
would constitute a sufficient level of activity and engagement to
reconsider its status in the future.
As part of the process, we shared the decision with the Wikispore community
and invited one of its leaders, Pharos, to an SPTF meeting.
Currently, we especially invite feedback on measurable criteria indicating
the project's readiness, such as contributor numbers, content volume, and
sustained community support. This would clarify the criteria sufficient for
opening a new Sister Project, including possible future Wikispore
re-application. However, the numbers will always be a guide because any
number can be gamed.
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Public_consultation_about_Wikispore
== Wikinews ==
We chose to review Wikinews among existing Sister Projects because it is
the one for which we have observed the highest level of concern in multiple
ways.
Since the SPTF was convened in 2023, its members have asked for the
community's opinions during conferences and community calls about Sister
Projects that did not fulfil their promise in the Wikimedia movement [7, 8,
9]. Wikinews was the leading candidate for an evaluation because people
from multiple language communities proposed it. Additionally, by most
measures, it is the least active Sister Project, with the greatest drop in
activity over the years.
While the Language Committee routinely opens and closes language versions
of the Sister Projects in small languages, there has never been a valid
proposal to close Wikipedia in major languages or any project in English.
This is not true for Wikinews, where there was a proposal to close English
Wikinews, which gained some traction but did not result in any action [6;
see also Section 5 from 9], as well as a draft proposal to close all
languages of Wikinews (see on the relevant meta discussion page).
Initial metrics compiled by WMF staff also support the community's concerns
about Wikinews (see on the relevant meta discussion page).
Based on this report, SPTF recommends a community reevaluation of Wikinews.
We conclude that its current structure and activity levels are the lowest
among the existing sister projects. SPTF also recommends pausing the
opening of new language editions while the consultation runs.
SPTF brings this analysis to a discussion and welcomes discussions of
alternative outcomes, including potential restructuring efforts or
integration with other Wikimedia initiatives.
Options mentioned so far (which might be applied to just low-activity
languages or all languages) include but are not limited to:
*Restructure how Wikinews works and is linked to other current events
efforts on the projects,
*Merge content of Wikinews into the relevant language Wikipedias, possibly
in a new namespace,
*Merge content into compartibly licensed external projects,
*Archive Wikinews projects.
Your insights and perspectives are invaluable in shaping the future of
these projects. We encourage all interested community members to share
their thoughts on the relevant discussion pages or through other designated
feedback channels.
Public consultation about Wikinews - Meta
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Public_consultation_about_Wikinews>
== Feedback and next steps ==
We’d be grateful if you want to take part in a conversation on the future
of these projects and the review process. We are setting up two different
project pages:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Public_consultation_about_Wikispore and Public
consultation about Wikinews - Meta
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Public_consultation_about_Wikinews>.
Please participate between 27/06/25 and 27/07/25, after which we will
summarize the discussion to move forward. You can write in your own
language.
I will also host a community conversation 16th July Wednesday 11.00 UTC and
17th July Thursday 17.00 UTC (I'll send the call links later) and will be
around at Wikimania for more discussions - unfortunately, SPTF application
for a workshop was rejected, but I'll try to set a meetup.
Kind regards,
Victoria
—
1) Wikimedia Foundation Community Affairs Committee - Meta
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Comm…>
2) Wikimedia Foundation Community Affairs Committee/Sister Projects Task
Force - Meta
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Comm…>
3) Wikimedia projects - Meta
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_projects>4) Wikispore - Meta
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikispore>
5) WikiSpore - Google Docs
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1foUeLwY6Y7SSXchrbt9F4or6x-gP5Phcgwag87m…>
6) Proposals for closing projects/Closure of English Wikinews - Meta
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Proposals_for_closing_projects/Closure_of_E…>
7)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WCNA_2024._Sister_Projects_-_openin…
8)
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Comm…
9)
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiConvention_francophone/2024/Programme/Q…
10)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yxf7dZOZDG5ZblADi3872UvnLQXd1fX63pGS354…
--
Kind regards, Victoria
Victoria Doronina
<https://wikimediafoundation.org/profile/dr-victoria-doronina/> (she/her)
Trustee
Sister Projects Taskforce Lead
Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
"Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the
sum of all knowledge. Please help us make it a reality."
Greetings All,
As the national winning photos of Wiki Loves Monuments 2025 are coming in,
the international team is working on putting together a good jury for this
year's international round. We will need 7-9 members to complete the set.
As in the past years, it is important to aim once again for a jury that, as
a whole, is neutral and balanced in many ways. This means ideally:
1. A mix of photography experts, heritage experts, and Wikimedia experts
(aiming at a total size of 7-9)
2. Geographically balanced so that no two jury members come from the
same country.
3. Balance in many other ways imaginable (while at the same time, one
can never assure a balance in all aspects)
4. The international jury members do not serve on a national jury for
WLM 2025.
5. At the same time, there are some practical considerations:
- Jury members must be able to understand English.
6. Able to commit to judging 200-500 photos in three rounds over a
period of 3 weeks in December, as a volunteer.
While jury members can participate in a local competition, their photos
cannot participate in the international finale. It would be helpful if the
juror were willing to share their real name for the jury report.
Are you interested or know someone who would make a good juror? Please *contact
me* or my colleague (via *wikigrapher(a)gmail.com <wikigrapher(a)gmail.com>*)
with suggestions.
Please reach out along with the potential juror contact details, and a
couple of lines on why they would make a good juror for WLM before* 20th
November*.
All national winning photos must be submitted by local organisers by *1
December* so the international jury can start on time.
Regards,
*WLM International Jury coordination team *
*Ndahiro Derrick Alter*
*Gender & Development practitioner *
*Founder & Executive Director*
*Wikimedia Rwanda <https://wikimedia.rw/>/Open Source Knowledge Rwanda*
*''Reshaping Rwanda's Narrative''.*
*Mobile:(+250) 789 162 <%2B250%20782%20701%20830>892 |*
* Town Center Building, 4th Floor, Nyarugenge, Kigali city,Rwanda
<https://maps.app.goo.gl/m68DuTyiv4KZj5xR6>*
*website: https://wikimedia.rw/ <https://wikimedia.rw/>*
Dear All,
I’m writing to let you know that the Wikimedia Foundation’s audit report
<https://wikimediafoundation.org/about/financial-reports/> (audited
financial statements) are now available for the fiscal year ending 30 June
2025. Along with the report, we have shared highlights on Diff
<https://diff.wikimedia.org/2025/11/24/highlights-from-the-wikimedia-foundat…>
as well as FAQs on Meta-Wiki
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_reports/Financial/Audi…>
.
The audit report is one of many financial reports we release every year. It
contains statements about an organization’s financial position and
activities; those statements are audited by a third party (in our case,
KPMG) for accuracy.
KPMG issued their opinion that the Wikimedia Foundation’s financial
statements for FY 2024-2025 are presented accurately. This marks the 20th
consecutive year of clean audits for the Wikimedia Foundation since the
Foundation’s first audit in 2006.
The Wikimedia Enterprise financial report
<https://diff.wikimedia.org/2025/11/24/wikimedia-enterprise-financial-report…>
for the same period is also available today. Though Enterprise’s principal
financials are included in the Foundation’s audit report, we publish this
supplementary report each year to uphold our commitment to transparency and
to detailing commercial revenue separately.
Since becoming its own standalone 501(c)(3) in September 2023, the
Wikimedia Endowment now files a separate audit report, which will be
available in the coming months.
If you have any questions, please contact me via email, or ask a question
directly on the FAQ talk page
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_repo…>
.
Best regards,
Jaime
Jaime Villagomez
Chief Financial Officer
Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
*Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the
sum of all knowledge. That's our commitment. Donate.
<https://donate.wikimedia.org/>*
Hello everyone,
I’m delighted to invite you to the 35th edition of the DCW Conversation
Hour, featuring Puthiya Purayil Sneha, a Senior Research Manager for the
Open Knowledge Initiatives (OKI) Program at International Institute of
Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIITH).
In this conversation, Sneha will reflect on the evolving landscape of the
digital knowledge commons, especially in the context of expanding
digitisation efforts and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. She
will discuss how ongoing archival and open knowledge projects contribute to
sustaining the commons, the emerging challenges related to ownership,
access, and ethics, and the broader questions about the nature of knowledge
creation and dissemination in multilingual contexts.
The Conversation Hour is scheduled for Saturday, 29 November 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-qr
We look forward to your participation and thoughtful engagement in this
important discussion.
Kind regards,
Ariba
Deoband Community Wikimedia
Dear Wikimedia Affiliates,
The Core Organising Team for WikiDebate is pleased to invite interested
Wikimedia affiliates to apply to participate in the upcoming WikiDebate
Program.
About WikiDebate
WikiDebate is a collaborative knowledge-engagement initiative designed to
strengthen critical reasoning, public discourse, and community
participation across the Wikimedia movement. The program uses structured
debate as a tool to deepen understanding of open knowledge, digital
citizenship, and the role of Wikimedia projects in shaping informed
societies.
Program Objectives
1.
Promote constructive dialogue on themes connected to free knowledge and
public information.
2.
Strengthen community members' capacity in research, argument
development, and public speaking.
3.
Encourage cross-affiliate collaboration and relationship building.
4.
Highlight shared movement values such as openness, verifiability,
diversity, and community governance.
Who Can Apply
-
Recognised Wikimedia User Groups, Chapters, and Thematic Affiliates.
-
Affiliates must have an active community and be able to field a small
team (2–3 participants) to represent them.
-
Teams may include new and experienced contributors; no previous debate
experience is required.
Expected Participation
-
Attend a virtual orientation and training session.
-
Participate in scheduled debate rounds between affiliates.
-
Demonstrate respect, collaboration, and adherence to friendly space
policies throughout the program.
Support Provided
-
Orientation and training resources on debate structure and research.
-
Coaching sessions and topic guides.
-
Publicity and movement-level visibility for participating affiliates.
How to Apply
Interested affiliates should visit our meta page to complete the form
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Debates/Participate>
Please provide:
1.
Affiliate name and contact details.
2.
Names of proposed team members (3–5 participants).
3.
A short statement (150–200 words) on why your affiliate wishes to
participate.
4.
Any preferred support needs or time-zone constraints.
Application Deadline: 30 st November, 2025
Notification of Selected Affiliates: 15th of December, 2025
We welcome your participation in building a vibrant, informed, and
collaborative knowledge community through WikiDebate.
For inquiries, please contact:
WikiDebates.Global(a)gmail.com
Sincerely,
The Core Organising Team, WikiDebates
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Debates>
Dear Wikimedians of the ESEAP communities,
We are pleased to announce that scholarship applications and program submissions for the ESEAP Conference 2026 are now open!
▶Scholarship Applications◀
Scholarships are available to support participation from Wikimedians who have a connection with the ESEAP region and may need financial assistance. We strongly encourage applications from emerging communities, under-represented groups, active newcomers, and volunteers working on key regional or thematic initiatives.
Details: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/ESEAP_Conference_2026/Scholarships
▶Program Submissions◀
We invite proposals for talks, panels, workshops, roundtables, lightning sessions, and other creative session formats. Whether you represent an affiliate, a local community, a project, or an individual initiative, we welcome your ideas. This is your opportunity to share learning, highlight collaborations, and spark conversations that shape the future of our region.
Details: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/ESEAP_Conference_2026/Program/Submissions
▶Important Note◀
If you require assistance to travel to Kaohsiung to deliver your session, please submit a separate scholarship application. Program and scholarship applications are reviewed independently, so acceptance of a program proposal does not automatically grant a travel scholarship, and vice versa.
▶Why Participate?◀
* Connect with Wikimedians across the ESEAP region
* Share knowledge, challenges, and emerging practices
* Build new partnerships and strengthen existing ones
* Contribute directly to shaping regional collaboration and the future of the ESEAP Hub
We look forward to your applications and proposals, and to welcoming many of you in Kaohsiung next year!
With warm regards,
Robert Sim ([[User:Robertsky]])
on behalf of
ESEAP Conference 2026 Organizing Team
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/ESEAP_Conference_2026