[Wikimedia Announcements] Seventh annual Wikimania conference kicks off in Haifa, Israel

[Jay Walsh]

*Wikimedia Israel announces the seventh annual international Wikimania
conference this week in Haifa, Israel*

*HAIFA, ISRAEL -- August 2, 2011* The annual international conference, run
by the Wikimedia community, and organized by a different local team each
year, will be attended by 650 Wikipedia editors, Wikimedia advocates, free
content promoters, researchers and educators from 56 countries.  This week
attendees will gather at the Haifa Auditorium on Mt. Carmel to take part in
125 workshops, discussions and presentations dedicated to free knowledge
initiatives, open content, open source, online copyright, web communities
and networks, education and knowledge acquisition and best practices in
furthering the Wikimedia movement all over the world.

Keynote speakers this year include *Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, Wikimedia
Foundation Executive Director, Sue Gardner,* Deans from the University of
Haifa and Bar-Ilan University are planned speakers along with Prof. Yochai
Benkler, professor of law at Harvard University, and Joseph Reagle, a fellow
at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard and author of Good
Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia.

Among the attendees are 115 participants who received full scholarships and
60 attendees with partial scholarships. Scholarships were awarded by the
Wikimedia Foundation, Wikimedia Deutschland, Wikimedia Italia, Wikimedia
France, Wikimedia Poland, and Wikimedia Austria.

“We’re really excited to host so many people from all over the world in
Haifa this year. During this year’s planning, we really wanted to make sure
this year’s Wikimania is both highly productive and also fun,” said *Tomer
Ashur, Wikimedia Israel Chairman*, “In addition to the impressive workshops
and presentations scheduled, we also thought it would be a great opportunity
to have a bit of fun as well. Since so many people are travelling all over
the world, the team also put together a special tour around Haifa Bay,
Galilee, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. We really hope the seventh annual Wikimania
is a memorable event for everyone joining us!”

This year’s kind sponsors include:  Municipality of Haifa, the Israel
Internet Association (ISOC-IL), Answers.com, Ask.com, Israel Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, the University of Haifa, the Sagi Internet Research Center,
Babylon, East Jerusalem Development Ltd. and several other companies.

Wikimania will celebrate its seventh year, previously held in all corners of
the world including Egypt, Argentina, Germany and Taiwan. In 2012, Wikimania
will take place in the United States in Washington, DC.

*The full program schedule for the event can be found online:*
http://wikimania2011.wikimedia.org/wiki/Schedule

*Live updates and information from Wikimania 2011:*
Follow live updates and twitter activity throughout @WikimediaIL and by
following the keywords #wikimania and #wikimania2011.

Photos and videos will be updated regularly to the Wikimedia Commons,
Youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/WikimediaIL) and Flickr stream (
http://www.flickr.com/Wikimediail)

*For more information, contact: *

*Itzik Edri*
*Wikimedia Israel Spokesman*
itzik at wikimedia.org.il
(+972)-54-5878078

*Moka Pantages *
*Wikimedia Foundation, Spokesperson*
mpantages at wikimedia.org
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