Mabuhay! 

Through this article, Raflinoer32 from Wikimedia Bandung Community, Indonesia and Wiki Asmah from Wikimedia Estonia and Wikimedia Malaysia User Group reflect their experiences participating in the Wikimedia ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025.

The ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025 was a gathering of Wikimedia affiliates and invited resource persons from the ESEAP region to discuss the Movement Strategy, including updates on the Movement Charter, as well as topics related to the ESEAP Hub itself, including its own Charter. This event was held in person in Manila, Philippines, over the course of three days from May 23 to 25, 2025.

What have we learned from the ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025?

Raflinoer32: 

ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025 has provided many valuable experiences and deep insights. Through this event, I gained a wealth of knowledge about the ESEAP Hub. It also gave me the opportunity to share my ideas and aspirations for the Wikimedia movement in the ESEAP region. Moreover, this summit has become a space for me to learn and connect with Wikimedia volunteers and Wikimedia staff from across the ESEAP region.

Attending this event gave me a deeper understanding of the ESEAP Hub. Before the summit, I didn’t fully grasp how the Hub and its governance functioned. However, everything became clearer after I joined the session “HUB, Action! 🎬 Designing Governance and Strategy Together,” where I found answers to all the questions I had in mind. I also learned about the opportunities the ESEAP Hub offers for cross-border connection and collaboration. With its presence, collaboration among countries has become more accessible, allowing communities to work together and form partnerships for Wikimedia-related activities.

Most importantly, I realized how vital the voices of volunteers are to the success of the ESEAP Hub. I still vividly remember when Belinda Spry said, “No matter how small your experiences may seem within the Wikimedia movement, your ideas are valuable to the ESEAP Hub.” Her words inspired me to continue sharing my ideas and aspirations while staying actively involved in the Wikimedia movement across ESEAP.

Wiki Asmah: 

To me, participating in the ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025 was a very transformative experience. It deepened my understanding of the intricate dynamics of the ESEAP region and reinforced the importance of structured regional collaboration within the Wikimedia movement. One of my key takeaways from the summit was how useful interregional cooperation can be, not only in amplifying impact but also in fostering a sense of solidarity and mutual support among communities that vary in capacity, languages, and community development stage.

I learned that despite our geographical and cultural differences, there is a strong shared vision across the region such as to build inclusive, equitable, and sustainable knowledge ecosystems across the Wikimedia projects. Many of the discussions I engaged in emphasized the need for fairer resource distribution, possibility in increased youth involvement, capacity building for emerging communities, and improved governance structures through a regional ESEAP Hub. These conversations gave me a clearer picture of how the ESEAP region is evolving and how our local efforts can align with global strategic goals.

Additionally, I was inspired by the collective willingness of attendees to experiment with new formats, share candid feedback, and embrace innovative ideas to approach different projects such as ones related to GLAM and others. It became evident to me that while individual affiliates each have unique challenges, we are all navigating similar journeys of growth, collaboration, and representation within the global Wikimedia ecosystem. The summit reminded me that change and impact begin with meaningful conversations, and that the seeds of future initiatives are often sown in such in-person gatherings.

What sessions have we participated in at ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025?

Raflinoer32: 

Before attending the ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025, I along with Wiki Asmah, Wadaihangit, Elis (WMID), and Rulwarih, held weekly online peer learning sessions where we discussed various topics related to the ESEAP Hub. This initiative was intended to help us build a solid understanding of the ESEAP Hub in advance and to better prepare ourselves to actively participate in the workshops and discussions during the summit.

During the summit, I fully participated in the program over the course of three consecutive days. Some of the highlight sessions for me included:

1. HUB, Action! 🎬 Designing Governance and Strategy Together with EPC where each participant contributed their thoughts through post-it notes and engaged in meaningful discussions with one another.
2. Strategic Tactics for Building External Partnerships with Sakti Pramudya, which provided valuable insights into forming partnerships—knowledge I plan to bring back and implement to my local community.
3. Field Building – From Conceptualisation to Actualisation (A Pilot Initiative) by Jacqueline Chen, where I had an enriching discussion with Wikimedians from the Philippines and Malaysia. We shared our unique community challenges and learned from each other’s experiences.

Beyond the sessions, I also had the chance to explore Manila before and after the summit. I visited Rizal Park and Harbour Square before the event, then joined a guided tour to National Museum and enjoyed dinner at SkyDeck Bayleaf. After the summit, I explored the beauty of  Intramuros and picked up some unique souvenirs from Manila to bring home.

Wiki Asmah: 

Similar to Rafli, during the ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025, I took part in several impactful sessions from experienced Wikimedians in the region. One of the earliest sessions I joined was the Hub Action and Landscaping Global & ESEAP Regulatory Trends for Advocacy, where we explored regulatory environments and how Wikimedia affiliates in the region can build advocacy strategies that are both context-aware and movement-aligned. This session opened my eyes to the importance of understanding local policies and how they affect knowledge accessibility and digital rights.

In addition to that, I was also invited as a panel speaker in the session titled Connecting and Collaborating Between Affiliates and Countries. This session was particularly special for me as it allowed me to share my personal experiences organizing and participating in interregional collaborations across Europe and Southeast Asia. I spoke about the challenges and learnings from working across different time zones, cultural contexts, and affiliate structures, and emphasized how these collaborations have not only improved our content but also built trust and long-term partnerships among Wikimedians.

During the open mic session on Cross-Border Collaborations, I had the opportunity to promote the Wiki Science Competition, a project I’m passionate about. I encouraged more ESEAP affiliates to consider organizing local editions of the competition, as it’s a great way to bridge academia and open knowledge. I also contributed ideas presented by Chlod, during the ESEAP Youth engagement segment, supporting the development of a regional youth movement by offering suggestions and sharing my observations from previous youth-led Wikimedia events.

On the final day, I attended the GLAM-Wiki meetup, where participants discussed strategies to engage museums, archives, and libraries. I pitched the concept of a virtual Wikipedia exhibition. It is an idea that could help bring GLAM-related content to life, especially for regions or communities without direct access to physical institutions. I also joined the session by the Global Resource Distribution Committee, which was informative for me as someone seeking to understand how funding and support mechanisms can be more effectively distributed across regions.

To end the day, I participated in the museum tours with fellow Wikimedians. We visited the National Museum of Anthropology and the National Museum of Natural History, followed by a brief stop at the Manila Cathedral. The day concluded with a beautiful dinner at the Bayleaf Sky Deck, overlooking the Manila skyline.

What a memorable end to a meaningful summit!

***

To be continued.

The Capacity Exchange (CapX) is a platform designed by and for the Wikimedia Movement that allows decentralized capacity building. And a great month in its history is June 2025, because it ends the second year of the project’s second iteration and starts the third, and extra, year of Wikimedia Brasil’s coordination. It also marks the birth of a much-desired integration with Let’s Connection user profiles. You can find more information about both of these milestones below. 

But before, we can proudly say that we end this second year-cycle by delivering everything we have planned. We developed a powerful and well-documented open-source tool, completely aligned with the Wikimedia Movement’s values.

Here you can see the development team at second year’s last meeting.

Two-year mark: data and deliveries

The Capacity Exchange project’s second iteration started in June 2023, through a Movement Strategy Implementation Grant (MSIG). For two years, Wikimedia Brasil would coordinate and administer the creation of a centrally-designed tool to allow decentralized capacity building, with the guidance of an international Advisory Committee. 

On our grant proposal, we planned to deliver “an interactive, online platform, backed by a database, that allows Wikimedians across the globe to publish information about themselves and their affiliates, conduct searches and (directly) connect to each other” by June 2025.

And we did it. 

Many people from all over the world have been working very hard over the last 24 months to craft this dream platform, fully in line with the Wikimedia ecosystem’s principles.

Now, Wikimedians have a stable, accessible, multi-language and powerful tool, aligned with the values and privacy statements of the Wikimedia Movement to find and connect with peers to exchange with. With Capacity Exchange, “people and affiliates can voluntarily offer their skills, their services, and their shareable resources. Those looking for similar resources can then search, find and connect”, exactly as we envisioned it to be.

The software was developed based on community feedback, adheres to best practices for UX/UI design and development, and it’s running on Wikimedia Cloud Services. We centralized all the information about it and have been sharing it with the community via our Meta-Wiki page. In the GIF below, it’s possible to see the platform’s unique design and how easy it is to navigate its features.

In this current version, users can create their own profiles and manage the profiles of their organizations. They can browse the Capacity Directory to familiarize themselves with the capacities, and then go to Explore to find peers to exchange with. Users can save the profiles they have interest in, send direct messages to peers, look for capacity-related events and easily submit Bug Reports. During the development process, all technical decisions were made with the user’s privacy in mind, resulting in the creation of a database that contains minimal saved data, and that is in compliance with GPDR. 

During the past couple of years, we were able to map and contact approximately 200 initiatives, affiliates, and user groups from all over the Wikimedia Movement. Throughout this process, we held a series of workshops and project presentation meetings, and presented the tool at several community events and conferences. Collectively, the Capacity Exchange Community Outreach Facilitators presented the project to over 40 initiatives. Out of these, they engaged with and established working relationships with more than twenty community initiatives, which are now members of the Capacity Exchange Network and Advisory Committee. The Outreach Facilitators also promoted Capacity Exchange at 14 events over the past two years (see here). 

The result is that, in June 2025, Capacity Exchange has approximately 420 user profiles. Its Meta Page has had almost 10 thousand visualizations, and the new promotional video has been accessed almost 3 thousand times on Commons. Thanks to the Wikimedia and the TranslateWiki communities, the CapX tool has been translated into more than 40 languages, either in full or partially. 

And this is just the beginning of our story. The Capacity Exchange is a platform that came to stay and serve the interests of the Wikimedia Movement for a long, long time.

Extra year ahead: integration with Let’s Connect’s profiles

The Let’s Connect program has always been a source of inspiration and a great partner of Capacity Exchange. A lot of good things came out of this relationship, as our Capacity Directory, for example, which was built from their Skills Directory.

For a long time, we wanted this relationship to move into another step. And we finally succeeded in it. From now on, Let’s Connect will use Capacity Exchange’s technical solutions to host their profiles in an interactive, browsable and accessible way. 

This means that the Capacity Exchange platform will incorporate Let’s Connect profiles, and new members will sign up to the initiative through a special form inside the tool, as shown below. Sensitive data required to be part of Let’s Connect Network will be sent and stored on a database only accessed by Wikimedia Foundation staff.

Soon, Let’s Connect previous members will be able to automatically enter their information into Capacity Exchange. The developers are working on a feature that will populate information from LC user’s page on Meta into CapX’s profile. This will make it easier for people who have already created their profile to start their new one on CapX. As soon as everything is settled, we will explain it in detail for the community.

To be able to consolidate this integration with Let’s Connect, and have clarity about the project’s future coordination, the Capacity Exchange project was extended for one more year. Through a grant amendment, the Wikimedia Foundation postponed the end of this project iteration to June 2026, which means it will keep being coordinated by Wikimedia Brasil until then.

During April and May 2025, the team refactored both the Outreach and the Technical Plans to guide the project’s activities during the extra months. The first document contains sensitive information and, therefore, is shared only with the Advisory Committee and development team members. The Technical Plan for the extra year is available on Commons.

Keep exchanging and carry on

As we always assert, this is a work in progress. We are committed to increasingly adapting Capacity Exchange to the Movement’s most diverse needs and use. It’s really important that you use the tool and give us your feedback. You can either leave a report at the tool’s Bug Reports, or email us at capx@wmnobrasil.org.

Additionally, If you want to discuss ideas to meet the demands of your community, organization or initiative, please be bold and reach out. We want CapX’s technical infrastructure to be the solution your community is looking for. Let’s discuss how we can meet your needs.

More info about the Project

As you may know, the Capacity Exchange (CapX) is a platform designed by and for the Wikimedia Movement. 

It is a centrally-designed tool that allows for decentralized capacity building, from the recognition that the knowledge and skills needed for community capacity building are already within our reach, among us. The project directly responds to Recommendation 6 of the Movement Strategy 2030 by providing a service to facilitate matching/connecting people across the Movement for teaching and learning skills, addressing the largest missing item in the movement’s toolbox: peer support. 

This second iteration of Capacity Exchange is coordinated and administered by Wikimedia Brasil, with the guidance of an international Advisory Committee, and is planned to last until June 2026.

You can get more information about CapX’s team and project at our meta page, or by emailing us at capx@wmnobrasil.org.

Wikimedia residencies most often take place in GLAM institutions with the goal of enriching Commons. These are vital for free culture. However, residencies focusing on  Wikipedia have received far less attention. As a result, there is less community knowledge, fewer tools, and fewer conversations about best practices. 

In this article, I would like to present a case study of my residency at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), a major research funder in the UK. Rather than presenting a checklist of accomplishments¹, I want to share some of the insights into the challenges faced, lessons learned, and reflect on what worked (and what didn’t). My hope is that some aspects might resonate with the experiences of others, and some ideas prove to be helpful and applicable for current and future host institutions and their residents. 

Health information on Wikipedia

To begin with, let’s look at how Wikipedia measures in terms of information about illness and health. The English language Wikipedia is one of the most widely used resources for health information. Each month entries on illnesses, medicines, and associated topics are read more than 100 million times.² When a pandemic breaks out or a celebrity is diagnosed with a condition, we can clearly see how a great number of people turn to Wikipedia to understand what’s going on. It is crucial that what they find there is reliable, reflects our most current knowledge and that is written in a language that allows them to understand the most important things to know. Although health information might be a smaller piece among the factors influencing people’s behaviour around health, it is nonetheless important and it is a piece we have the tools to improve.

With regard to the reliability of medical and health-related articles, Wikipedia performs well, perhaps even better than in many other fields. The information in these entries is generally accurate and based on reliable sources. A major test of Wikipedia’s reliability in this area came during the COVID pandemic, when the community successfully fought off misinformation while dynamically updating articles as we learned more and more about the virus.³ This is a feat that should not be underestimated and likely contributed to saving lives. But even before the pandemic, studies have shown that health information on Wikipedia is generally reliable.⁴

However, when it comes to other aspects of these articles, there is less to be proud of. Wikipedia is intended for a general, lay audience but, to put it bluntly, most of its readers won’t have a clue about what they’re reading in these entries. In any given country, a significant proportion of the population has low levels of health literacy which means they struggle with understanding and acting on health information.⁵ Despite this, Wikipedia entries on health and medicine are filled with heavy jargon, overly complex and technical language. Multiple studies assessing the readability of these articles have found that they are difficult to understand and require a relatively high level of literacy.⁶

Wikipedia is generally reliable, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s up-to-date. Many articles are based on sources published 5-10 years ago or even older which can easily contain outdated information. A common issue affecting article quality and readability is the way new information is added: rather than replacing outdated content, they are often simply appended to the end of a paragraph or section without removing what has been superseded. Accumulating over the years, this resulted in some articles mutating into something like Frankenstein’s monster, hastily stitched together from disjointed and sometimes contradictory fragments. In the end, they read more like a chronology of research papers than  a clear, coherent overview.

Researchers as Wikipedia editors

Given how crucial reliable, accessible health information is and Wikipedia’s central role, it makes sense for researchers and their institutions to engage with the encyclopedia. The National Institute for Health and Care Research was greatly situated to improve medical and health information on Wikipedia, having research on a wide range of issues from breast cancer through digital health to elderly care and gambling addiction. As NIHR’s Wikipedian in residence, my role was to act as a bridge between the worlds of research and Wikipedia, facilitating the process to ensure that contributions were accessible, ethical, and impactful. 

Initially, the residency was set up with the typical goal of encouraging people to become Wikipedia editors by teaching the necessary skills, organising edit-a-thons and then providing ongoing support for their editing. However, early on, we realised it was necessary to rethink whether this was the most suitable approach for the residency.

Contrary to my expectations, the biggest obstacle to engaging researchers with Wikipedia wasn’t their preconceptions about the encyclopedia. Although these concerns are still going strong, my experience showed that when experts were presented with data about the number of readers each month and given a clear explanation of Wikipedia’s checks and balances, their anxieties tended to fade away comfortably.

The challenges of getting researchers to edit Wikipedia were more practical. Most are busy, overwhelmed, and under constant pressure to publish and climb the academic ladder. Even though communicating research findings (dissemination) beyond traditional venues is now an established part of doing research, Wikipedia editing is still not widely known, accepted, or rewarded by the systems that provide funding or employment. As a result, there is little extrinsic motivation for Wikipedia editing, and it remains mostly an altruistic endeavour. People struggled to find a 2-3 hour slot in their schedules needed to properly learn how to edit. Given these circumstances, no matter how open or enthusiastic they were about Wikipedia editing, only a fraction of people could actively participate in the end.

Our editing workshops were not successful. When they were shorter, covering the most basic skills with practicing and editing assigned as “homework”, typically only a few participants went on to try editing in their sandbox. When events were longer to include time to practice together and work on their edits, we ended up with a couple of sentences at best, which sometimes further increased the mentioned fragmentation of the articles. Despite our efforts, editing didn’t develop into a longer-term habit.

Another complication was that each participant brought their own article to work on which made it harder to check and fix all the different edits and keep track of subsequent changes. This also created more potential points of conflict with other editors. Digesting the fundamental differences between Wikipedia and academia is not easy. It requires a different style of writing, and follows different rules about sourcing. First-time academic editors often bring their particular set of “bad edits”: writing in jargon-heavy language, favoring their own research papers, citing primary studies instead of secondary sources.

Even when the issues raised by other editors were justified, having your first edit removed, sometimes accompanied by a harsh comment, does not inspire anyone to participate in further editing. Plus, new editors were not equipped to reply to talk page messages since there was no time to teach this in workshops, especially as it can’t be done using the visual editor. In the end, participants gained a better understanding of Wikipedia but most didn’t get to experience the achievement and joy of successful editing and did not become regular contributors. Struggling with workshops forced us to rethink our approach. Do researchers actually need to edit in order to contribute?

Testing a different format

To make engagement with Wikipedia more streamlined and to ask less from researchers, we adopted a different format. The new workshops were shorter (60-90 minutes) and thematic. Instead of participants making small edits across a range of articles, we focused on a single topic and the comprehensive improvement of one corresponding Wikipedia entry. Participants were linked by their expertise in that topic, often part of the same research group or members of several groups who used the workshop as an opportunity to collaborate. Ahead of the session, they were asked to read the article, consider holistically what was missing, outdated, or needed improvement. When time allowed, we also divided who works on which section.

The workshop itself completely skipped teaching how to edit. We began with a 10-15 minute introduction to Wikipedia’s key policies and the kind of plain, accessible style of prose we aim for. The bulk of the event was spent collaboratively editing a Google document version of the article, with everyone working on the same file. If questions or ideas came up, there was space to discuss and draw on each other’s expertise. 

A lot can be done during this short time but participants weren’t expected to finish everything in one sitting. At the end of the workshop, now familiar with the task at hand, we agreed on a deadline by which they could work on the article independently. During this time, I could add annotations to the text, highlighting unclear point or missing references. I also did a final copyedit to ensure that the language used was accessible. Once the text was finalised, the actual editing on Wikipedia was done by myself, indicating the group effort in the edit summary. I also managed any feedback or objections coming from other editors.

Impactful engagement without editing

Not needing to learn how to edit, participants could focus fully on the text as a whole. While I emphasised that the article they were working with was the product of community effort and we should have good reasons when we change anything, I encouraged them to be bold in editing: cut repetition and outdated information, rephrase overcomplicated, long sentences for accessibility. The resulting articles were significantly improved, stylistically more coherent, easier to read, and based on the latest scientific evidence. 

Even though focusing on a single article per workshop might seem to limit the overall impact on Wikipedia, this is not necessarily the case. The new parts written during these workshops are ideally well-rounded so they are easier to be reused in other relevant articles. People can come across a topic through various articles. For example, material created in our workshop on head and neck cancers was also incorporated into articles on oral cancer, alcohol, dysgeusia, tobacco smoking, smokeless tobacco, betel nut chewing, salted fish, and many others. Finding and editing these articles requires extra time from the Wikipedian but with relatively little work the results of the workshop can be woven deeper into the fabric of Wikipedia. That’s something I’d definitely encourage others to do as part of their editing efforts.

The joys and responsibility of contributing to Wikipedia

Workshops like this come with their own challenges, and much depends on group dynamics and facilitation. Still, based on my time at the NIHR, this format could offer a lot to Wikipedia. When successful, it might also give participants a sense of having contributed to something meaningful. It might not result in new editors, but people gain a deeper understanding of how Wikipedia works. And for those who are interested, the option to learn editing still remains open.

I encourage researchers and organisations to consider hosting a Wikipedian in residence or engage with the site in other ways. There are many practical arguments for doing so, and ways they can benefit from it. However, I believe there is a strong moral argument that also needs to be made: after a worldwide pandemic, in an era of post-truth, misinformation and cynicism, science has a greater responsibility than before but also less credibility in the eyes of many. To rebuild trust and ensure access to reliable information, science needs to meet people where they are and communicate in ways that are accessible and beneficial. Wikipedia is a central space for doing so, and we can’t afford to overlook it.

1. For this, see my report on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:NIHR ↩︎
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Medicine/Popular_pages ↩︎
3. https://academic.oup.com/gigascience/article/doi/10.1093/gigascience/giab095/6505121 ↩︎
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Academic_studies_of_health_information_on_Wikipedia ↩︎
5. https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/collection/health-information-are-you-getting-your-message-across/ ↩︎
6. Multiple studies pointed out that these articles are reliable but they typically require a university level reading comprehension. ↩︎

As a volunteer representative for the Javanese Wikipedia and a dedicated research staff and engagement content officer at Wikimedia Indonesia, attending the ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025 in Manila was an eye-opening experience. I’m excited to share the invaluable lessons I learned and the exciting plans I’ve set in motion due to this transformative journey.

It all started with a lack of confidence. I took a chance to apply for a scholarship to become a participant in the ESEAP Strategy Summit, and eventually, I succeeded. This event was quite different from last year’s ESEAP Conference in Sabah in 2024, primarily consisting of sharing sessions about Wikimedia projects from various communities across the ESEAP region. This year’s ESEAP Summit focused on strengthening the participation of ESEAP communities, aiming to better understand regional challenges and collaboratively find solutions.

Over three days, from May 23-25, 2025, I attended the event hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation and organized by the Philippine Wikimedia User Group in Manila. Despite facing occasional language barriers—English is not my first language—I still felt comfortable participating in discussions.

One exciting session that I found valuable was the ESEAP Community Skills Mapping. The facilitators were two individuals who complemented each other perfectly—one acted as a translator while the other led the session. In this session, we were divided into groups and asked to provide key terms in response to specific questions, which we then wrote on the board. Afterwards, each group presented their findings. While this might seem simple, it allowed me to contribute confidently, even with language challenges. The smaller group size helped make the experience more comfortable for me than the larger plenary sessions, where I sometimes felt a bit overshadowed by the crowd. I took no photos during the discussion as I was thoroughly engaged in the session.

What Did I Learn at ESEAP Summit 2025?

One of the most significant takeaways was understanding the power of collaboration between Wikimedia affiliates and countries. Observing how different groups connect, share resources, and align their efforts to achieve common goals underscored the strength and potential of cross-border cooperation.

Another memorable session focused on strategic approaches to building partnerships with external organizations. It provided practical advice and thoughts on how these partnerships can meaningfully support and amplify the Wikimedia movement’s mission.

I also had the opportunity to participate in a workshop exploring global trends within the Wikimedia ecosystem, including shifts in user behaviour—both readers and contributors. This session emphasized how we, as part of the movement, can adapt and respond to these evolving trends.

Finally, I joined an engaging session on mapping community skills across the ESEAP (East, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific) region. This activity was eye-opening and instrumental in identifying ways to better support each other, foster collaboration, and build long-term capacity within our diverse communities.

These insights are especially valuable as I prepare to become a community coordinator for Wikimedia’s local communities, supported by Wikimedia Indonesia. The lessons I’ve learned will guide me in navigating my responsibilities with a clearer understanding of regional collaboration, strategic growth, and community empowerment.

Thank You

I want to express my gratitude to the Wikimedia Foundation, the organizing committee from the Philippine Wikimedia User Group, and the ESEAP regional team for making this summit possible. Special thanks to the scholarship committee for believing in me and allowing me to participate in this significant moment. As someone who initially lacked the confidence to apply, being selected and having the chance to contribute meaningfully is a source of great pride and humility.

A special thank you to my fellow participants, who made the discussions warm and respectful—even across language barriers. This inclusive approach is something I hope to bring back and implement within my local communities.

What’s Next?

Now that I’ve returned from the summit, I feel energized and better equipped to serve as the community coordinator for Wikimedia communities supported by Wikimedia Indonesia. I plan to share what I’ve learned through internal discussions, workshops, and collaborative sessions, focusing on partnership strategies and skill mapping.

I also plan to initiate cross-community dialogues that reflect the collaborative spirit I experienced in Manila. I want to encourage local communities to see themselves as part of a broader regional and global movement. Moreover, I aim to ensure that contributors who, like me, sometimes struggle with confidence or language barriers continue to find empowering spaces to grow and share their voices.

This is just the beginning, and I am excited for the journey ahead. Matur nuwun sanget. Thank you, and see you in the next movement conversations!

Here are some pictures from the ESEAP Summit—small snapshots from a big learning journey.

I participated in the ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025, a three-day summit for Wikimedians from all throughout the ESEAP region. ESEAP stands for the Wikimedia East, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Regional Cooperation. ESEAP is an underrepresented region in the Wikimedia movement. I’ve been a Wikimedian for almost four years now. However, this was my first time joining an international Wikimedia event. I was selected as one of the event volunteers.

Picking up attendees from the airport was not easy. My fellow volunteer and roommate Gaspé Gonzalez Umbac and I often had to wait for hours at the airport. We were assigned to pick up attendees from NAIA Terminal 3. It was always a joy when the attendees finally saw us in the crowd, though. We were tasked with booking them transport from the airport to the hotel.

At the summit itself, there were interesting discussions. I participated in several of those discussions. My favorites include the HUB, Action! Designing Governance and Strategy Together and the GLAM-Wiki Meet-up. GLAM, which stands for Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums, is a topic I’m greatly interested in. I am currently a member of Pilipinas Panorama Community, a thematic organization based in Metro Manila. GLAM is one of PPC’s advocacies. We often organize GLAM meet-ups in Metro Manila.
Among the participants was John Paul Antes, a fellow Wikimedian and the current chairperson of PPC I met at the Manila 30 meet-up three months prior. I was the youngest participant in the summit.

At the photo sessions, I chatted and became friends with Eugene Ormandy, an organizer of Toumon Wikimedia Club Japan and an alumnus of Waseda University.
At dinner, I also had the opportunity to speak with Yuriko Kadokura, a member of the Wikimedians of Japan User Group and an author from Japan. She gave me a bookmark as a keepsake. I also spoke to Masaki Murakami, another member of the user group. I tried to speak to them in my limited but still understandable Japanese.

After the closing session of the summit, we had an excursion. I helped prepare for this excursion. I was assigned to group A. Two tour buses brought us to the National Museum Complex.
We toured the National Museum of Anthropology, then the National Museum of Natural History. I’ve been to both museums countless times already.
After the National Museum tour, we had a quick stopover at the Manila Cathedral. Inside the cathedral, a wedding was going on. As we were returning to the bus, the bells of the Manila Cathedral rang. It was beautiful.

The bus brought us to The Bayleaf, where we would have our dinner. The rooftop had a beautiful panoramic view of Metro Manila. The participants also saw the clock tower of the Manila City Hall, where the logo of the ESEAP Strategy Summit 2025 was based on.

At dinner, I spoke to Charrie Anne Nacor, a friend of mine and the current secretary of PPC. We both love stargazing and astrophotography. She showed me a picture of herself with the Milky Way. I lamented that I could never see a view like it from Metro Manila because of the light pollution. Also, I could not believe that she participated as a volunteer even though her thesis defense was to be held the following day.

Overall, for a young Wikimedian like me, this summit was a great learning experience. I would like to express my gratitude to all of the participants, to the core organizing team, to my fellow volunteers, to the hotel staff, and to all the people who made this summit possible. Thank you.
I look forward to seeing everyone again at the ESEAP Conference 2026, to be held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

The African Wiki Women Leadership and Mentorship Fellowship (LMF) Program is dedicated to providing African women with tools to support and take on leadership roles within the Wikimedia Movement. Through this program, a vibrant and inclusive community is being intentionally created for African women to flourish and bring out their best, driving significant contributions and fostering gender equality from a place of compassion, care, and intention.

Vision

Mission

Airat Abdul Rahmon (User:Airypedia)

Airat Abdul Rahmon is a Nigerian broadcast journalist, social advocate, and Wikimedian who caught the wiki love-bug during the sensitization of journalists at the commemoration of the IWD event in 2024. Since then, she’s been enthusiastically contributing to Wikimedia, fitting together pieces of knowledge, each one enriching the bigger picture, on a mission to fill in the gaps one edit at a time, like a jigsaw puzzle.

“I was inspired to join the Africa Wiki Women community by the founders’ exceptional leadership, evident in their seamless collaboration, meticulous project organization, comprehensive trainings, and effective community coordination. Their willingness to share knowledge and expertise with the community demonstrates remarkable leadership strength, which resonated with me and motivated me to be a part of this vibrant community. I look forward to learning more from the community.”
— Airat

Andikan Eduok (User:Andikan Efiok Eduok)

Andikan Eduok is a Nigerian graphics designer, community and social media manager, and Wikimedian. She is the Founder and Lead of the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria – Akwa Ibom Network. She was the Project Lead for the Train the Trainers Program (South-South Edition) in 2024 and played key roles in both Wiki Loves Africa 2025 in the Niger Delta and the Nigerian Oral History Documentation Project in Akwa Ibom State.

“I joined the Africa Wiki Women mentorship fellowship to deepen my understanding of Wikimedia projects, gain guidance from experienced mentors, and grow my capacity to lead impactful initiatives. For me, the fellowship is a stepping stone to amplify underrepresented voices, develop my skills in community building, and contribute more meaningfully to the open knowledge movement.”
— Andikan

Menna K. Ramadan (User:Menna K.R)

Menna Khaled is an Egyptian Wikimedian, short-stories podcaster, and engineer. She joined as a Wikipedia editor in 2022, and in 2024, she started participating in different Wikimedia projects in both English and Arabic language. She joined AWW in 2024.

“Being a member of Africa Wiki Women reminds me of my African identity I take pride in and how strong and inspiring African women are. I love to become a part of this community. I want to become an effective and inaugural member of this community as much as I can, developing a better understanding of the Wikimedia movement, projects, contributing and leaving a positive mark while leading initiatives. The fellowship is an opportunity for me to bring others’ voices out as well as mine, developing courage to represent and advocate confidently and compassionately for those who need it.”
— Menna

Okeke Chioma Bibiana (User:Bibisuccess)

Okeke Chioma Bibiana (Bibisuccess) is a passionate Wikimedian, girl child advocate, and communications professional. A graduate of Business Administration from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, she began her journey in the Wikimedia movement in 2022 and became an active member of the African Women in Wikimedia (AWW) community in 2023.

Chioma brings a dynamic skill set to her work, serving as a content writer, community manager, social media strategist, and communications personnel. Her advocacy for the girl child has led her to organize and lead empowerment programs, while her dedication to open knowledge has seen her facilitate, coordinate, and support numerous Wikimedia projects.

She plays a key role in mentoring and supporting emerging student Wikimedians within her local networks and communities. Currently, she is a mentee in the “AWW Mentorship Fellowship Program 2025” where she continues to deepen her impact and grow within the global Wikimedia ecosystem.

“I joined the Africa Wiki Women Mentorship Fellowship Program because of my strong passion for empowering young girls in my local community. The AWW Community provides a valuable platform for personal growth, learning, and mentorship from accomplished African women whose values inspire me and align with my mission to uplift and empower others. Additionally, I am deeply committed to the promotion of open knowledge. This fellowship offers a unique opportunity for me to contribute meaningfully to the open knowledge movement through the community’s impactful projects.”
— Bibiana

Joanitha Kassabrankahr (User:Joanitha Kassabrankahr)

Joanitha Kassabrankahr is a biomedical engineer and health advocate from Arusha, Tanzania. She is passionate about storytelling, nutrition, and making African women more visible online. As an Africa Wiki Women Fellow, She aims to use digital platforms to share untold stories and empower youth through knowledge.

“I hope to mentor others, lead local content campaigns, and continue advocating for women’s representation in open knowledge spaces.”
— Joanitha

Seimawu Sugri Seidu (User:Seimawu Sugri Seidu)

Seimaw sugri seidu, from Ghana, A Health Information Management student, an entrepreneur, Passionate volunteer and Women in Tech enthusiast.joined Wikimedia earlier this year. Wikipedia and wikidata enthusiast, AWW fellow 2025

“I joined the AWW to get inspired and empowered with the requisite knowledge and mentorship from like-minded individuals to also contribute my quota to bridging the gender gap in the Wikimedia space, when it comes to representation and documentation of articles on African women, through creation, expansion and translations on various wiki projects, especially, Wiki data, Wikipedia and Wiki commons.”
— Seimawu

Adeyinka Ekundayo (User:Adeyinka Ekundayo)

Adeyinka Ekundayo is an intellectually curious student pursuing a degree in History and International Studies at the University of Ilorin. She has a keen interest in issues such as gender equality, climate change, and security. She is passionate about understanding the complex interplay between historical events, global dynamics, and their impacts on societies. Adeyinka’s interdisciplinary academic background, combined with strong research and analytical skills, allows her to approach challenges from multiple perspectives and fosters innovative solutions.

“I joined the AWW community to amplify the voices and achievements of African women. By joining Africa Wiki Women, I see an opportunity to apply my skills in a way that directly contributes to a cause I believe in – making the narratives and contributions of African women more visible, inclusive and represented on a global platform.”
— Adeyinka

Sharon Atyang (User:Atyang344)

Sharon Atyang is a Ugandan community Development and gender justice practitioner with expertise in research, mentorship, advocacy, and inclusive project management across humanitarian and development sectors. She officially joined Wikimedia in 2022 and Africa Wiki Women in 2025. Sharon has contributed to projects under the Wikimedia Community User Group in Uganda, and these include Wiki for Human Rights, which she is so passionate about, Wiki for Refugees, Wiki Loves Africa, Art and Feminism, and Wikipedia wanting photos, among others.

“My passion for gender equality and women’s empowerment pushed me to join AWW to front not only socio-economic rights of women but also for their digital rights and presence. I strongly believe AWW will give me the opportunity for more knowledge and skills advancement required for me to document the great inputs of women in the socio-economic, educational, and health sectors, but also instill digital knowledge and skills in especially marginalized and rural community-based women. An opportunity to network and share knowledge, skills, and ideas with fellow women with the same zeal and fire in them to better women’s presence digitally. Additionally, the mentorship nature of AWW motivated me more. Learning from and being supported by those who are in areas you aspire to be is the greatest opportunity for growth.”
— Sharon

Clarina (User:Lalinah)

Clarina represents Wikimedia User Group Madagascar Association, more precisely the Boeny region, within the Africa Wiki Women movement. She proposed a project that highlights and particularly values young mothers and single mothers, women often sidelined in our communities. She wishes to offer them a space for expression and visibility on the Wikimedia platforms through this project.

“I joined AWW as part of my application for the scholarship program, and because I deeply believe in the importance of valuing African women on Wikimedia projects.”
— Clarina

As our ambassadors take on their roles, they will drive meaningful conversations, projects, and collaborations across Africa through sharing their knowledge and expertise through various fields and from different backgrounds, yet they share the same drive for leading, contributing, and strengthening the Wikimedia Movement as well as shaping a future where African women take center stage in knowledge-sharing and representation.

Share this:

• Mastodon
• Bluesky

Background

Wikipedia is a free, multilingual, open-source online encyclopedia hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. It’s a collaborative project where anyone can contribute to or edit articles, making it a dynamic and constantly evolving resource. Languages are encouraged to have their version of wikipedia that would serve as a digital tool to preserve and to give audience to the majority of people who want to read and/or express themselves in their indigenous languages. Anufↄ language speakers who are densely populated in Chereponi and its surrounding communities were introduced to wikipedia through the wikimedia incubator so  they could  contribute collaboratively to the Anufↄ version of Wikipedia. The project aimed to launch Anufo Language Wikimedians Community and to introduce participants to Wikimedia especially Wikipedia and translatewiki from the underrepresented communities through a structured series of activities including training, edt-a-thon contest, consistent follow-up with participants and recognition through awards. The project also aimed at archiving  the cultural heritage of the Anufↄ people. The project took place both virtually and in-person across Anufↄ Language speaking communities.

Publicity

There were series of publicity on the training workshop slated on Saturday, 17th May, 2025. Physical propagation and social media platforms were harnessed to bring to attention interesting participants who are passionate of digitizing their cultural heritage on wikipedia and its sister projects.

The publicity took about 3 weeks before the event during which there were preparations and organisation of resources for the meet up at Chereponi Community Center. The venue was changed upon arrived for the programme on the scheduled date due to situations beyond the control of the organisers. Nevertheless, the programme went on successfully without serious hindrances.

Training Schedule

A comprehensive and realistic training schedule was developed for tracking progress and to guide the physical training session. This was crucial for achieving the goals of the programme and also optimze time and resources.

Training of Participants

A physical training was conducted to equip participants with foundational and practical knowledge about Wikipedia and its sister projects. The training targeted new editors with no prior Wikimedia experience and were also tailored to the specific needs of each individual. The main hands-on sessions were as follows:

Translatewiki

Participants underwent training on Translatewiki.net on how to localize MediaWiki (Most Used/Most Important messages) in Anufo Language. Participants after being granted translation rights involved in edit-a-thon. Along the way (getting to 50% of translation), Four(4) prolific translators were identified to complete the translation for consistency reasons. At the end, 587 messages representing 100% of the Most Important messages on translatedwiki.net were translated (check completion) 

Wikimedia Incubator

Participants were introduced to the Wikipedia and wikimedia incubator. Aside, they were assisted to create their accounts and user pages. They were also guided on how to translate, insert databox, reference and general editing of articles to get them to standard articles comparable to their English language versions. The edit-a-thon was the centerpiece of the project to allow participants to contribute earnestly. About (55) articles were selected for the edit-a-thon contest which spanned for 4 weeks (15th May – 15 June, 2025) during which participants were encouraged to create or improve Wikipedia articles around themes such as Regions in Ghana and their capital towns and other articles of public interest. After the contest, forty (55) representing 100% of the selected articles were created to standard articles on the wikimedia incubator by about 30 editors altogether.

 Inclusion

The training reached out to the youth, people living with disabilities, linguistic minorities, low-income communities and everyone in Chereoponi and its environs helped ensure access to technology and translation support.

Gender Sensitivity

The project committed to achieving gender balance in all aspects including equal representation in training and facilitation teams and more importantly a safe space policy during all interactions and encouragement.

Social Connections and Community Building

The project facilitated social bonding and peer learning during ice-breaker sessions and at the end of the programme. Social media platforms also enhanced social connections.

Follow-up and Encouragement

Engagement Strategies

To ensure retention and continuous learning, the following follow-up mechanisms were implemented:

• Real-time support via WhatsApp
  
• Phone calls to assist struggling volunteers
  
• Mails to encourage participants
  
• Peer mentorship: Pairing experienced editors with new ones
  
• Progress tracking dashboards: Allowing participants to see their contributions and milestones

Awarding and Recognition

Participants were recognized in the following categories:

• All participants received sourvinirs (branded T-shirts)
• Four main Translatewiki contributors (shopping vouchers)
• Wikimedia Incubator (Article writing contest)
  • 1st Place (contribution by bytes)
    
  • 2nd Place (contribution by bytes)
    
  • 3rd Place (contribution by bytes)
    
  • Best Female (contribution by bytes)
• All contributors with signifiant contributions received data allowance

Awardees for Test Wiki Contributors

• First Place Contributor (by bytes) = Joseph Peter Yaw-kan (Mr.) (User: Yaw-kan)
• Second Place Contributor (by bytes) = Yellendi Moses Kwame (User: Avenger1993)
• Third Place Contributor (by bytes) and Best Female Contributor (by bytes) = Fatahiya Issah Abah (User: Miss Abah)

Acknowledgment

A warm gratitude to Moore Wikimedia Community for founding the Anufo Language Wikimedians group, providing technical support, training and serving as fiscal sponsors to champion the course of the group.

The first part of two series on WikiDiplomasi, a project funded by Wikimedia Rapid Fund, to improve the quality and quantity of diplomacy and International Relations-related contents on Indonesian Wikipedia

We all have that one topic that we aspire to improve on Wikipedia, for us it is diplomacy and International Relations (IR). We are a band of university students and academics from the Department of International Relations, Universitas Brawijaya and what a better way to introduce our own wiki club (KlubWiki Universitas Brawijaya) and experience in IR than through WikiDiplomasi?

Our team from KlubWiki Universitas Brawijaya has recently wrapped up WikiDiplomasi, a project to enhance the quality and quantity of diplomacy and International Relations topics on Indonesian Wikipedia. The project was funded through Rapid Fund by the Wikimedia Foundation over a five-month period from February to May 2025. Our team consists of six community members: Kanyadibya Cendana Prasetyo (User:Kanzcech), Wishnu Mahendra Wiswayana (User:WMWis), Rhani Lilianti Kata (User:Rhani Lilianti Kata), Fariz Oktavian Rosu (User:Farizor), Almasiva Tirta Maedy (User:Almasiva Tirta Maedy), and Yohanes Melanthon Hasudungan Tambunan (User: Hamilton Tjendra).

To be honest, it’s not our first rodeo to conduct Wikipedia training or edit-a-thon, what makes it different are the scale of the project thanks to Rapid Fund grant and our familiarity with the topic. The idea stemmed from WikiNusantara 2024, thanks to Raymond of Creative Commons Indonesia, who introduced Rapid Fund to the volunteers during workshop and group discussion sessions. At the time, I immediately thought what if, I, as an International Relations lecturer join forces with fellow lecturers and students to develop more comprehensive and high-quality content in the field of diplomacy and International Relations on Indonesian Wikipedia. Long story short, we developed and submit our proposal to the WMF. We also made initial contacts to several universities and adjacent Wikimedia communities. Thankfully, we got the grant and activities going!

Our activities and results

Initially we conduct a content analysis on Indonesian Wikipedia to find the gaps within diplomacy and IR topics. We discovered gaps in both the amount and quality of available articles, thus, warrant further improvement. Then, we conducted meetings with relevant stakeholders and held a training for trainers for internal team to increase our knowledge of Indonesian Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects.

We conducted the workshops and trainings in Jawa-Bali, Indonesia from February until May 2025, as detailed below:

• WikiDiplomasi at Universitas Brawijaya (15 February 2025), with KlubWiki Universitas Brawijaya
• WikiDiplomasi at Universitas Gadjah Mada (24 February 2025), with Wikimedia Yogyakarta Community
• WikiDiplomasi at Universitas Diponegoro (27 February 2025) with Wikimedia Banjarnegara Community
• WikiDiplomasi at Universitas Indonesia (24 April 2025) with Wikimedia Jakarta Community
• WikiDiplomasi at Universitas Budi Luhur (25 April 2025) with Wikimedia Jakarta Community
• WikiDiplomasi at Universitas Udayana (27 April 2025) with Wikimedia Denpasar Community
• Hybrid WikiDiplomasi Meetup/Edit-a-thon (4 May 2025) with Wikimedia Bandung Community

We have achieved and even surpassed some of our targets. The number of participants from six workshops and training and one edit-a-thon were 207 (target: 150); the number of editors were 133 (target: 120), the number of organizers were 21 (target: 22). In addition, 104 new articles were created (target: 120) and 239 existing articles were improved (target: 120). There were 788 edits made, with 383,800 bytes added. We also upload more than 100 photos and videos of our activities to Wikimedia Commons.

During our project, we found that the approach to combine workshop with Wikipedia training was most effective in achieving the results. The workshop gave an overview of a specific diplomacy or International Relations topic and introduction to Wikimedia and Wikipedia. While the Wikipedia training was conducted afterwards to train the participants in using, editing, and creating new Wikipedia articles.

Moreover, the WikiDiplomasi project has garnered a significant interest in diplomacy-related content and Wikimedia movement in general, extending beyond just six universities and six Wikimedia communities we partnered with. The widespread enthusiasm, coupled with inquiries from other universities, highlights a great opportunity to scale up WikiDiplomasi in the future.

Lessons learned

These are the top three lessons we learned while conducting this project. First, we learned that having established cooperations or connections, for example through MoU, will ease the process with the universities or Wikimedia communities. Our project could run smoothly thanks to the wonderful collaboration among all stakeholders, local volunteers, and Wikimedia contributors.

Second, we found that keeping participants consistently engaged was tough, as the schedule sometimes clashed with their classes or other commitments. Thus, for the next time, we will work more closely with universities to ensure the participants’ commitment and engagement until the activity ends. We also think of new ways to convert the participants to engaged Wikimedia volunteers by sharing new Wikimedia projects or activities and connect them with their local Wikimedia community.

Third, the project highlights the importance of thorough preparation and implementation, from the technical, operational, and financial standpoints. Keeping the records of articles and participants is key to our project’s success. We utilized Programs and Events Dashboard as well as Google Forms to track participants’ involvement and progress. Brief meetings and continuous communication among all parties involved are important to avoid miscommunication and oversights.  Since the project was run for almost five months, sound financial management through thorough financial record-keeping and reporting proves to be essential.

Moving forward

Moving forward, we would like to continue the WikiDiplomasi project to cover more universities in Indonesia and organize a national Wikipedia competition for public. We also hope we can cultivate knowledge about diplomacy and IR-related contents in Indonesia Wikipedia and beyond. We believe Wikipedia and its sister projects could provide valuable support and resources for students, educators, researchers, and general public and help improve access to the knowledge. We also aim to involve more volunteers to collaborate to open knowledge movement.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thanks to all partner universities, guest speakers, local volunteers from six Wikimedia communities, and all participants who have involved in this project. See you at the next WikiDiplomasi!

Wikidata needs an open-source developer to make its geographical query results compatible with GPS devices and other geo-spatial tools. Here’s why…

If you query Wikidata (the database sibling project of Wikipedia) for geographically locatable subjects (say, a list of accredited museums in the UK) the results are returned in a table.

When the data has coordinates, with a single click (on the left-hand menu, in desktop view) the results can also be displayed on a map.

The tabular data can be downloaded (via the right-hand menu) in a number of formats, such as CSV, HTML or JSON.

The Wikidata community would like users to be able also to export the data in one or more GPS-friendly formats. These are not only useful for GPS devices, but are compatible with other mapping and visualisation tools. I opened a ticket for this feature request—in 2019!

A patch to do this, supporting GPX, GeoJSON and KML, has been coded. However, it relies on a number of libraries, which in turn introduce numerous dependencies on other libraries. Because these libraries all need to be security-checked, and maintained, using the patch would be cost-prohibitive. As a result, it has been declined.

We are told that it should be possible to code the conversions directly, so that the libraries are not needed. Or to look at removing what we do not need from those libraries. This “requires a developer with a bit more understanding of the formats to look into it”.

I’m not a developer, and the nuts-and-bolts of this are mysterious to me.

We need someone with the relevant knowledge and experience, willing to work on an open-source fix, for the common good.

Who will step up and take on this pro-bono work?

Update: 18 June 2025—WDQS now offers GeoJSON downloads for results that include coordinates. KML & GPX should follow. See the ticket link, above, or try it for yourself here (works best on desktop; mouse over right-hand edge to get menu with download link).

The post Developer needed to make Wikidata’s geographical data compatible with GPS tools appeared first on Andy Mabbett, aka pigsonthewing..

In the spirit of building community through connection, the Let’s Connect Peer Learning Program continues to grow and evolve in Nigeria. After successful implementations in 2023 and 2024 that focused on project organizers in Kwara State, we realized the growing need for wider participation across regions and a stronger emphasis on localized knowledge-sharing. We saw clearly that while localized learning was effective, many communities across the country were still missing out. So, what if we could take the same spirit of peer learning and scale it across regions? This led to the expansion of the program in 2025 under a new phase titled Let’s Connect Across Zones in Nigeria, designed to deepen impact through regional inclusion and stronger peer connections. 
The initiative now spans multiple geopolitical zones, including the North-Central region (Kogi and Abuja), South-East (Anambra and Imo), South-South (Rivers and Akwa Ibom), North-East (Gombe), and South-West (Oyo, Osun, and Ogun). The goal is to create more inclusive learning spaces where Wikimedia project organizers across different regions can share skills, build networks, and strengthen their local communities.

Why We’re Expanding the Circle

While the previous implementations offered rich insights and strong engagements, we also encountered challenges such as low interaction in online sessions, limited access to digital tools, and skill gaps that went beyond the topics initially covered. These lessons shaped our current approach: to meet people where they are, expand the learning model to more communities, and address both on-wiki and off-wiki needs practically.
This new phase focuses on:

• Introducing new and relevant skills to organizers, especially around project design and community leadership.
• Regional inclusion to reach more Wikimedia organizers.
• Practical learning opportunities through online learning clinics.
• A peer-led model where participants share what they’ve learned with their communities directly.

Learning and Sharing in Motion

So far, we have hosted the first of two planned learning clinics for this phase. Held on March 14, 2025, it focused on the theme “Let’s Connect Across Zones in Nigeria: Discover, Learn, and Engage.” Facilitated by Barakat Adegboye and Bukola James, the clinic created space for interactive learning and set the tone for what a supportive, peer-driven community could look like across regions. A second clinic is scheduled for June and will explore new areas of capacity building identified during earlier sessions. For this phase, we had 20 participants in total, and we are testing a new approach called participant-led connections. Instead of the usual cluster-based connections, we are implementing participant-led connections where each person chooses a skill, whether on-wiki or off-wiki, relevant to their local context, and shares it with members of their own community.

These sessions are designed to be practical and self-paced, allowing participants to take full ownership of their learning and teaching journeys. We are hosting 16 of these sessions in total and have completed 8 so far. More are in the pipeline, each one reinforcing the value of peer knowledge and the importance of local expertise.

Want to Follow the Journey?

We believe in learning out loud. For updates, documentation, and insights into each activity, please visit our Meta page: Let’s Connect Across Zones in Nigeria on Meta

As we move toward the final stages of this implementation, we look forward to organizing more learning spaces and documenting more community-led sessions. Stay tuned for more updates, session recordings, and reflections from participants.

Meet the Team

This project is led and supported by a dedicated team of Wikimedians committed to creating inclusive learning environments and stronger local communities:

 Barakat Adegboye (Project Lead): She was the project lead for the Let’s Connect Peer Learning Program in Kwara, which has been implemented twice in Kwara state. She is also the project lead for the WikiNaijaNames project to document indigenous Nigerian names on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. She is a Wikimedia volunteer from Nigeria who has gained extensive experience as a facilitator and editor in various Wikimedia projects. Some of these projects include Wiki Loves SDGs, WikiGLAM, 1lib1ref, Wikidata for Libraries and Librarians in Nigeria, Wikidata for Novels and Novelists in Nigeria, WikiLovesLibraries, Promoting Nigerian Books and Authors, Celtic Knot Kwara, and more. She has also served as a facilitator for Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom programs in Kwara, Nigeria, for teachers and secondary school students.

Linason Blessing (Co-lead): She is a certified Librarian of the Librarians’ Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN). Blessing was a facilitator for the first Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom program in Nigeria and also facilitated the Let’s Connect Kwara implementations. She led the Wikipedia Awareness for Library and Information Science Students in Nigeria as well as Wiki Loves Libraries 2.0 Nigeria. A dedicated Wikibrarian, she has actively participated in various Wikimedia projects such as Wiki Loves Africa, WPWP, and Wikidata for Media Personalities in Nigeria. She is the winner of WPWP Kwara and Wikidata Media Personality in Nigeria. Her other contributions include WikiGLAM Awareness for Libraries and Librarians in Kwara, Wikidata for Libraries and Librarians in Nigeria, and 1Lib1Ref 2022 Kwara. She is the Co-Founder of the Kwara State University Fan Club and is currently the Community Manager at African and Proud.

Miracle James (communication expert): Miracle James is an experienced Wikimedian and member of the Wikimedia user group Nigeria who has participated in several Wikipedia projects as a volunteer. She also led the Wikipedia awareness in the Offa community and has facilitated several Wikimedia projects.

James Rhoda (project facilitator and disbursement of fund): She is an experienced Wikimedian, who has participated in various Wikimedia projects (as a facilitator as well as an editor) namely; Some of these projects include Wiki loves SDGs, WikiGLAM, 1lib1ref, Wikidata for Libraries and Librarians in Nigeria, Wikidata for Novels and Novelists in Nigeria, WikiLovesLibraries, Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom for Secondary School students, Promoting Nigerian Books and Authors, Celtic Knot Kwara, and more. She serves as the graphic designer and social media manager for WUGN.

Bukola James is a certified Librarian and Wikimedian with over 5 years of experience leading open knowledge initiatives in Africa and internationally. She currently serves as the Sub-Saharan Liaison for the Let’s Connect Working Group and is the advisor for this team.

People from around the world piled into the headquarters of the United Nations (UN) in New York City with an exciting goal in mind: to expand the knowledge on Wikipedia.

This milestone “edit-a-thon” — one of several opening events for the UN’s Open Source Week — was a collaborative space where people worked together to improve Wikipedia’s coverage of global digital policy. UN experts and staff, students, and open-source advocates — many of them first-time editors — learned from experienced Wikipedia editors how to expand articles about digital public goods, AI regulation, the Global Digital Compact, UN history, and more.

The interactive event was co-hosted by the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET), the Permanent Mission of Italy to the UN, the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN, Wikimedia New York City, and the Wikimedia Foundation. The event was also a celebration of the 70th anniversary of Italy and Sri Lanka joining the United Nations.

“We have chosen to focus today on one of the most vital frontiers of our time: the digital commons (…) We are especially pleased to co-host this event with an organization that epitomizes this spirit: the Wikimedia Foundation, whose platforms like Wikipedia have become universal knowledge commons that have made a difference in the life of many people, especially students and young people like you.” — Ambassador Maurizio Massari, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations in New York.

Hands-on editing: Growing tech policy coverage for readers worldwide 

With in-person support from Wikimedia New York City, event attendees improved a range of Wikipedia articles using on-site UN archives, official reports, datasets, and credible news sources. Some of the improved articles include:

• Regulation of artificial intelligence
• Digital public goods
• Global Digital Compact
• Digital public infrastructure

Thanks to the work of these volunteers, Wikipedia readers now have more reliable and well-sourced information to learn and understand the discussion on internet governance in their communities and the world at large. In total, over 1,000 edits were made and 16,500 words (~60 printed pages) were added to Wikipedia articles during the event. In the past 30 days alone, the articles that were improved during the edit-a-thon have been viewed over 2 million times — indicating how people around the world turn to Wikipedia for information on topics related to technology, the UN, and more. 

“I’ve been editing more actively for over a year, and what hooked me in was the community—real people working together to improve knowledge. It was powerful to see live edits happening at the UN and to know that the UN cares about the future of the digital world, an evolving topic we should all be paying attention to,” said Eric Leung, a volunteer editor on Wikipedia. “Being an editor — and following Wikipedia’s neutral point of view — has made me more mindful about the quality of information online, how we consume that info, and how I edit Wikipedia. And it’s reassuring to know the community has your back throughout the editing process; even when my edits are reverted or improved, the feedback is always respectful. Everyone’s here to learn and contribute.”

Wikipedia as a digital public good 

This edit-a-thon not only improved Wikipedia articles on key policy topics, but it also served as a live demonstration to policymakers at the UN of how open, community-governed knowledge is built and the real-world impact it can have.

“During the edit-a-thon, you’ll help strengthen trust in online information by improving and expanding content that matters. Reliable access to information has been a challenge since the early days of the internet, and Wikipedia has played a vital role in addressing that issue.” — Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology.

Wikipedia, as the largest repository of free and open knowledge online and the primary training source for AI models, is an example of a digital public good (DPG), which the UN and Member States have committed to empower and protect. DPGs include open-source software, data, AI models, standards, and content created for the public interest. 

In February 2025, Wikipedia was officially recognized as a DPG by the Digital Public Goods Alliance, a UN-backed multistakeholder initiative that maintains a Registry of Digital Public Goods. This recognition underlined Wikipedia’s unique role in advancing global access to free and trusted knowledge that serves the public interest. As Rebecca MacKinnon, the Wikimedia Foundation’s Vice President of Global Advocacy, put it: 

“Wikipedia is a space for everyone, everywhere to share and access knowledge that has been curated by our global community who are constantly debating and improving its accuracy. In the age of AI, this community-governed free knowledge resource is more vital than ever. This week’s edit-a-thon at the UN reflects a multigenerational commitment to strengthening Wikipedia’s coverage of tech policy, which will help citizens participate effectively in policy debates about their communities’ digital futures.” 

Wikimedia’s role in global tech governance

One of the event’s focal points was improving the article on the Global Digital Compact — the UN’s blueprint for global governance of digital technology and artificial intelligence. The Wikimedia Foundation, together with volunteers and civil society allies, successfully advocated for the inclusion of protections and investment in DPGs within the Compact. These commitments, signed in 2024 during the UN General Assembly Summit for the Future, now influence local digital policymaking on every continent. The Foundation and multiple Wikimedia affiliates co-drafted an open letter in 2024 calling on UN Member States to:

• Protect and empower communities to govern online public interest projects.
• Promote and protect digital public goods by supporting a robust digital commons from which everyone, everywhere, can benefit.
• Build and deploy artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to support and empower, not replace, people who create content and make decisions in the public interest.

Thanks in part to this work, the Foundation was able to secure recognition for Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, as well as a space for the Wikimedia movement at the UN General Assembly and beyond. The Foundation will continue to advocate for public spaces online, at the UN, and around the world, seeking their sustainability and the protection and promotion of the communities that build them.

“Wikipedia is a living infrastructure for public understanding, and this edit-a-thon is precisely the type of collaboration that the Compact envisions,” said Costanza Sciubba Caniglia, Anti-Disinformation Strategy Lead at the Wikimedia Foundation. “We will continue working with all sectors to ensure that public interest platforms like Wikipedia not only have a seat at the table as digital governance evolves, but also help shape a more inclusive, people-centered digital future.”

Laura Pulecio Duarte is a Public Policy Communications Specialist at the Wikimedia Foundation. Pacita Rudder is the Executive Director of Wikimedia New York City.

Stay informed on internet policy and Wikipedia’s future: Subscribe to our quarterly newsletter 📩

Biology major Devani Rodriguez-Rangel is a recent graduate of Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, Georgia. As part of her Wikipedia assignment, Devani improved the Wikipedia article focused on environmental scientist Miriam Rodón Naveira.

1. Why was it important to add more information to Miriam Rodón Naveira’s Wikipedia article? What did you hope readers would take away from your contributions?

For me, it was important to add information to Miriam Rodón Naveira’s Wikipedia article because it helps shine a spotlight on an underrepresented group of people in STEM, specifically Latina women. When editing this article, I aimed to highlight a fuller scope of Rodón Naveira’s career, emphasizing both the breadth of her work and the impact she has had on inspiring youth and future scientists.

2. Was your work on Wikipedia meaningful to you? In what way?

This project was especially meaningful to me because it was about more than just researching a scientist. It was about honoring someone whose work and story resonate deeply with me. The time and effort I put into finding reliable information on Rodón Naveira reflected my own hopes as a Latina pursuing a career in STEM. I am the first college graduate in my family, and specifically the first female college graduate. This project felt like a reflection of the generational ceilings I am working to break. It reminded me of the power of visibility and recognition, and how stories like Rodón Naveira’s provide hope for future generations of Latinos, women, and scientists. Being recognized for what may seem like small but impactful contributions is one of the main reasons I have chosen this path.

3. What kinds of skills did you learn along the way?

I learned the value of conducting unbiased research and the importance of taking the time to find real, reliable sources when writing about influential figures. This is especially relevant to me as a prospective college professor. Engaging in this kind of research helps students recognize the gaps and barriers that minorities often face in science, and it shows how we can begin to address those challenges simply by telling their stories accurately and responsibly. It’s a small but meaningful way to help close that gap. As an aspiring professor, I’ve been inspired by Dr. Timpte’s approach to helping students engage deeply with these issues, and I hope to carry that same mindset into my own teaching.

4. How would you describe Wikipedia’s role in shaping public awareness of people like Miriam Rodón Naveira?

Knowing that Wikipedia is a widely used public resource, I felt a deep sense of responsibility while contributing to this project. It made me reflect on how easily a person’s legacy can be shaped by what is written and shared online. For many, Wikipedia may be the first or only place they learn about someone’s life and work. That makes it all the more meaningful to ensure the information is accurate and thoughtful, because it has the potential to honor and carry forward that legacy for years to come.

5. How did you feel about the Wikipedia assignment compared to a traditional assignment?

The Wikipedia assignment was one of the most impactful experiences in my college career. It felt like a meaningful contribution to how science and scientists are represented in public spaces. It’s never too late to honor individuals like Rodón Naveira and to help build a reliable source of information in an internet landscape that is constantly growing and changing. What makes this especially powerful is Wikipedia’s commitment to neutrality, accuracy, and unbiased content, offering factual information on an endless range of topics. Being part of that effort was both rewarding and significant.

6. What was your favorite part of editing Wikipedia?

My favorite part of editing Wikipedia was knowing that the information I added could remain there for a very long time. Thinking about her family, her great-great grandchildren and beyond, having the opportunity to learn about their heritage and the contributions Rodón Naveira has made to science made the work feel especially meaningful. I hope that my additions to the article help show that Rodón Naveira and Latina women in STEM like her are seen, recognized, and valued.

7. What was your least favorite part?

My least favorite part of editing Wikipedia was having to dig through what felt like the depths of the internet, only to find very little information about someone who deserved much better representation. It really put into perspective how much more work is needed to better represent minority groups in STEM.

8. Will you continue to edit?

I hope to continue making edits in the future. It was truly an honor to play a role in recognizing an important yet underrepresented figure. I want to keep contributing to change how minorities are often overlooked and ensure their stories are properly acknowledged.

Devani’s work on Wikipedia is part of a larger Wiki Education initiative sponsored by the Broadcom Foundation, which supports creating and improving biographies of diverse people in STEM on Wikipedia.

Interested in incorporating a Wikipedia assignment into your course? Visit teach.wikiedu.org to learn more about the free resources, digital tools, and staff support that Wiki Education offers to postsecondary instructors in the United States and Canada.

As the EU rolls out the Digital Services Act (DSA), a pivotal moment unfolds for the future of online governance. While the regulation offers promising frameworks to enhance accountability and curb online harms, its implementation also reveals pressing risks. Over-moderation by platforms can undermine freedom of expression, legal uncertainties threaten community-led initiatives, and fragmented enforcement across Member States risks weakening the resilience of the EU’s information ecosystem. At the same time, the dominance and secrecy of proprietary platforms further complicate oversight and fairness.

Yet, there is a powerful counterbalance: community-led models like Wikipedia. Such alternative business models demonstrate a transparent, participatory approach to content moderation that prioritises reliability, verifiability, and pluralism. 

By leveraging lessons from these models, which support grassroots advocacy, and foster cross-border cooperation, we can ensure that DSA enforcement truly serves the public interest and respects fundamental rights across Europe.

Bridging Communities, Research and Policymaking

Wikimedia Europe acts as both a support hub for free knowledge communities and a bridge to policymakers, facilitating the exchange of evidence-based practices and coordinated advocacy.

We aim to:

• Empower Wikimedia communities to advocate for fair DSA enforcement in Member States.
• Support enforcement Authorities and policymakers with evidence from Wikipedia’s governance model.
• Promote EU-wide consistency in digital regulation, protecting distributed and community-driven initiatives.

Researching What Works: Evidence From the Wikimedia Model

• Empirical studies by SWPS University will explore Wikipedia’s role in promoting trust and countering polarisation.
• Legal analysis by the University of Amsterdam will assess how current regulations affect community-led platforms.
• Building on DEM-Debate findings, we will integrate data on how Wikipedia handled disinformation related to elections.

Building Advocacy Capacity Across Europe’s Free Knowledge Movement

• Training Wikimedia affiliates on using transparency and risk data to inform national advocacy.
• Tailored fellowships and events in Brussels and other meetups.
• Outreach to underrepresented affiliates to ensure equitable participation in EU policy conversations.

Shaping EU Regulation Through Targeted Advocacy

• Engagement with DSCs and enforcement Authorities to advocate for a balanced, consistent and community-led model friendly application of the DSA.
• Direct engagement with EU Institutions  in the run-up to the 2027 DSA review.
• Deployment of the “Wikipedia test” to assess policy impacts and future regulatory initiatives on community-led projects.

Raising Awareness to Strengthen the Broader Digital Commons

• Sharing evidence-based insights to support other community-driven platforms and civil society actors.

A Fairer, More Trusted Online Space

• New, actionable knowledge about effective community-led moderation and its alignment (or misalignment) with EU regulation.
• Improved national DSA enforcement, safeguarding freedom of expression and promoting trust online.
• Sustainable community-led advocacy, equipped with training, fellowships, and tools to shape EU digital policy.
• Lasting impact, with structures in place for cross-border collaboration and long-term policy engagement.

Events

Deliverables

publications

If you are part of a Wikimedia affiliate, a policymaker, researcher, or civil society advocate—this project is for you. 

Want to stay in touch or get involved?
Email us at: office@wikimedia-europe.eu

Community-led Advocacy for a Fair Digital Space is powered by Wikimedia Europe in partnership with SWPS University, the University of Amsterdam, and supported by Civitates.

Wikidata is a rich knowledge graph, but its raw data format can be challenging for both humans and AI to process effectively. This blog post explores how I addressed these challenges by creating qrender, a tool for rendering Wikidata items in more human-readable and AI-friendly formats.

In my previous article about qjson, I explained the importance of retrieving all information about a Wikidata Item. I write qjsonas an easy API to fetch all such information in one API call instead of multiple SPARQL queries or API calls.

One of the reasons I needed such a tool is making the wikidata accessible for LLMs. I was experimenting with an approach to connect wikidata knowledge graph with LLMs, specifically an LLM capable of calling a tool depending on the context.(AKA, Agentic AI ). I will write about that experiment in another article, but in this article I will explain why qjson was not sufficient for achieving my goal and how I had to build another layer on top of qjson.

As you can observe from the output of a qjson API, the json quite raw. See https://qjson.toolforge.org/Q405.json for example. It has all information, but it has multiple issues:

• The PIDs are not sorted. Related properties appear in random order. This is acceptable for a program, but quite difficult for a human to comprehend. If related information is scattered across multiple parts of a json, it is hard for both humans and LLMs. For example, a person will have first name, last name, nick name, family name etc. It would be much better if they appear together. Another example is date of birth, date of death, place of birth, place of death set.
• The json format has so many repeated content in the form of keys. JSON format need that, but overall content that need to go to an LLM is unnecessary big because of that.

When I gave the json output from qrender and asked questions based on that to LLMs, I noticed underwhelming results. And I arrived at the above reasoning about the limitations of the data format. So I started experimenting with alternate formats that will make the results better. I tried plain text and markdown as candidates. These formats are not the literal transformation of json, but transformed to a format that resembles how such information is presented to a casual human reader.

Please take a look at the following text format output. It is clean and contains the same information as the JSON, but in a compact and organized way.

# names

given name:
        Noël (series ordinal: 2)
        Q463035 (series ordinal: 1, object of statement has role: http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q3409033)
family name:
        Adams
name in native language:
        Douglas Adams
short name:
        Douglas Adams
birth name:
        Douglas Noël Adams
pseudonym:
        David Agnew (statement is subject of: http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q11036149)

# employer

employer:
        The Digital Village (start time: 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z)
        BBC

# languages

native language:
        English
languages spoken, written or signed:
        English

However, there are two challenges here. First, how do we group the Wikidata properties (roughly 13K) in a useful semantic fashion? The second challenge is that, compared to JSON, we lose all PIDs and QIDs in this format, which we need to retain for linking purposes.

Grouping Wikidata properties

This page: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/MediaWiki:Wikibase-SortedProperties lists all Wikidata properties and groups them into high-level categories such as People, Banking, Math, Medicine, and so on. It is a good start, but we need more granularity within this classification. As explained earlier, we need grouping within all properties of a person (names, awards, life, family, jobs, etc.). There is no easy or ready-made solution for this grouping other than creating one yourself. So, I manually started to build such semantic groupings of properties. I prepared https://github.com/santhoshtr/qrender/blob/master/groups.toml - a configuration-driven grouping system.

It is not complete, but it is good enough for my experiments. It is a YAML file for easy editing and expansion as well.

Formats

The text file is a good start, but it cannot represent links. We also need some semantic representation of group titles and lists. Markdown is better for this. So, I wrote an alternate renderer with markdown output, all based on qjson output.

The output is too large to include here, so please visit https://hackmd.io/@sthottingal/S1JXCdM4ex to see the markdown and preview. Here is another example for Q405 - Moon: https://hackmd.io/@sthottingal/ryVFeYMNex

Since I was using a Handlebars-based templating system to generate this markdown, I also added wikitext and HTML as additional formats. They might be useful for someone, but for the above-mentioned LLM use case, I observed that markdown works relatively well.

A few days after I wrote qrender, I came across this paper - KG-LLM-Bench: A Scalable Benchmark for Evaluating LLM Reasoning on Textualized Knowledge Graphs https://knowledge-nlp.github.io/naacl2025/papers/39.pdf?s=35, which articulates a similar approach for efficient LLM integration with KGs. The paper also evaluates various data formats.

qrender

Source code: https://github.com/santhoshtr/qrender. This tool is written in the Rust programming language.

I think qrender bridges the gap between Wikidata’s raw data and its practical use in AI and human applications. It is incomplete and I plan to improve the other renderers especially the html renderer as per my Wikipedia factoids concept in future iterations.

Disclaimer

I work at the Wikimedia Foundation. However, this project, its exploration, and the opinions expressed are entirely my own and do not reflect my employer’s views. This is not an official Wikimedia Foundation project.

05/06/2025-11/06/2025

About us

• A weeklyOSM reader recently suggested an improvement to the event listings in the OpenStreetMap calendar, noting that only the city name was displayed instead of the full event location. In response to this feedback, we have implemented a new feature, and as of issue #776, the calendar now includes the full event location, provided it is specified in the OSM calendar. The improvement was done, as always, by TheFive, who is the creator and development leader of the OpenStreetMap Blog Collector, our CMS.

Mapping

• Mateusz Konieczny is proposing a mechanical edit to retag building=building as building=yes.
• A proposal to deprecate the socket:tesla_supercharger=* and socket:tesla_destination=* tags is currently open for voting until 23:59 UTC Wednesday 25 June.

Community

• ^[1] The OpenStreetMap Japan community hosted ► a mapping party in Kamiooka, Yokohama City, on Saturday 24 May. Equipped with Field Papers for on-site surveying and a 3D-printed terrain model from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. Participants set out to explore the area’s distinctive topography, including its cliffs and sloping landscapes.
• Anne-Karoline Distel recently journeyed along the Barrow Navigation, an inland waterway system in Ireland centred around the River Barrow, capturing water-level imagery with a GoPro to document the route and upload the visuals to Mapillary and Panoramax.
• In episode 177 of the Deep Dive podcast Robin Boldt, founder of the motorcycle-focused navigation app Kurviger, discussed how the platform leverages GraphHopper and OpenStreetMap to deliver highly personalised route planning.
• Jiri Podhorecky explained ► both the historical and modern features shaping the Meadows of South Bohemia, highlighting old drainage ditches, land reclamation, and newly established ponds. These elements reflect two contrasting trends, firstly the historical drive to drain wet meadows for intensive agriculture, and now a growing effort to restore natural water retention through the creation of new ponds and wetlands and the revitalisation of old ditches to boost biodiversity and improve the landscape’s resilience. Jiri also presented the relevant OpenStreetMap tags for documenting these features.
• Secarateratur used ► BRouter and OpenStreetMap road network data to analyse and compare several alternative walking routes.

OpenStreetMap Foundation

• Nominations for the 2025 OpenStreetMap Awards are now open and can be submitted, via the official OSM Awards website, until Wednesday 23 July.

Local chapter news

• The Swiss OpenStreetMap community has officially launched its presence on LinkedIn, marking a new step in its outreach and engagement efforts.

Events

• State of the Map 2025, to be hosted in Manila in October, now has tickets available for purchase.

Maps

• Vespucci reported that Microsoft plans to discontinue its Bing Maps services by the end of June 2025 (except iD editor).

Software

• Andrii Holovin has developed the OSM Diff State Finder, a web-based tool that allows users to locate OpenStreetMap replication state files by timestamp. Peter Körner has also built a similar application.
• OpenStreetMap US Tech Lead Quincy Morgan introduced Layercake, a set of thematic extracts (buildings, transportation, etc.) from OpenStreetMap data in a cloud-native file format that is easy to use with software ranging from DuckDB to QGIS.
• You can see an web map about streets in Belém (Pará, Brazil) made with JavaScript, OSM, and Leaflet.

Programming

• Mapbox has launched mcp-server, a Node.js-based implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects AI language model agents to Mapbox’s APIs. This enables them to access Mapbox’s spatial intelligence, understand and reason about locations, navigate the physical world, and leverage geospatial data.
• vbrene is currently developing a JOSM plugin aimed at simplifying the tagging of bicycle and pedestrian paths in Germany and is now seeking input on some tagging inconsistencies in the wiki.

Releases

• CoMaps is being rapidly developed further. A new APK for Android was released on 10 June (f-droid). The group is still looking for iOS developers.
• LastUpdated version 1.9 has been released.
• The Android app osm2gmaps, which converts links from apps like Organic Maps and OSMAnd to proprietary map formats, has just released version 0.5.19.

Did you know that …

• … you can generate a Public Transport Line Diagram using the Overpass API?
• … Walter Nordmann’s ‘Wambacher’s OSM software list’ is a constantly updated compilation of the many software products that are important in the OSM environment and is indispensable for an OSM newcomer?

Other “geo” things

• Students from the Institute of Geography at Heidelberg University have conducted a study to examine how residents perceive urban heat in the city’s historic old town. Using the Sketch Map Tool, a participatory offline mapping method, the team collected data from 19 local participants who marked perceived hot spots in red and cool areas in blue on printed maps, which were then digitised, georeferenced, and analysed to understand spatial variations in thermal perception.
• Der Standard’s Michael Windisch reported that following the recent acquisition of route planner app Komoot, 75 percent of the company’s staff have been laid off, with further cuts expected. In a video message released at the end of May, the departing team bid farewell and hinted at future plans to build ‘something even bigger, even better’, suggesting the possible launch of a competing product.
• The QGIS for hydrological applications course, developed by Hans van der Kwast and Kurt Menke, was translated into Portuguese by Hermínio Sabino and is the basis of the self-learning platform, which is publicly accessible. The content has also been translated into French and Spanish .
• The Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), through the Foundation for Science and Technology (Portugal), maintains the Repositório Científico da CPLP, available ► publicly and with more than two million records, including articles about OpenStreetMap.
• Kefiijrw detailed the recent Yandex Maps redesign, highlighting significant changes to road visuals, which now feature detailed markings and have shifted from the familiar yellow to grey, reflecting a move toward greater realism over abstraction.

Upcoming Events

Country	Where	Venue	What	Online	When
	Tours	Université de Tours, Campus des 2 Lions-Portalis	State of the Map France 2025		2025-06-13 – 2025-06-15
	Besançon	Le 97	Apér’OSM Bourgogne-Franche-Comté		2025-06-14
		Tasarım Atölyesi Kadıköy	Using OpenStreetMap API with Laravel – Laravel İstanbul Meetup		2025-06-15
	Jalpaiguri	Kadamtala More (towards Beguntari)	3rd OpenStreetMap West Bengal Mapping Party		2025-06-15
	Grenoble	La Turbine Coop	Atelier de juin du groupe local de Grenoble		2025-06-16
			Missing Maps London: (Online) Mid-Month Mapathon [eng]		2025-06-17
	Bonn	Dotty’s	188. OSM-Stammtisch Bonn		2025-06-17
		Online	Lüneburger Mappertreffen	✓	2025-06-17
			Missing Maps – DRK & MSF Online Mapathon		2025-06-18
	Karlsruhe	Chiang Mai	Stammtisch Karlsruhe		2025-06-18
		online	Meeting of the Catalan Association of the OSM	✓	2025-06-18
	Boston	Boston, Massachusetts, US	State of the Map US		2025-06-19 – 2025-06-21
		France Service Pays des Ecrins	Atelier cartopartie – Pays des Ecrins		2025-06-19
	Cuenca	Online	Mappy Hour OSM España	✓	2025-06-19
	Verona	311 Verona, Verona	MERGE-it 2025		2025-06-20 – 2025-06-22
	Potsdam	freiLand – machBar (Haus 5)	Jugendhackt: OpenStreetMap – die Welt für alle auffindbar machen (12–18 Jahre)		2025-06-20
	Navi Mumbai	Remiges Technologies, Ghansoli, Navi Mumbai	OpenStreetMap workshop at FOSS Meetup Mumbai		2025-06-21
bi	Rumonge	Online	OSM Africa June 2025 Mapathon – Map Burundi	✓	2025-06-21
	Siliguri	Kanchenjunga Stadium	4th OpenStreetMap West Bengal Mapping Party		2025-06-22
	Mumbai Suburban	Chembur	3rd OpenStreetMap Mumbai Mapping Party		2025-06-22
	Hannover	Kuriosum	OSM-Stammtisch Hannover		2025-06-23
	Montréal	Parc Angrignon	Parc Angrignon Mapathon		2025-06-24
	London	UCL, Gower Street, Chadwick Building Room G04	London Climate Action Week Mapathon		2025-06-24
	San Jose	Online	South Bay Map Night	✓	2025-06-25
	Vogtei	Online BigBlueButton	OSM Radinfra-Mapathon #2		2025-06-24
		Office de tourisme du Seignanx	Rencontre groupe local Mapadour		2025-06-25
	Amsterdam	TomTom HQ	Maptime Amsterdam: Summertime Meetup		2025-06-25
	London	Parcel Yard pub	London pub meet-up		2025-06-25
			[Online] OpenStreetMap Foundation board of Directors – public videomeeting		2025-06-26
	Düsseldorf	Online bei https://meet.jit.si/OSM-DUS-2025	Düsseldorfer OpenStreetMap-Treffen (online)		2025-06-27
		Shahdara शाहदरा	18th OpenStreetMap Delhi Mapping Meetup 18वीं ओपनस्ट्रीटमैप दिल्ली मैपिंग मीटअप		2025-06-29

Note:
If you like to see your event here, please put it into the OSM calendar. Only data which is there, will appear in weeklyOSM.

This weeklyOSM was produced by Fiszi37, LuxuryCoop, MatthiasMatthias, PierZen, Raquel Dezidério Souto, Strubbl, Andrew Davidson, barefootstache, derFred.
We welcome link suggestions for the next issue via this form and look forward to your contributions.

In wikis, redirects are special pages that silently take readers from the page they are visiting to another page. Although their presence is noted in tiny gray text (see the image below) most people use them all the time and never know they exist. Redirects exist to make linking between pages easier, they populate Wikipedia’s search autocomplete list, and are generally helpful in organizing information. In the English Wikipedia, redirects make up more than half of all article pages.

Over the years, I’ve spent some time contributing to to Redirects for Discussion (RfD). I think of RfD as like an ultra-low stakes version of Articles for Deletion where Wikipedians decide whether to delete or keep articles. If a redirect is deleted, viewers are taken to a search results page and almost nobody notices. That said, because redirects are almost never viewed directly, almost nobody notices if a redirect is kept either!

I’ve told people that if they want to understand the soul of a Wikipedian, they should spend time participating in RfD. When you understand why arguing about and working hard to come to consensus solutions for how Wikipedia should handle individual redirects is an enjoyable way to spend your spare time — where any outcome is invisible — you understand what it means to be a Wikipedian.

That said, wiki researchers rarely take redirects into account. For years, I’ve suspected that accounting for redirects was important for Wikipedia research and that several classes of findings were noisy or misleading because most people haven’t done so. As a result, I worked with my colleague Aaron Shaw at Northwestern earlier this year to build a longitudinal dataset of redirects that can capture the dynamic nature of redirects. Our work was published as a short paper at OpenSym several months ago.

It turns out, taking redirects into account correctly (especially if you are looking at activity over time) is tricky because redirects are stored as normal pages by MediaWiki except that they happen to start with special redirect text. Like other pages, redirects can be updated and changed over time are frequently are. As a result, taking redirects into account for any study that looks at activity over time requires looking at the text of every revision of every page.

Using our dataset, Aaron and I showed that the distribution of edits across pages in English Wikipedia (a relationships that is used in many research projects) looks pretty close to log normal when we remove redirects and very different when you don’t. After all, half of articles are really just redirects and, and because they are just redirects, these “articles” are almost never edited.

Another puzzling finding that’s been reported in a few places — and that I repeated myself several times — is that edits and views are surprisingly uncorrelated. I’ll write more about this later but the short version is that we found that a big chunk of this can, in fact, be explained by considering redirects.

We’ve published our code and data and the article itself is online because we paid the ACM’s open access fee to ransom the article.

I recently finished a paper that presents a novel social computing system called the Wikipedia Adventure. The system was a gamified tutorial for new Wikipedia editors. Working with the tutorial creators, we conducted both a survey of its users and a randomized field experiment testing its effectiveness in encouraging subsequent contributions. We found that although users loved it, it did not affect subsequent participation rates.

A major concern that many online communities face is how to attract and retain new contributors. Despite it’s success, Wikipedia is no different. In fact, researchers have shown that after experiencing a massive initial surge in activity, the number of active editors on Wikipedia has been in slow decline since 2007.

Research has attributed a large part of this decline to the hostile environment that newcomers experience when begin contributing. New editors often attempt to make contributions which are subsequently reverted by more experienced editors for not following Wikipedia’s increasingly long list of rules and guidelines for effective participation.

This problem has led many researchers and Wikipedians to wonder how to more effectively onboard newcomers to the community. How do you ensure that new editors Wikipedia quickly gain the knowledge they need in order to make contributions that are in line with community norms?

To this end, Jake Orlowitz and Jonathan Morgan from the Wikimedia Foundation worked with a team of Wikipedians to create a structured, interactive tutorial called The Wikipedia Adventure. The idea behind this system was that new editors would be invited to use it shortly after creating a new account on Wikipedia, and it would provide a step-by-step overview of the basics of editing.

The Wikipedia Adventure was designed to address issues that new editors frequently encountered while learning how to contribute to Wikipedia. It is structured into different ‘missions’ that guide users through various aspects of participation on Wikipedia, including how to communicate with other editors, how to cite sources, and how to ensure that edits present a neutral point of view. The sequence of the missions gives newbies an overview of what they need to know instead of having to figure everything out themselves. Additionally, the theme and tone of the tutorial sought to engage new users, rather than just redirecting them to the troves of policy pages.

Those who play the tutorial receive automated badges on their user page for every mission they complete. This signals to veteran editors that the user is acting in good-faith by attempting to learn the norms of Wikipedia.

Once the system was built, we were interested in knowing whether people enjoyed using it and found it helpful. So we conducted a survey asking editors who played the Wikipedia Adventure a number of questions about its design and educational effectiveness. Overall, we found that users had a very favorable opinion of the system and found it useful.

We were heartened by these results. We’d sought to build an orientation system that was engaging and educational, and our survey responses suggested that we succeeded on that front. This led us to ask the question – could an intervention like the Wikipedia Adventure help reverse the trend of a declining editor base on Wikipedia? In particular, would exposing new editors to the Wikipedia Adventure lead them to make more contributions to the community?

To find out, we conducted a field experiment on a population of new editors on Wikipedia. We identified 1,967 newly created accounts that passed a basic test of making good-faith edits. We then randomly invited 1,751 of these users via their talk page to play the Wikipedia Adventure. The rest were sent no invitation. Out of those who were invited, 386 completed at least some portion of the tutorial.

We were interested in knowing whether those we invited to play the tutorial (our treatment group) and those we didn’t (our control group) contributed differently in the first six months after they created accounts on Wikipedia. Specifically, we wanted to know whether there was a difference in the total number of edits they made to Wikipedia, the number of edits they made to talk pages, and the average quality of their edits as measured by content persistence.

We conducted two kinds of analyses on our dataset. First, we estimated the effect of inviting users to play the Wikipedia Adventure on our three outcomes of interest. Second, we estimated the effect of playing the Wikipedia Adventure, conditional on having been invited to do so, on those same outcomes.

To our surprise, we found that in both cases there were no significant effects on any of the outcomes of interest. Being invited to play the Wikipedia Adventure therefore had no effect on new users’ volume of participation either on Wikipedia in general, or on talk pages specifically, nor did it have any effect on the average quality of edits made by the users in our study. Despite the very positive feedback that the system received in the survey evaluation stage, it did not produce a significant change in newcomer contribution behavior. We concluded that the system by itself could not reverse the trend of newcomer attrition on Wikipedia.

Why would a system that was received so positively ultimately produce no aggregate effect on newcomer participation? We’ve identified a few possible reasons. One is that perhaps a tutorial by itself would not be sufficient to counter hostile behavior that newcomers might experience from experienced editors. Indeed, the friendly, welcoming tone of the Wikipedia Adventure might contrast with strongly worded messages that new editors receive from veteran editors or bots. Another explanation might be that users enjoyed playing the Wikipedia Adventure, but did not enjoy editing Wikipedia. After all, the two activities draw on different kinds of motivations. Finally, the system required new users to choose to play the tutorial. Maybe people who chose to play would have gone on to edit in similar ways without the tutorial.

Ultimately, this work shows us the importance of testing systems outside of lab studies. The Wikipedia Adventure was built by community members to address known gaps in the onboarding process, and our survey showed that users responded well to its design.

While it would have been easy to declare victory at that stage, the field deployment study painted a different picture. Systems like the Wikipedia Adventure may inform the design of future orientation systems. That said, more profound changes to the interface or modes of interaction between editors might also be needed to increase contributions from newcomers.

This blog post, and the open access paper that it describes, is a collaborative project with Sneha Narayan, Jake Orlowitz, Jonathan Morgan, and Aaron Shaw. Financial support came from the US National Science Foundation (grants IIS-1617129 and IIS-1617468), Northwestern University, and the University of Washington. We also published all the data and code necessary to reproduce our analysis in a repository in the Harvard Dataverse. Sneha posted the material in this blog post over on the Community Data Science Collective Blog.

The International Symposium on Open Collaboration (OpenSym, formerly WikiSym) is the premier academic venue exclusively focused on scholarly research into open collaboration. OpenSym is an ACM conference which means that, like conferences in computer science, it’s really more like a journal that gets published once a year than it is like most social science conferences. The “journal”, in this case, is called the Proceedings of the International Symposium on Open Collaboration and it consists of final copies of papers which are typically also presented at the conference. Like journal articles, papers that are published in the proceedings are not typically published elsewhere.

Along with Claudia Müller-Birn from the Freie Universtät Berlin, I served as the Program Chair for OpenSym 2017. For the social scientists reading this, the role of program chair is similar to being an editor for a journal. My job was not to organize keynotes or logistics at the conference—that is the job of the General Chair. Indeed, in the end I didn’t even attend the conference! Along with Claudia, my role as Program Chair was to recruit submissions, recruit reviewers, coordinate and manage the review process, make final decisions on papers, and ensure that everything makes it into the published proceedings in good shape.

In OpenSym 2017, we made several changes to the way the conference has been run:

• In previous years, OpenSym had tracks on topics like free/open source software, wikis, open innovation, open education, and so on. In 2017, we used a single track model.
• Because we eliminated tracks, we also eliminated track-level chairs. Instead, we appointed Associate Chairs or ACs.
• We eliminated page limits and the distinction between full papers and notes.
• We allowed authors to write rebuttals before reviews were finalized. Reviewers and ACs were allowed to modify their reviews and decisions based on rebuttals.
• To assist in assigning papers to ACs and reviewers, we made extensive use of bidding. This means we had to recruit the pool of reviewers before papers were submitted.

Although each of these things have been tried in other conferences, or even piloted within individual tracks in OpenSym, all were new to OpenSym in general.

Overview

The program was similar in size to the ones in the last 2-3 years in terms of the number of submissions. OpenSym is a small but mature and stable venue for research on open collaboration. This year was also similar, although slightly more competitive, in terms of the conference acceptance rate (45%—it had been slightly above 50% in previous years).

As in recent years, there were more posters presented than submitted because the PC found that some rejected work, although not ready to be published in the proceedings, was promising and advanced enough to be presented as a poster at the conference. Authors of posters submitted 4-page extended abstracts for their projects which were published in a “Companion to the Proceedings.”

Topics

Over the years, OpenSym has established a clear set of niches. Although we eliminated tracks, we asked authors to choose from a set of categories when submitting their work. These categories are similar to the tracks at OpenSym 2016. Interestingly, a number of authors selected more than one category. This would have led to difficult decisions in the old track-based system.

The figure above shows a breakdown of papers in terms of these categories as well as indicators of how many papers in each group were accepted. Papers in multiple categories are counted multiple times. Research on FLOSS and Wikimedia/Wikipedia continue to make up a sizable chunk of OpenSym’s submissions and publications. That said, these now make up a minority of total submissions. Although Wikipedia and Wikimedia research made up a smaller proportion of the submission pool, it was accepted at a higher rate. Also notable is the fact that 2017 saw an uptick in the number of papers on open innovation. I suspect this was due, at least in part, to work by the General Chair Lorraine Morgan’s involvement (she specializes in that area). Somewhat surprisingly to me, we had a number of submission about Bitcoin and blockchains. These are natural areas of growth for OpenSym but have never been a big part of work in our community in the past.

Scores and Reviews

As in previous years, review was single blind in that reviewers’ identities are hidden but authors identities are not. Each paper received between 3 and 4 reviews plus a metareview by the Associate Chair assigned to the paper. All papers received 3 reviews but ACs were encouraged to call in a 4th reviewer at any point in the process. In addition to the text of the reviews, we used a -3 to +3 scoring system where papers that are seen as borderline will be scored as 0. Reviewers scored papers using full-point increments.

The figure above shows scores for each paper submitted. The vertical grey lines reflect the distribution of scores where the minimum and maximum scores for each paper are the ends of the lines. The colored dots show the arithmetic mean for each score (unweighted by reviewer confidence). Colors show whether the papers were accepted, rejected, or presented as a poster. It’s important to keep in mind that two papers were submitted as posters.

Although Associate Chairs made the final decisions on a case-by-case basis, every paper that had an average score of less than 0 (the horizontal orange line) was rejected or presented as a poster and most (but not all) papers with positive average scores were accepted. Although a positive average score seemed to be a requirement for publication, negative individual scores weren’t necessary showstoppers. We accepted 6 papers with at least one negative score. We ultimately accepted 20 papers—45% of those submitted.

Rebuttals

This was the first time that OpenSym used a rebuttal or author response and we are thrilled with how it went. Although they were entirely optional, almost every team of authors used it! Authors of 40 of our 46 submissions (87%!) submitted rebuttals.

The table above shows how average scores changed after authors submitted rebuttals. The table shows that rebuttals’ effect was typically neutral or positive. Most average scores stayed the same but nearly two times as many average scores increased as decreased in the post-rebuttal period. We hope that this made the process feel more fair for authors and I feel, having read them all, that it led to improvements in the quality of final papers.

Page Lengths

In previous years, OpenSym followed most other venues in computer science by allowing submission of two kinds of papers: full papers which could be up to 10 pages long and short papers which could be up to 4. Following some other conferences, we eliminated page limits altogether. This is the text we used in the OpenSym 2017 CFP:

There is no minimum or maximum length for submitted papers. Rather, reviewers will be instructed to weigh the contribution of a paper relative to its length. Papers should report research thoroughly but succinctly: brevity is a virtue. A typical length of a “long research paper” is 10 pages (formerly the maximum length limit and the limit on OpenSym tracks), but may be shorter if the contribution can be described and supported in fewer pages— shorter, more focused papers (called “short research papers” previously) are encouraged and will be reviewed like any other paper. While we will review papers longer than 10 pages, the contribution must warrant the extra length. Reviewers will be instructed to reject papers whose length is incommensurate with the size of their contribution.

The following graph shows the distribution of page lengths across papers in our final program.

In the end 3 of 20 published papers (15%) were over 10 pages. More surprisingly, 11 of the accepted papers (55%) were below the old 10-page limit. Fears that some have expressed that page limits are the only thing keeping OpenSym from publshing enormous rambling manuscripts seems to be unwarranted—at least so far.

Bidding

Although, I won’t post any analysis or graphs, bidding worked well. With only two exceptions, every single assigned review was to someone who had bid “yes” or “maybe” for the paper in question and the vast majority went to people that had bid “yes.” However, this comes with one major proviso: people that did not bid at all were marked as “maybe” for every single paper.

Given a reviewer pool whose diversity of expertise matches that in your pool of authors, bidding works fantastically. But everybody needs to bid. The only problems with reviewers we had were with people that had failed to bid. It might be reviewers who don’t bid are less committed to the conference, more overextended, more likely to drop things in general, etc. It might also be that reviewers who fail to bid get poor matches which cause them to become less interested, willing, or able to do their reviews well and on time.

Having used bidding twice as chair or track-chair, my sense is that bidding is a fantastic thing to incorporate into any conference review process. The major limitations are that you need to build a program committee (PC) before the conference (rather than finding the perfect reviewers for specific papers) and you have to find ways to incentivize or communicate the importance of getting your PC members to bid.

Conclusions

The final results were a fantastic collection of published papers. Of course, it couldn’t have been possible without the huge collection of conference chairs, associate chairs, program committee members, external reviewers, and staff supporters.

Although we tried quite a lot of new things, my sense is that nothing we changed made things worse and many changes made things smoother or better. Although I’m not directly involved in organizing OpenSym 2018, I am on the OpenSym steering committee. My sense is that most of the changes we made are going to be carried over this year.

Finally, it’s also been announced that OpenSym 2018 will be in Paris on August 22-24. The call for papers should be out soon and the OpenSym 2018 paper deadline has already been announced as March 15, 2018. You should consider submitting! I hope to see you in Paris!

This Analysis

OpenSym used the gratis version of EasyChair to manage the conference which doesn’t allow chairs to export data. As a result, data used in this this postmortem was scraped from EasyChair using two Python scripts. Numbers and graphs were created using a knitr file that combines R visualization and analysis code with markdown to create the HTML directly from the datasets. I’ve made all the code I used to produce this analysis available in this git repository. I hope someone else finds it useful. Because the data contains sensitive information on the review process, I’m not publishing the data.

This blog post was originally posted on the Community Data Science Collective blog.

Wikipedia is coming up on its 25th birthday, and that would not have been possible without the Wikimedia technical volunteer community. Supporting technical volunteers is crucial to carrying forward Wikimedia’s free knowledge mission for generations to come. In line with this commitment, the Foundation is turning its attention to an important area of developer support—the Wikimedia web (HTTP) APIs. 

Both Wikimedia and the Internet have changed a lot over the last 25 years. Patterns that are now ubiquitous standards either didn’t exist or were still in their infancy as the first APIs allowing developers to extend features and automate tasks on Wikimedia projects emerged. In fact, the term “representational state transfer”, better known today as the REST framework, was first coined in 2000, just months before the very first Wikipedia post was published, and only 6 years before the Action API was introduced. Because we preceded what have since become industry standards, our most powerful and comprehensive API solution, the Action API, sticks out as being unlike other APIs – but for good reason, if you understand the history.

Wikimedia APIs are used within Foundation-authored features and by volunteer developers. A common sentiment surfaced through the recent API Listening Tour conducted with a mix of volunteers and Foundation staff is “Wikimedia APIs are great, once you know what you’re doing.” New developers first entering the Wikimedia community face a steep learning curve when trying to onboard due to unfamiliar technologies and complex APIs that may require a deep understanding of the underlying Wikimedia systems and processes. While recognizing the power, flexibility, and mission-critical value that developers created using the existing API solutions, we want to make it easier for developers to make more meaningful contributions faster. We have no plans to deprecate the Action API nor treat it as ‘legacy’. Instead, we hope to make it easier and more approachable for both new and experienced developers to use. We also aim to expand REST coverage to better serve developers who are more comfortable working in those structures.

We are focused on simplifying, modernizing, and standardizing Wikimedia API offerings as part of the Responsible Use of Infrastructure objective in the FY25-26 Annual Plan (see: the WE5.2 key result). Focusing on common infrastructure that encourages responsible use allows us to continue to prioritize reliable, free access to knowledge for the technical volunteer community, as well as the readers and contributors they support. Investing in our APIs and the developer experiences surrounding them will ensure a healthy technical community for years to come. To achieve these objectives, we see three main areas for improving the sustainability of our API offering: simplification, documentation, and communication.

Simplification

To reduce maintenance costs and ensure a seamless developer experience, we are simplifying our API infrastructure and bringing greater consistency across all APIs. Decades of organic growth without centralized API governance led to fragmented, bespoke implementations that now hinder technical agility and standardization. Beyond that, maintaining services is not free; we are paying for duplicative infrastructure costs, some of which are scaling directly with the amount of scraper traffic hitting our services.

In light of the above, we will focus on transitioning at least 70% of our public endpoints to common API infrastructure (see the WE 5.2 key result). Common infrastructure makes it easier to maintain and roll out changes across our APIs, in addition to empowering API authors to move faster. Instead of expecting API authors to build and manage their own solutions for things like routing and rate limiting, we will create centralized tools and processes that make it easier to follow the “golden path” of recommended standards. That will allow centralized governance mechanisms to drive more consistent and sustainable end-user experiences, while enabling flexible, federated API ownership. 

An example of simplified internal infrastructure will be introducing a common API Gateway for handling and routing all Wikimedia API requests. Our approach will start as an “invisible gateway” or proxy, with no changes to URL structure or functional behavior for any existing APIs. Centralizing API traffic will make observability across APIs easier, allowing us to make better data-driven decisions. We will use this data to inform endpoint deprecation and versioning, prioritize human and mission-oriented access first, and ultimately provide better support to our developer community.  

Centralized management and traffic identification will also allow us to have more consistent and transparent enforcement of our API policies. API policy enforcement enables us to protect our infrastructure and ensure continued access for all. Once API traffic is rerouted through a centralized gateway, we will explore simplifying options for developer identification mechanisms and standardizing how rate limits and other API access controls are applied. The goal is to make it easier for all developers to know exactly what is expected and what limitations apply.

As we update our API usage policies and developer requirements, we will avoid breaking existing community tools as much as possible. We will continue offering low-friction entry points for volunteer developers experimenting with new ideas, lightly exploring data, or learning to build in the Wikimedia ecosystem. But we must balance support for community creativity and innovation with the need to reduce abuse, such as scraping, Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, and other harmful activities. While open, unauthenticated API access for everyone will continue, we will need to make adjustments. To reduce the likelihood and impact of abuse, we may apply stricter rate limits to unauthenticated traffic and more consistent authentication requirements to better match our documented API policy, Robot policy, and API etiquette guidelines, as well as consolidate per-API access guidelines to reduce the likelihood and impact of abuse.

To continue supporting Wikimedia’s technical volunteer community and minimize disruption to existing tools, community developers will have simple ways to identify themselves and receive higher limits or other access privileges. In many cases, this won’t require additional steps. For example, instead of universally requiring new access tokens or authentication methods, we plan to use IP ranges from Wikimedia Cloud Services (WMCS) and User-Agent headers to grant elevated privileges to trusted community tools, approved bots, and research projects. 

Documentation

It is essential for any API to enable developers to self-serve their use cases through clear, consistent, and modern documentation experiences. However, Wikimedia API documentation is frequently spread across multiple wiki projects, generated sites, and communication channels, which can make it difficult for developers to find the information they need, when they need it. 

To address this, we are working towards a top-requested item coming out of the 2024 developer satisfaction survey: OpenAPI specs and interactive sandboxes for all of our APIs (including conducting experiments to see if we can use OpenAPI to describe the Action API). The MediaWiki Interfaces team began addressing this request through the REST Sandbox, which we released to a limited number of small Wikipedia projects on March 31, 2025. Our implementation approach allows us to generate an OpenAPI specification, which we then use to power a SwaggerUI sandbox. We are also using the OpenAPI specs to automatically validate our endpoints as part of our automated deployment testing, which helps ensure that the generated documentation always matches the actual endpoint behavior. 

In addition, the generated OpenAPI spec offers translation support (powered by Translatewiki) for critical and contextual information like endpoint and parameter descriptions. We believe this is a more equitable approach to API documentation for developers who don’t have English as their preferred language. In the coming year, we plan to transition from Swagger UI to a custom Codex implementation for our sandbox experiences, which will enable full translation support for sandbox UI labels and navigation, as well as a more consistent look and feel for Wikimedia developers. We will also expand coverage for OpenAPI specs and sandbox experiences by introducing repeatable patterns for API authors to publish their specs to a single location where developers can easily browse, learn, and make test calls across all Wikimedia API offerings. 

Communication

When new endpoints are released or breaking changes are required, we need a better way to keep developers informed. As information is shared through different channels, it can become challenging to keep track of the full picture. Over the next year, we will address this on a few fronts. 

First, from a technical change management perspective, we will introduce a centralized API changelog. The changelog will summarize new endpoints, as well as new versions, planned deprecations, and minor changes such as new optional parameters. This will help developers with troubleshooting, as well as help them to more easily understand and monitor the changes happening across the Wikimedia APIs.

In addition to the changelog, we remain committed to consistently communicating changes early and often. As another step towards this commitment, we will provide migration guides and, where needed, provide direct communication channels for developers impacted by the changes to help guarantee a smooth transition. Recognizing that the Wikimedia technical community is split across many smaller communities both on and off-wiki, we will share updates in the largest off-wiki communities, but we will need volunteer support in directing questions and feedback to the right on-wiki pages in various languages. We will also work with communities to make their purpose and audience clearer for new developers so they can more easily get support when they need it and join the discussion with fellow technical contributors. 

Over the next few months, we will also launch a new API beta program, where developers are invited to interact with new endpoints and provide feedback before the capabilities are locked into a long-term stable version. Introducing new patterns through a beta program will allow developers to directly shape the future of the Wikimedia APIs to better suit their needs. To demonstrate this pattern, we will start with changes to MediaWiki REST APIs, including introducing API modularization and consistent structures. 

What’s Next

We are still in the early stages – we are just making the first steps on the journey to a unified API product offering. But we hope that by this time next year, we will be running towards it together. Your involvement and insights can help us shape a future that better serves the technical volunteers behind our knowledge mission. To keep you informed, we will continue to post updates on mailing lists, Diff, TechBlog, and other technical volunteer communication channels. We also invite you to stay actively engaged: share your thoughts on the WE5 objective in the annual plan, ask questions on the related discussion pages, review slides from the Future of Wikimedia APIs session we conducted at the Wikimedia Hackathon, volunteer for upcoming Listening Tour topics, or come talk to us at upcoming events such as Wikimania Nairobi. 

Technical volunteers play an essential role in the growth and evolution of Wikipedia, as well as all other Wikimedia projects. Together, we can make a better experience for developers who can’t remember life before Wikipedia, and make sure that the next generation doesn’t have to live without it. Here’s to another 25 years! 

While Wiki Education works exclusively on English Wikipedia and with post-secondary institutions in the U.S. and Canada, did you know that we are part of a worldwide community of Wikipedia education programs? This year, we had the honor of participating in the EduWiki 2025 conference in Bogotá, Colombia from May 30th to June 1st. Defined by a spirit of learning, sharing, and collaboration, the conference drew education program leaders from around the globe. In attendance were Wiki Education’s Chief Programs Officer LiAnna Davis, Senior Program Manager Helaine Blumenthal, Wikipedia Expert Brianda Felix, and Communications and Outreach Coordinator Colleen McCoy.

In true Wikimedia fashion, the conference was marked by an exchange of knowledge and experience that bridged cultural divides, but also highlighted some of the individual challenges that different geographic regions face. Wiki Education had the chance to both share and learn in good measure. Helaine and Brianda had the opportunity to participate in a series of lightning talks, where conference attendees gave brief 3-4 minute presentations about different aspects of their educational work. Helaine spoke about Wiki Education’s efforts to tackle English Wikipedia’s knowledge equity gaps, while Brianda focused on the rapidly emerging place of generative AI in Wikipedia education programs. Helaine and Brianda also led a workshop which explored how to effectively scale a Wikipedia education program while also ensuring content quality and program satisfaction. Where Helaine and Brianda focused on Wiki Education’s programmatic work, LiAnna walked attendees through tips and tricks for using the Programs and Events Dashboard, the main tool used by education programs globally to facilitate and track a range of initiatives. Each presentation was marked by dialogue, curiosity, and a true mutual respect for the work being done in each geographic context.

Wiki Education’s Wikipedia Student Program in the U.S. and Canada is the largest of the Wikipedia education programs by far, but apart from our dramatic difference in size and scope, we quickly noted similarities between our work and the work of others across the globe. 

For example, it was clear from day one that we face many of the same challenges as our counterparts throughout the world. Whether we hope to reach students, teachers, librarians, or the local Wikipedia editing community, we’re all striving to increase participation in our programs. And we’re all concerned about the future of Wikipedia and open knowledge, and the role that generative AI will play in the way knowledge is produced, shared, and accessed. 

It would be insincere to entirely ignore the disparities in resources available to education programs based on geographic locale. The digital divide is profound, and greatly influences the reach of many Wikipedia education programs. The conference did not seek to deny these differences, nor did it strive to make them the centerpiece of the gathering. As a result, program participants were able to engage in exchanges that were honest, open, and informative.

EduWiki is not your typical conference – as many impactful exchanges happened over meals and coffee as they did during conference presentations. Conference attendees ate almost every meal together and embarked on an outing to Bogotá’s Museo del Oro (Gold Museum), followed by dinner at Andrés DC, where we all got a real taste of Colombian nightlife. We made new colleagues as well as friends, and the conversations we began in Bogotá will undoubtedly continue well beyond the conference.

Thank you to Wikimedia Colombia and to the Wikipedia & Education User Group for organizing this incredible event, and for welcoming the global education community with warmth, respect, and true collaboration.

We’re excited to announce the launch of Wiki Loves Earth 2025, the global photography competition dedicated to showcasing the stunning natural landscapes and protected areas around the world. Since its inception in 2013, Wiki Loves Earth has celebrated the beauty and diversity of our planet, encouraging photographers of all levels to share their most captivating images of national parks, nature reserves, and UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or an enthusiastic beginner, this is your chance to contribute to the Wikimedia Commons community and help document the world’s natural wonders. From lush forests and towering mountains to pristine lakes and vibrant wildlife, your photos can inspire awareness and conservation efforts worldwide.

For the first time, England will be participating in this year’s competition alongside Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

By taking part in Wiki Loves Earth, you can help celebrate and showcase the beauty of the United Kingdom’s varied landscapes and wildlife, have your photos seen and recognised at an international level, contribute to open and free knowledge, and provide a visual document of the changes happening in the natural environment in the UK.

Last year, nearly 5000 images were submitted in the UK, many of which have been used to illustrate articles across all language Wikipedias like this one on the German Wikipedia and this one on the English Wikipedia. 

While many of the places you can photograph will be open to the public, please do check if they are accessible before travelling as some areas may be closed and interacting with wildlife may be discouraged at particular times of the year.

You can submit as many images as you want, and as long as you are the photographer and the photos are uploaded in June and July it doesn’t matter when they were taken. There are prizes at both country and international level for the winners. Judges will determine the winners of the contest by taking into consideration the following criteria (in no particular order):

• Technical quality (sharpness, use of light, perspective etc.);
• Originality;
• Usefulness of the image for Wikipedia.

If you’re looking for some inspiration or just want to have a visual feast, you can see last year’s winners from Wales here and Scotland here. 

There are prizes available, including £100 for the winning photograph of a place in the UK.

Read more about Wiki Loves Earth 2025 and how to participate in your nation below:

• Wales 
• England
• Scotland 
• Northern Ireland

The post Discover the beauty of our planet: Wiki Loves Earth 2025 is here! appeared first on WMUK.

• Albania report: Enhancing the LGBTQ+ content in Albanian Wikipedia
• Belgium report: Belgium Public Domain Day and Dance Heritage
• Brazil report: Video resource on Wikimedia Brasil and Casa de Oswaldo Cruz Partnership Released
• Croatia report: SPRINGing back activities
• Czech Republic report: National Library of the CR events and important guests
• Europe report: DARIAH DHwiki WG coming activity
• India report: GLAM project starts with Nanda Talukdar Foundation at Jorhat, Assam
• Indonesia report: GLAM Wiki Month 2025 in Indonesia
• Italy report: From charts to concrete
• Kosovo report: Traditional Albanian Food Photography Competition 2025
• New Zealand report: Update from Auckland Museum; Let the Wikifying Commence; Listful Thinking
• Nigeria report: Architectural Folklore Campaign Series
• Poland report: What’s up in GLAM in Poland
• Serbia report: Celebrating Museums and strengthening #1Lib1Ref connections
• Spain report: Some news from Spain
• Switzerland report: International Museum Day 2025; CoCreation PTT-Archive; Scoring Girls
• UK report: The 18th language
• Ukraine report: Spring GLAM news from Ukraine – first major survey for GLAM institutions & yet another successful #1Lib1Ref
• USA report: May meetings
• Biodiversity Heritage Library report: BHL-Wiki Working Group May monthly highlights
• Memory of the World report: Preparing the data upload
• Calendar: June’s GLAM events

Filter and explore your Wikibase data via our new MediaWiki extension!

We are proud to announce the immediate availability of a faceted search experience for Wikibase. The new Wikibase Faceted Search extension enhances the standard search page with filtering capabilities and user-friendly UIs.

Capabilities

Filter search results by Statement values via the facet UI or by Item type via the tabs.

You can build complex queries by selecting multiple values for the same property or different properties, including range queries, conjunctions (AND) and disjunctions (OR).

Combine full-text search with structured search on Statements. Such combined queries are not supported by WikibaseCirrusSearch or by Blazegraph/SPARQL. Combining structured and full-text search is ideal for wikis with "display pages" that provide a user-friendly view on Wikibase Items via rendered wikitext.

Customize your facet UI and configure Wikibase Faceted Search via the on-wiki configuration UI. No server access or PHP configuration needed.

The extension is mobile friendly.

Learn more via the Wikibase Faceted Search documentation.

Professional Wikibase Services

Get started quickly with Wikibase via Wikibase hosting or professional Wikibase services.

At Professional Wiki, we have unparalleled Wikibase expertise. Leverage our experts for anything from high-level strategic advice to secure configuration of Single Sign-On. Contact Wikibase experts.

On the eve of the next Wiki Education Speaker Series, we’re looking back at the powerful conversation between our most recent panelists, each bringing their professional and personal passions to improving a content area all too often neglected on Wikipedia and beyond.

Moderated by Wiki Education’s Senior Program Manager Helaine Blumenthal, the panel of scholars and advocates gathered virtually to shed light on the ongoing efforts to expand and enhance disability-related information on Wikipedia.

“We know that when you can better inform families and their loved ones that experience disability, it results in better healthcare,” said panelist Ryan Easterly, Executive Director of the WITH Foundation. “We’ve all been to a doctor’s office, not understood something they’ve said to us, and turned to Wikipedia. Our support of this work acknowledges that, and acknowledges what a powerful tool Wikipedia is when it comes to healthcare information.”

Thanks to a strategic partnership grant from the WITH Foundation, Wiki Education continues to build upon efforts to improve and expand Wikipedia’s coverage of healthcare for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This initiative includes a series of Wiki Scientists courses that teaches experts in intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD) healthcare, including adults with lived experience of I/DD, to contribute their expertise to Wikipedia. 

One such expert is Diana Boling, a registered nurse and professor at Xavier University College of Nursing, who shared her experience learning to edit Wikipedia as a Wiki Scientists course participant herself. 

“Much of my [Wikipedia] journey has been fueled by curiosity,” Boling explained. “Where can I show up better? How can I be a better nurse? How can I be a better neighbor or human?” 

Echoing Easterly’s reflection of Wikipedia’s real-world influence, Boling emphasized the critical connection between Wikipedia, scholarship, and lived experience.

“As many of us know as scholars, our textbooks don’t always capture information in the most accurate or useful ways,” said Boling. “Educators, particularly nurses and other healthcare providers, need to be educated about how we can leverage Wikipedia. And hopefully folks with lived experiences are contributing to it, which can then help healthcare providers reach their patients in meaningful ways rather than in stereotypical, less effective, or sometimes even alienating ways.”

As an early editor of Wikipedia, the first blind administrator on English Wikipedia, and now the technology program lead at the Braille Institute, panelist Skylar Covich has brought his own lived experience and expertise to the online encyclopedia for many years. His contributions include article creation and improvements for notable individuals within blind culture, organizations for the blind, and access technology for the blind.

Covich also encouraged individuals with lived experience to review the Wikipedia articles related to their own conditions and help fill the gaps.

“There are things that could be added about the experiences of what it’s like [to have these conditions] that are less in the medical field and more in the cultural field,” Covich noted. “The references are out there, it just takes effort.”

Panelist Terri Hlava’s students are more than familiar with the research efforts needed to contribute to Wikipedia – the Arizona State University professor has incorporated a Wikipedia assignment into her Policy Advocacy and Disability courses in the School of Social Transformation, as well as the course Justice and Disability: The Social Construction of Disability.

“[The assignment] has been just tremendous for team building, trust building, community building, and knowledge building throughout the process,” said Hlava. “We always have presentations at the end of class, and it’s really been lovely to see the students have so much confidence in what they’re saying and be so proud of what they’ve done.”

Hlava loves the moment where her students realize the scope and reach of their work on Wikipedia.

“We go online as a class, and they see how many zillions of times their articles have been looked at,” said Hlava. “And then without fail, their jaws dropped to the floor and they gasp in amazement. I love that for them.”

As the webinar reached its end, the panelists were asked to share what made them hopeful for the future of disability representation on Wikipedia. Easterly emphasized opportunities to engage new editors, Covich acknowledged the historic growth of Wikipedia’s coverage in this topic area, and Hlava and Boling shared that the panel discussion itself gave them hope.

“Opportunities like this to share, to educate, and to travel the landscape together more often and more deeply,” answered Hlava.  

Catch up on our Speaker Series on our YouTube channel and join us for our next webinar tomorrow, June 10!

Gaps & Growth: Enhancing Latino/x/é and Latin American content on Wikipedia

Tuesday, June 10, 2025
9:30am Pacific / 12:30pm Eastern
REGISTRATION

Live interpretation from English to Spanish will be available to attendees during this webinar.

Brechas y crecimiento: Mejorando el contenido latino/x/é y latinoamericano en Wikipedia

Martes, 10 de junio, 2025
9:30am Pacífico / 12:30pm Este
INSCRIPCIÓN

Interested in incorporating a Wikipedia assignment into your course? Visit teach.wikiedu.org to learn more about the free resources, digital tools, and staff support that Wiki Education offers to postsecondary instructors in the United States and Canada. 

Visit learn.wikiedu.org to explore our editing courses for subject matter experts.