CEE/Newsletter/May 2024
Editorial
Welcome to the May 2024 edition of the CEE Newsletter! This issue captures the vibrant activities and achievements of the Wikimedia communities across Central and Eastern Europe, showcasing the collective efforts of volunteers, user groups, and affiliates in promoting free knowledge and fostering collaboration.
- International Updates
Stay informed with the "Wikimedia International Update Corner," where Maciej Nadzikiewicz and Toni Ristovski provide an overview of the exciting events and initiatives happening in the international Wikimedia space throughout 2024. From global conferences to regional collaborations, there's a lot to look forward to this year.
- CEE in the News
Our communities continue to make headlines! Toni Ristovski summarizes notable mentions of CEE region activities in "This month in Education" and "This month in GLAM" newsletters. Discover how our initiatives are making an impact beyond our borders.
- Reader’s Digest
Catch up on the latest insights and stories from around the globe with the "Reader’s Digest". This section highlights key articles from the Diff blog, ensuring you're up-to-date with the broader Wikimedia movement.
- Open Calls and Consultations
Your voice matters! Check out the "Open Calls and Consultations", where you can contribute your opinions and feedback on various Wikimedia topics currently open for discussion.
- Updates from Communities
Public Policy Work in Poland: Maciej Nadzikiewicz shares how a group of Wikimedia volunteers is advocating for fair and inclusive internet regulations in Poland.
Wiki Loves Earth Czechia: Hynek Kaplan invites everyone to witness the beauty of Czech landscapes through the second edition of the Wiki Loves Earth Czechia contest.
Recognition of Wikimedia Community User Group Cyprus: Celebrate the milestone achievement of the Wikimedia Community User Group Cyprus, now officially recognized as a User Group by the Affiliations Committee.
Wikimedia Serbia Activities: Gorana Gomirac (VMRS) reports on the extensive collaborations and events organized by Wikimedia Serbia, including preparations for the upcoming Wikilive conference.
- Special Highlights
Wikimedia Czech Republic's Advocacy: Vlastmil Slovák discusses Wikimedia Czech Republic's participation in an open letter to the UN, advocating for the protection of open and decentralized online platforms.
Wiki Loves Earth 2024: Olesia Lukaniuk provides updates on the latest edition of the largest photo contest devoted to natural heritage.
Women’s Month on Czech Wikipedia: Jan Beránek celebrates the creation of 382 new articles during Wikipedia’s Women’s Month.
- Community Spotlight
International Roma Day Editathon: Vyolltsa highlights the efforts in Albania and Kosovo to write and improve articles on the Roma community.
WikiLive in Serbia: Toni Ristovski reports on the eighth conference of Wikipedians from Serbia and nearby countries, focusing on discussions about content quality and the impact of generative AI tools. Events and Workshops
Wiki Photo Workshop in Tashkent: Екатерина Борисова shares the success of the photo workshop aimed at improving the quality of photographs uploaded by Wikimedians in Uzbekistan.
Summer of Wikivoyage Editathon in Kruja: Vyolltsa covers the event organized by the Wikimedians of Albanian Language User Group, promoting collaborative editing in Kruja, Albania.
We hope you enjoy this issue and find inspiration in the diverse and impactful stories from our CEE communities. Thank you for being a part of this journey toward promoting free knowledge and collaboration.
Happy reading!
Jan Beránek
editor of the CEE Newsleter
What will be going on in the international Wikimedia Space for the rest of the year? Let's have a look at the news and events that will happen in 2024!
- Current contests
- Wiki Loves Earth 2024 (1 May-31 July 2024) - an annual international photographic competition held throughout May and July, organised worldwide by Wikimedia chapters, groups, and local Wikipedia volunteers. Participants take pictures of local natural heritage and scenic landscapes in their countries and upload them to Wikimedia Commons. For all participating countries, there are separate competitions organized by local teams, so periods, rules, prizes, etc., might differ a bit.
- Wikimedia CEE Spring 2024 (21 March-31 May 2024) - last week of the biggest writing contest in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. You can translate the article about Hasanpaşa Gasworks (Müze Gazhane), the venue of our Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2024, into your own language before the end of CEE Spring :)
- #1Lib1Ref (15 May-5 June 2024) — abbreviated for one librarian, one reference — calls on librarians around the world, and anyone who has a passion for free knowledge, to add missing references to articles on Wikipedia.
- WikiForHumanRights (May-July 2024) — campaign to make sure that everyone has access to neutral, fact-based, and current information for a sustainable future that centers human rights, including topics like the Right to a Healthy Environment and other human rights.
- Past meetings & conferences in 2024
- Wikimedia Summit 2024 (19-21 April 2024) - The Wikimedia Summit is the place for Affiliates and the Wikimedia Foundation to come together to discuss the future of the Wikimedia Movement. The Wikimedia Summit 2024 will focus on how the Movement is governed: how and at what level we make decisions about money, technology, strategy, and affiliates, and how that is written in the movement charter. You can find documentation from the summit along with the recordings on Commons.
- Global Wiki Advocacy Meet-up (2-5 May 2024) - Wikimedia Chile used this unique opportunity to host first global wiki meeting in Santiago as a side event of the Unesco conference, on May 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 2024. Goal of the meeting was to reunite Wikimedians from across the globe who conduct advocacy and public policy activities to promote and protect the Wikimedia model and its role in assuring access to relevant online information. You can find documentation from the meet-up on Commons.
- Wikimedia Hackathon 2024 (3-5 May 2024) – yearly tech extravaganza! It's the ultimate gathering where the global tech community unites to connect, hack, engage in technical discussions, and brainstorm game-changing ideas. Developers from across the globe converge to enhance the technological backbone that fuels and enriches the Wikimedia projects, including MediaWiki and various areas of Wikimedia code development. You can find documentation from the hackathon on Commons.
- Wikimedia Europe General Assembly (24–25 May 2024) – an annual gathering of members of Wikimedia Europe, an organisation created to further Wikimedia public policy efforts in the EU. Happening in Prague, Czechia.
- Upcoming meetings & conferences in 2024
- Wikimania 2024 (7–11 August 2024) - the annual global conference of Wikimedia in Katowice, Poland. Second Wikimania in the CEE region, after 2010 in Gdańsk, Poland.
- CEE Meeting 2024 (20–22 September 2024) – a yearly meeting of the Central and Eastern European Wikimedians. This year organised in Istanbul, Turkey by Wikimedia UG Türkiye. Programme submissions and registrations are open until the June 15th, 2024 (submit your proposal and register).
What do they write about us? A summary of the articles from This month in Education and This month in GLAM.
- No published articles from the CEE Region during April
- No published issue during May
- International Roma Day Editathon in Albania and Kosovo, 2024, April 2024, Wikimedians of Albanian Language User Group
- 2023 became a promising year for wiki-residents and partnerships in CR, April 2024, Wikimedia Czech Republic
- International Roma Day Editathon in Albania and Kosovo, 2024, April 2024, Wikimedians of Albanian Language User Group
- Climate Changes and GLAM, April 2024, Wikimedia MKD
- What's up in GLAM-Wiki in Poland in April, April 2024, Wikimedia Poland
- No published issue during May
What's going on around the globe? Check out those Diff articles to stay in the loop!
Wikimania 2024 is set to take place in Katowice, a well-connected city with an international airport, efficient rail links, and seamless road networks. Katowice offers a mix of industrial heritage and modern attractions, including the Spodek arena and the Silesian Museum, as well as the expansive Silesian Park.
The conference begins at 9:00 am on August 7 and runs through the evening of August 10. Early arrivals on August 6 can participate in various city activities, though no official conference programming is scheduled for that day. Additional city activities will also be available on August 11, the primary departure day.
- > Read more about this on the blog post.
The Wikimedia Foundation, in collaboration with Creative Commons and Project Gutenberg, filed a “friend-of-the-court” brief supporting the Internet Archive in the Hachette v. Internet Archive case. The lawsuit involves major publishers accusing the Internet Archive of copyright infringement through its Open Library service. Legal issues arose in 2020 when lending restrictions were removed during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a District Court ruling against the Internet Archive in March 2023. The Court found fault with the nonprofit’s fair use defense, emphasizing concerns about soliciting donations. In response, the Wikimedia Foundation’s brief argues that the Court’s interpretation of fair use could wrongly classify nonprofit secondary uses as commercial, impacting all nonprofit organizations’ ability to utilize copyrighted material.
- > Read more about this on the blog post.
On today’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day we’re delving into the heart of inclusion and accessibility at Wikimedia through our design system Codex and beyond.
Our mission is to share knowledge universally accessible and useful by every single human being, and Codex plays a pivotal role in this journey. Let’s take a moment to review what we’ve achieved over the past year and peek into the exciting new features on the horizon.
- > Read more about this on the blog post.
Many Wikimedians agree on the need to enhance video content across wiki projects, which are currently focused mainly on text and images. This topic has sparked significant debate on the Wikimedia-l mailing list. There's a growing preference for video content, especially among younger audiences, due to shorter attention spans, the rise of visual communication platforms, and the ease of accessing videos on mobile devices.
Videos tend to be more engaging and effectively capture attention compared to text or images. However, incorporating video content on Wikipedia requires careful consideration of factors like maintaining neutrality, ensuring verifiability, and avoiding copyright issues. While videos can be beneficial for certain content, they also pose challenges in terms of quality, sourcing, and accessibility.
- > Read more about this on the blog post.
Voice your opinion and help us build the Wikimedia Movement together! These topics are open to discusssion.
- OPEN CALL: Apply to become a new Steering Committee member of the Wikimedia CEE Hub
- OPEN CALL: The CEE Hub microgrants programme
- May 1-June 15: Submit your proposal and register for the CEE Meeting 2024 (20–22 September 2024).
- May 8–June 12: 2024 Board election: Call for questions for candidates
- May 8–June 3: Call for new members of the Conference Fund Committee
- June 9: Procedure for Sibling Project Lifecycle – a new procedure for opening and closing all Wikimedia projects hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation is being designed right now. The last call with communities can be found here.
- June 25–July 9: Voting period to ratify the Wikimedia Movement Charter
- CLOSED CALL: 2024 Wikimedia Foundation Board election call for candidates has finished. You can see all the candidates here.
- By: Basak
Two user groups from the neighboring countries in CEE region organized a wikicamp for students at a small town by the Black Sea.
Wikimedians in Türkiye collaborated with Wikimedians in Georgia in organizing the first WikiCamp for students in the country. The event was organized for bringing members of Wikipedia Student Clubs started in 4 Turkish universities in the last two years as well as active students who are in the process of starting their club and academicians supporting them.
The Wiki Camp was organized in Arhavi, a small town close to the Georgian border and the Turkish group was joined by a small group of students from Wikipedia Clubs at Georgian high schools and their teachers.The participants stayed at the only hotel of the town. Arhavi College, 170 -student school in the town opened its library, the conference room, and schools cafeteria for this event. The teachers and students of the college welcomed wikimedians with enthusiasm.
During two days the Turkish group learned a lot about editing Wikipedia, Wikidata and Commons wikimedia both from the presenters and from each other. The program also included sessions on introduction to OpenstreetMap and understanding the basics of Artificial Intelligence; discussion on the Gender Gap problem at Wikipedia, a panel about activities and future of the Wikipedia Student Clubs and an edit-a-thon about Georgia and Arhavi related topics. On the other hand Georgians group focused on editing more, and created most of the 209 articles about Turkish and Georgian villages of the region produced during the event.
In addition to attending sessions and editing, all participants “kicked horon” at the breaks (see the video), went to Mençuna Waterfall excursion, ate Laz Böreği the founder of the school cooked for the participants herself.
Those were unforgettable moments for everyone involved, a big motivation for the participants to continue their efforts to promote the Wikimedia mission in their schools. After such great start, the WikiCamps will definitely continue in Türkiye.
Over 50 Wikimedians met in Prague on 24-25 May 2024 for the first General Assembly of Wikimedia Europe and two days of workshops, exchange of information, and public policy coordination.
Wikimedia Europe (WMEU) is an international association of 27 European Wikimedia Affiliates. It was created in 2022 on the base of the Free Knowledge Advocacy Group of the European Union to allow for more efficient coordination of public policy work in Europe in favour of the Wikimedia Movement (with mutual cooperation with the Wikimedia Foundation Global Advocacy team).
Wikimedia Europe General Assembly is a yearly meeting at which WMEU members gather together to make decisions about the organization. This year's edition was the first during which votes were taken. Members approved the financial report and narrative report for the year 2023 and approved the plan of operations for 2024. The organisation has also debated the rules of the election for the new board. The current board's (Claudia Garád, Maciej Nadzikiewicz, Capucine-Marin Dubroca-Voisin, Gonçalo Themudo and Rebecca MacKinnon) term ends in January 2025. The last topic discussed was the fundraising policy of the organization, including the underlying values, limitations, and processes.
Later the same day, a panel discussion took place at the National Museum in Prague. The topic of the debate was "Public Broadcasting and Public Access - systemic Ways to Fight Disinformation". Speakers included:
- Mr Marcel Kolaja, Member of the European Parliament, Greens/EFA
- Mrs Klára Joklová, executive director of Wikimedia Czech Republic
- Mr Oldřich Vágner, Member of the Council of Czech Radio
- Mr David Brabec, Member of the Board of the Czech Television, Czechia
- Mr Christian Humborg, executive director at Wikimedia Deutschland
- Mrs Anna Mazgal, executive director of Wikimedia Europe
- Mrs Claudia Garád, executive director of Wikimedia Austria and Board President of Wikimedia Europe
A series of workshops took place on the second day of the General Assembly. Participants started the morning with a group discussion about the role of Wikimedia Europe in the Wikimedia Movement, its governance, and its discourse. They later divided into two tracks: one focused on internal Wikimedia Movement exchanges (panels about hub coordination and discussion by the Wikimedia Europe & Friends) and the other on external public policy work. Attendees exchanged their experiences with sharable practices of European advocacy in the global context, cooperation with national public broadcasters, and the Anti-SLAPP legislation in the European Union.
At the end of the day, the General Assembly discussed financial matters of the Wikimedia Movement. A case study of Wikimedia affiliates and their external fundraising was presented — a Heritage Guard Network cooperation. At the later panel, a possibility of European-level fundraising was introduced, focusing on the use of Erasmus Programme funds in the development of Wikimedia activities. In the other track, a series of lightning talks was ongoing. Participants discussed, among other things, ways to contribute to Wikidata, how to onboard new people to the Global Wikimedia Movement, and projects organized by national minorities. The location of the next edition of the Wikimedia Europe General Assembly was also debated.
The entire programme of the General Assembly can be seen here. Photos from the event are available on Commons.
A group of Wikimedia volunteers is fighting for new internet regulations to be fair and inclusive for NGOs. Maciej Nadzikiewicz and Szymon Grabarczuk are participating in the public consultations set up by the Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs.
Two Wikimedia volunteers from Poland, Maciej Nadzikiewicz and Szymon Grabarczuk have participated in the recent consultation with the Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs. Poland is the last country to implement the European Union's Digital Services Act – a law that puts Wikipedia in the same category as Facebook, TikTok or Amazon. Szymon and Maciej are supported by Wikimedia Europe, an association of 27 European Wikimedia affiliates who work together on public policy and advocacy.
The consultations were announced by the Ministry in early January 2024. Wikimedia volunteers were one of 38 organisations that participated in the process; advocating for increased citizen control over the new law and the increased independence of the new body from the central government. The translated text of their submission can be read here.
After the first round of feedback was completed, in April 2024 the Ministry approached 25 selected organisations with the request to participate in the official public commentary. Maciej and Szymon participated in the process again, offering the perspective of the Wikimedia Movement. Among the most important things were:
- Raising the importance of increased citizen control – This was not addressed by the Ministry after the initial feedback and had to be brought up again,
- Just monetary penalties – The project sets out a minimal penalty of over 110 000 euro (500 000 PLN) for any organisation not in compliance. While this amount is easily manageable for BigTech companies, it may prove a big hit to a local Wikimedia affiliate and even the Wikimedia Foundation,
- Fine allocation – Instead of government profit, volunteers advocated for the money from the fines to be used and appropriated for activities concerning the promotion of digital knowledge and education as well as online and digital safety.
Their translated commentary is available here.
After the feedback, the law will now be introduced to both houses of the Polish Parliament. Maciej and Szymon, supported by Wikimedia Europe, will be monitoring the progress, which will conclude the Digital Services Act implementation in the European Union. The process, including other public policy initiatives, is outlined at User:Nadzik/Policy.
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- By: Hynek Kaplan
The second edition of the Wiki Loves Earth Czechia contest is now running on the Czech Wikipedia. We wish the contestants good luck. In the meantime, take a look at the beautiful photos of Czech landscapes in the results of the first year (Czech only).
The second edition of the Wiki Loves Earth Czechia contest is now running on the Czech Wikipedia. We wish the contestants good luck. In the meantime, take a look at the beautiful photos of Czech landscapes in the results of the first year (Czech only).
We are thrilled to announce that as of February 29, 2024, our community has been officially recognized as a User Group by the Affiliations Committee. This milestone marks a significant achievement for the Wikimedia Community User Group Cyprus, reinforcing our commitment to promoting free knowledge and supporting the Wikimedia movement within Cyprus.
The year 2024 continues to be a very creative and productive period for us. Our community recently celebrated the success of the HERitage Amplified event, a remarkable endeavour organized by Wikimedia Community Cyprus with the generous support of the Wikimedia Foundation, following a proposal by Anna Prodromou.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the University of Limassol for their support in making this event possible, and to the WICZ+ Foundation for their continuous support.
We are excited to announce a follow-up event scheduled for June 8, 2024. This time, we will focus on biographies of Turkish Cypriot women, demonstrating our commitment to fostering inclusivity and enabling access for all. The event will be hosted at the historic Ledra Palace Hotel in the buffer zone, with the support of UNFICYP.
We look forward to continuing our mission and further strengthening our community.
During March and April, Wikimedia Serbia worked on establishing new and renewing existing collaborations, so as many as seven new collaborations were realized, and three collaborations were renewed. 40 Wikipedia editing workshops were held and work was done both on local activities and on the organization of global and regional campaigns and competitions. Wikimedia Serbia also actively worked on the preparation of the Wikilive conference (local Wikipedian conference), which will be held in May, as well as on the selection of projects within the open call for micro-grants that was announced in February this year.
Education Program
Several collaborations from previous years have been renewed:
- Cultural Center "Božidarac"
- Faculty of Foreign Languages Alfa University
- Belgrade Railway Technical High School
Five new collaborations were also established:
- Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade
- The Cervantes Institute in Belgrade
- Pedagogical Society of Serbia
- "Branko Radičević" Elementary School from Krupanj
- Šabac Gymnasium
The following editing Wikipedia workshops were held:
- Two workshops were held for students at the Department of Chinese Language, Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade
- One workshop was held for students of "Branko Radičević" elementary school in Belgrade
- 21 workshops were held for students of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Applied Studies
- Eight workshops were held for students at the 9th Gymnasium "Mihailo Petrović-Alas"
- Four workshops were held for students of the Technical School in Knjaževac
- Two workshops were held for Alfa BK University students
- A workshop was held for students of the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade.
Three accredited seminars were held for professors from:
- Elementary school "Ivo Lola Ribar" from Veliko Gradište
- "Branko Radičević" Elementary School from Krupanj
- Šabac Gymnasium
A new Wiki ambassador was chosen at the High School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in Belgrade.
GLAM Program
- As part of the global coordination of the #1Lib1Ref campaign, meetings were organized for further organization and improvement of the campaign. A Diff blog with lessons learned from the January campaign was published with a call for feedback.
- In cooperation with the Society for Culture, Art and International Cooperation Adligat, an application was made to the Call for Applications of the European Heritage Hub.
- A memorandum of cooperation was signed with the Little Theater "Duško Radović" and preparations were made for the implementation of the Wikipedian in Residence project.
- A memorandum of cooperation was signed with the Organization of Creative Gathering "OKO" and efforts were made to find the best model of cooperation.
- The Wikipedian in Residence project received the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia this year as part of the Call for Applications for financing or co-financing of projects in the field of protection and digitization of cultural heritage in the Republic of Serbia in 2024.
Diversity Program
- An edit-a-thon was organized regarding International Women's Day and WikiGap Campaign. The event was organized in cooperation with the Wikimedia Community of Republika Srpska, the Autonomous Women's Center, FemPlatz, the Center for Women's Studies, and BeFem.
- In March, the results of the open call for microgrants were announced. A total of 17 proposals were submitted of which 6 were accepted and will be implemented by the end of this year.
- Wikimedia Serbia, in cooperation with the Wikimedia community of Republika Srpska, is organizing the CEE spring competition, which started on March 21 and ends on May 31.
- A preparation of the Wikilive conference was done, scholarship recipients were selected, a program was made with all lecturers, and a call for registration was open. The conference will be held on May 18 and 19 in Belgrade.
- By: Vlastmil Slovák
On April 23, Wikimedia Czech Republic joined the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organization that runs Wikimedia projects, and 11 other Wikimedia affiliates around the world. In an open letter, it called on United Nations (UN) member states to protect Wikipedia and other public interest projects in the forthcoming Global Digital Compact. More info
On April 23, Wikimedia Czech Republic joined the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organization that runs Wikimedia projects, and 11 other Wikimedia affiliates around the world. In an open letter, it called on United Nations (UN) member states to protect Wikipedia and other public interest projects in the forthcoming Global Digital Compact. More info
- By: Olesia Lukaniuk
The biggest photo contest devoted to natural heritage, Wiki Loves Earth, and its 2024 edition, started on May 1st. Check the latest updates and news!
The biggest photo contest devoted to natural heritage, Wiki Loves Earth, started on May 1st and will last till July 31st and has its first 8,500+ uploads!
For now, 9 countries from the CEE region have announced their participation this year, and 7 of them already started the local contest in May!
- Albania
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Germany
- Malta
- Serbia
- Slovakia
Check the full list of participants here.
We are extremely glad and excited to see more CEE countries on the list of participants, as we believe this region has an extensive and beautiful natural heritage that must be shown to the world!
- WLE Resources Center
Recently, the international organizing team announced the WLE Resources Center, where you can find useful guidelines, instructions, and templates to improve your participation and find answers to many questions that you may face during organizing and uploading.
Later, we will add more materials and links, and soon, you will be able to find all the instructions in French, Arabic, and Spanish.
You are always welcome to contribute your ideas for the instructions or to participate in developing some of them!
- If you are still hesitating to join as an organizer
Check out our guide for the local teams and follow the criteria there to organize your local contest. You still have enough time to prepare it!
Join the Facebook group and Telegram channel for the local organizers to be in touch with everyone directly.
- Take part in the special nominations!
WLE continues to raise awareness about environmental problems, so keep in mind to check our special nomination "Human Rights and Environment"
Also, this year, we are introducing the international “Video” nomination for the first time. Check and share it!
If you need any assistance or have questions, contact the International organizing team at wle-team@wikimedia.org.ua!
Follow the project on social media channels to keep up with updates: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
- By: Jan Beránek
March and the first week of April were once again dedicated to women and women-related topics on Wikipedia. Thanks to the Women's Month on Wikipedia challenge, which was organized for the seventh time by the Wikimedia Czech Republic, 91 Wikipedians managed to create or significantly expand 382 articles and expand another 183 – totaling 565 edits.
This year, we gathered four times: at the American Center, at the Academy of Sciences, at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University, and at the State Regional Archive in Prague. Collaborating with various partners has long helped to address a diverse range of topics and biographies of women, which need to be documented for Wikipedia. Whether it involves scientific disciplines or cultural areas, this cooperation successfully attracts newcomers with expert insights to participate in editing.
The aim of the challenge is to encourage more women to edit Wikipedia and to increase the number of biographical and related articles about women and related topics. Currently, the Czech Wikipedia contains 120,000 biographies of men and only 26,000 biographies of women. The distribution of editors is also uneven. Only one in ten volunteer editors is a woman. Anyone could take part in the challenge - either online from the comfort of their own home, or by attending one of our events where experienced tutors were available to help, especially beginners.
- By: Vyolltsa
Albania and Kosovo joined the initiative of International Roma Day that Wikimedia Serbia and Wikimedia CEE Hub have organized in 2024 with the aim of writing and improving articles on the Roma community.
On April 13th, Wikimedians of Albanian Language User Group planned one editathon in Tirana and one in Prishtina. For this editathon, Prishtina collaborated with Çikat n’STEM Hub, that closely works with the Roma community in Kosovo. A group of young Roma girls translated and improved articles for the Roma women in Kosovo.
14 contributors worked on several Wikipedia articles focusing on the Roma community. They translated 10 articles and edited 60 articles. This year, the participants made 82 total revisions on Wikidata, further enriching the knowledge available about the Roma community in Albanian. These revisions are crucial steps toward ensuring that accurate about the Roma community is accessible to all.
- Some pictures from the events
- Social media
- We have a public Telegram channel (language used mostly Albanian) if you want to join and discuss Wikimedia projects.
- If you want to see more about our activities, you canː
- Like our Facebook page, follow us on X formerly Twitter or Instagram.
CEE Hub was represented by the Program Officer TRistovski-CEEhub during the eighth conference of the Wikipedians from Serbia and the nearby countries, which was held on May 18th and 19th. The event was realised under the slogan "United in knowledge", and gathered around 70 editors of Wikipedia, as well as collaborators of the Wikimedia Serbia. The program contained a variety of topics - from technical news, to discussions about content quality, motivational factors, panel discussions with partners from educational institutions and cultural institutions, up to discussions about how generative artificial intelligence tools can influence the project.
WikiLive started with the opening speech of the president of Wikimedia Serbia, Miroslav Loci, in which he pointed out that the goal is for this gathering to be a space for the development of ideas, projects, experience, as well as a meeting place. He invited all the participants to be active during the sessions so that everyone could get the best out of themselves. Ivana Madžarević, executive director of the organisation, stated in the introductory part that this is the most visited WikiLive so far and thanked everyone for coming.
This was the first participation of the Program Officer TRistovski-CEEhub, and he said for their blog post after the conference following:
| “ |
I was at the Wikilive conference for the first time and even though I knew that Wikimedia Serbia has many projects, it is still good when all those projects, partnerships, collaborations with institutions and schools from Belgrade and Serbia can be seen in one place. Excellent work, many participants, interesting lectures, especially about artificial intelligence and Wikidata. |
” |
During the conference, Program Officer TRistovski-CEEhub presented about the CEE Hub, its purpose and ongoing activities. He explained what Hub is for and for which services individuals and CEE communities can turn to the Hub. Additionally, he presented about the ongoing Microgrants Programme of the CEE Hub, which is open for all individuals, groups, affiliates, or organisations contributing to Wikimedia projects in the CEE Region.
Apart from the lecture about the CEE Hub, two other regional lectures were about GLAM programme of the Republic of Srpska, given by Mirjana Petković, and the lecture about new regional event WikiOutdoor Training. This lecture was given by Kiril Simeonovski.
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On April 6-7, Wiki Photo Workshop was held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. It was the teaching event aimed on increasing quality of photographs uploaded by Wikimedians of Uzbekistan.
6-7 апреля в столице Узбекистана Ташкенте прошел Вики-фототренинг — учебное мероприятие, нацеленное на повышение качества фотографий, загружаемых викимедийцами Узбекистана.
Это было первое подобное мероприятие в Центральной Азии. Тренинг состоял из 4 отдельных курсов, посвящённых развитию различных навыков фотографирования — «Основы фотографии», «Архитектурная фотография», «Природная фотография», «Обработка изображений» — и включал в себя как теоретические, так и практические части. Тренинг был организован юзер-группой «Вики любит Центральную Азию», подавшей заявку в качестве партнёрской организации Викимедиа, но на тот момент ещё не одобренной, в сотрудничестве с юзер группой «Вики-краеведы Северо-Запада России». Местная поддержка осуществлялась Юзер-группой Викимедийцев, пишущих на узбекском языке и Агентством по делам Молодёжи Узбекистана.
This was the first event of this type in Central Asia. Workshop contained 4 separated courses — «Basics of photographing», «Arhitectural photography», «Nature photography» and «Image processing» — aimed to develop different sets of photographic skills. All of the courses contained 1 hour lecture part and 1 hour practical part where participants could use their newly obtained skills and present their works to trainers for evaluation. Workshop was organized by Wiki Loves Central Asia User Group — applied as Wikimedia affiliate but still not recognized — in cooperation with North-West Russia Wiki-Historians User Group. Local support was offered by Wikimedians of the Uzbek Language User Group and Youth Affairs Agency of Uzbekistan.
- By: Velkovski.b
April was a busy month for Wikimedia MKD. Several major events were organized and fantastic results were achieved. As an organization that wants to diversify its programme, Wikimedia MKD tries to establish new partnerships and collaborations with various different organizations in the country and abroad through various different collaborations and activities.
Therefore, Wikimedia MKD and the NGO Vila Zora from Veles joined their forces and organized a successful workshop in Veles, Macedonia. The workshop was held in the city library Goce Delcev in Veles on 18 April 2024. The workshop started at 10:30 local time and lasted more than 3 hours. Members of the Wiki Club Veles, members of the club Wiki Senior and other members and supporters of both organizations took part in - or in total 27 people, led by the coordinator Lili Arsova. As it is the case with the whole GLAM Programme of Wikipedia MKD, this workshop was also dedicated to the Climate and Climate Changes.
On 23th April Wikimedia MKD made an event in collaboration with the Macedonian Young Lawyers Association (MYLA).The event started at 10:00 local time at the MYLA offices. Having in mind the nature of the event and reaching optimal effect, the number of participants that took part in the event was 9 – all MYLA members or employees. The first part of the event was a theoretical presentation or lecture on Wikipedia and its basic editing and using principles. This lecture was held by the Executive Director Snežana Štrkovska. The second part of the event was actually working on Wikipedia and training the participants on how to contribute on Wikipedia. By the end of the event, all participants managed to create one article, or in total new 9 law-related articles were created.
On 30th April Wikimedia MKD marked the International jazz day. Wikimedia MKD's plan for proper celebration of the day was made of two major components. The first part of the International Jazz Day celebration was the organization's call for editing, improving and publishing new articles and content on Wikipedia in Macedonian on jazz topics.The second part of the celebration was actually a live event held at the 'Taftalidže Buffet' in Skopje. The event started at 5 pm local time, where all Wikimedia MKD members, Wikipedia users and jazz lovers were invited and expected to have fun and spend some quality time listening to jazz and learning new things about this music genre. Besides the fun and enjoyment in music, the event had an editing part as well.During this edit-a-thon, 29 new articles were created on the Macedonian Wikipedia on topics related to jazz music.
Wikimedia MKD continues to enrich its programmes, increase its membership and contribute even more to the Wikimedia Movements. Having successful activities as these motivates the organization to continue towards bigger goals and achievements.
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В начале апреля трое участников юзер-группы «Вики-краеведы Северо-Запада России» — Николай, Елена и Екатерина — были приглашены в столицу Узбекистана Ташкент в качестве участников Вики-фототренинга — учебного мероприятия, нацеленного на повышение качества фотографий, загружаемых викимедийцами Узбекистана.
In early April, three members of the North-West Russia Wiki-Historians User Group — Nikolai, Elena and Yekaterina — were invited to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, as participants of Wiki Photo Workshop, an educational event aimed at improving the quality of photos uploaded by Wikimedians of Uzbekistan.
В начале апреля трое участников юзер-группы «Вики-краеведы Северо-Запада России» — Николай, Елена и Екатерина — были приглашены в столицу Узбекистана Ташкент в качестве участников Вики-фототренинга — учебного мероприятия, нацеленного на повышение качества фотографий, загружаемых викимедийцами Узбекистана. Им была доверена ответственная роль лекторов, которые должны были прочесть на мероприятии три учебных курса: «Основы фотографии», «Архитектурная фотография» и «Обработка изображений». Участники юзер-группы не только тщательно подготовились к своим лекциям, но и внимательно изучили карты нового и нехарактерного для себя региона, чтобы в свободное время посетить и сфотографировать достопримечательности Узбекистана.
За несколько дней, проведённых в Узбекистане, краеведы осмотрели различные локации Самарканда, Самаркандской области, Коканда и Ташкента. В ходе своих фотопрогулок они старались ориентироваться не на самые известные достопримечательности (хотя, конечно, посетили многие из них), а на те объекты культурного наследия и памятники природы, которые до того момента обходили как постоянные вики-фотографы, так и туристы, изредка грузящие свои фото на Викисклад. По этой причине были обследованы местные кварталы, называемые махалля, маленькие квартальные мечети и медресе и некоторые другие нетривиальные объекты. Ещё один участник юзер-группы, Андрей, присоединившийся к экспедиции самостоятельно, обследовал также рельсовый транспорт Узбекистана — в частности, трамвайные линии в Самарканде и метрополитен в Ташкенте. Сделанные фотоснимки краеведы планируют загрузить на намеченный на октябрь фотоконкурс «Wiki Loves Monuments 2024 in Uzbekistan». Однако некоторые снимки уже загружены в категорию поездки и даже успели получить статус качественных.
In early April, three members of the North-West Russia Wiki-Historians User Group — Nikolai, Elena and Yekaterina — were invited to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, as participants of Wiki Photo Workshop, an educational event aimed at improving the quality of photos uploaded by Wikimedians of Uzbekistan. They were entrusted with the responsible role of lecturers, who were supposed to read three training courses at the event: «Basics of photographing», «Arhitectural photography» and «Image processing». The participants of the user group not only thoroughly prepared for their lectures, but also carefully studied the maps of a new and unfamiliar region in order to visit and photograph the sights of Uzbekistan in their free time.
During the few days spent in Uzbekistan, Wiki-Historians visited various locations in Samarkand, Samarkand region, Kokand and Tashkent. During their photo walks, they tried to focus not on the most famous sights (although, of course, they visited many of them), but on those cultural heritage sites and natural monuments that had been bypassed by both regular Wiki photographers and tourists, who occasionally upload their photos to Wikimedia Commons. For this reason, local neighborhoods called mahallas, small neighborhood mosques and madrasas, and some other non-trivial objects were surveyed. Another member of the user group, Andrew, who joined the expedition on his own, also examined the rail transport of Uzbekistan — in particular, the tram lines in Samarkand and the subway in Tashkent. The Wiki-Historians plan to upload the photographs taken to the «Wiki Loves Monuments 2024 in Uzbekistan» photo contest scheduled for October. However, some pictures have already been uploaded to the trip category in Commons and even managed to get the Quality Image status.
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Самарканд, патруль национальной гвардии на площади Регистан / National guards patrol at Registan square, Samarkand -
Вики-краеведы осматривают квартальную мечеть в Самарканде / Wiki-Historians at Muborak neighborhood mosque in Samarkand -
Коканд. Елена во дворце Худояр-хана / Elena in Khudayar Khan Palace museum in Kokand -
Коканд. Павловния войлочная в цвету / Beautiful Paulownia tomentosa in Kokand -
Николай в роще Чор-Чинор, Ургут / Nikolai in Chor Chinor sacred grove in Urgut -
Яблоня в саду католического собора, Ташкент / Apple tree in Sacred Heart cathedral garden in Tashkent
- By: Vyolltsa
Wikimedians of Albanian Language User Group organized the Summer of Wikivoyage Editathon 2024 in Kruja, Albania, on May 4th and 5th.
Kruja is located in North Central Albania and has a long list of attractions to offer tourists from the ancient castle nestled in the craggy rocks, two museums, stunning views, a nearby national park, sacred temples, natural springs, the ancient city ruins of Albanopolis, and the old bazaar.
Over the course of 2 days, 19 people participated to contribute to enriching the travel guide on Wikivoyage, Wikidata, Wikipedia, and Wikimedia Commons.
This year, we invited high school students from the nearby area of Kruja. A group of students from Shote Galica High School of Fushë-Kruja joined us. We wanted the local community to engage and become familiar with the Wikimedia Movement.
Throughout the editathon, we updated and improved articles on various destinations, attractions, and travel tips regarding Albania and Kosovo.
Overall we made:
- Wikivoyage and Wikipedia: 22 pages created and 120 pages edited
- Wikidata: 47 total revisions
- Wikimedia Commons: 76 uploads
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- By: Jan Sýkora
On Wednesday, 27 March 2024, the final round of the Media Olympiad, organized for the second year by the Moravian-Silesian Research Library in Ostrava, culminated. In addition to experts from universities and media practice (UPOL, CTK, NFNŽ), the jury included Pavel Bednařík, the main lecturer of Wikimedia CZ.
In the final round, the jury evaluated the videos of 14 teams on the topic of Digital Footprint. The competition was great this year, as the Olympiad was held nationwide for the first time. From a total of 600 schools, 14 schools were selected after the first round, the best one from each region. In Ostrava, in addition to the three preliminary rounds, a varied programme awaited them, including a workshop and a photo walk on Wikimedia Commons. In addition to the Media Olympiad, there was also a training session for libraries from the Moravian-Silesian Region, which focused on how to teach seniors to write on Wikipedia.