Front view of the WIPO Conference Hall

Seven Wikimedia chapters rejected as permanent observers to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Geneva, Switzerland — Today, seven Wikimedia chapters—independent Wikimedia movement affiliate organizations—were rejected from gaining accreditation as permanent observers to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Several of WIPO’s accredited observers, including Communia, Creative Commons, Education International, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, as well as organizations such as Internet Archive, showed their support for….

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World Intellectual Property Organization WIPO in Geneva, Switzerland

Six Wikimedia Chapters Rejected as Observers to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Geneva, Switzerland — Today, six Wikimedia chapters—independent Wikimedia movement affiliate organizations—were rejected from gaining accreditation to the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR). WIPO is the specialized United Nations (UN) agency that determines global policies on copyright, patents, and trademarks. The Wikimedia chapters of France, Germany, Italy, Mexico,….

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Amplifying Black and Diverse Histories is the Focus of New Wikimedia Foundation Collaboration with Global Artists

To kick off Black History Month, the Wikimedia Foundation, the global nonprofit that operates Wikipedia, announced the launch of Wiki Unseen, a collaboration with artists aimed at expanding the visual representation of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in Wikimedia projects and advancing knowledge equity. Launched today, the first iteration of the project, a….

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What we learned about closing Wikipedia’s gender gap using a classroom assignment

Assigning Wikipedia as a classroom assignment is a difficult proposition. The idea of integrating the encyclopedia into a curriculum has been stigmatized for many years, and it can be complicated to ensure that students’ work fits into Wikipedia’s extensive policies and guidelines. Over the last decade, however, a brave cadre of professors and teachers have….

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Bodil Biørn

Norway and Armenia come together to bring Bodil Biørn’s historic photographs online

Over 180 memories of Armenian history are now available to everyone in the world, free of charge, thanks to a collaborative project between Wikimedia Norge (Norway), Wikimedia Armenia—both independent Wikimedia affiliate organizations—and the National Archives of Norway. All of the photographs were taken by Norwegian missionary and nurse Bodil Biørn (1871–1960), who proselytized within modern-day….

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Wikimedia and UN Human Rights partner to expand Wikipedia’s knowledge

The Wikimedia Foundation and the United Nations’ Human Rights Office (OHCHR) are partnering to support the creation of human rights-related content on Wikimedia sites. We believe that free access to knowledge is a fundamental human right—that anyone, anywhere should have the ability to learn more about the world around them. We are proud to be….

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The Equal Edit: Making Swedish history on Wikipedia more gender equal

For centuries, much of our recorded history has been written by men. Even in Sweden, which is considered a leader in gender equity, less than ten percent of the people mentioned in the main article about Swedish history on the Swedish language Wikipedia, “Sveriges historia”, are women. With Wikimania, the annual conference celebrating Wikipedia and….

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Liv Inger Somby, journalist and scholar, to speak at Wikimania about the Sámi people and bringing indigenous languages online

“For us, the Sámi people, digital platforms like Wikipedia are very important. My dream is that Sámi children across national borders communicate in Sámi languages, and common revitalization projects on the Wikimedia platforms are a great tool to reach that goal.” – Liv Inger Somby The Sámi, a group of indigenous people, have lived in….

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Liv Inger Somby, journalista ja fágabargi, galgá hupmat sápmelaččaid birra ja dan ahte galggašii buktit eamiálbmotgielaid internehttii

“Midjiide, sápmelaččaide, leat digitála vuogádagat nu go Wikipedia hui dehálaččat. Mu niehku livččii ahte sámi mánát gulahallet daid iešguđet sámegielaiguin riikkarájiid rastá. Wikipedia vuogádagaid oktasaš ealáskahttin doaimmat livčče buorit reaiddut dán ulbmila joksat.” –Liv Inger Somby, “spotlight” logaldalli Wikimanias 2019:s Sápmelaččat leat eamiálbmot, geat leat duháhiid jagiid orron davvin, guovllus mii ođđaáiggis lea oassin Norgga,….

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With Wikipedia in the classroom, a former student has become the teacher

Four years ago, Ismael Andani Abdulai was in graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley, working towards a master’s in law. One of the required courses for that degree was on cyber law, focusing on legal issues related to computers, the internet, and information technology. Appropriately, the professor in charge of the class assigned….

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