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2025:Program/Advocating for open access to cultural heritage, targeting UNESCO: the TAROCH initiative

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Session title: Advocating for open access to cultural heritage, targeting UNESCO: the TAROCH initiative

Session type: Panel
Track: GLAM
Language: en

đŸŽ„ Session Recording: https://w.wiki/FD2D đŸŽ„

Africa’s cultural heritage faces barriers from copyright laws, institutional restrictions, and digital exclusion. This session explores how Wikimedia initiatives like Wiki Loves Folklore and Wiki Loves Africa document and protect cultural assets while promoting inclusivity. It also highlights TAROCH (Towards a Recommendation on Open Cultural Heritage), a global effort advocating for UNESCO to endorse open access policies. Participants will gain insights into cultural preservation, digital inclusion, and how to support TAROCH’s advocacy for copyright reform and policy change.

Description

Cultural heritage is a vital part of Africa’s identity, yet access to it is often restricted by copyright laws, institutional policies, and technological barriers. In today’s digital world, preserving Africa’s cultural heritage and ensuring its representation in technology is crucial. This session will highlight how initiatives like Wiki Loves Folklore and Wiki Loves Africa on Wikimedia projects—such as Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikidata—are used to document and protect Africa’s cultural assets while promoting inclusivity. A key focus will be TAROCH (Towards a Recommendation on Open Cultural Heritage), a global coalition advocating for UNESCO to endorse open access policies for cultural heritage. But what does this advocacy look like in action, and how can individuals and institutions contribute?

Session Objectives: Advocate for using Wikimedia projects to preserve cultural heritage and promote digital inclusion. Highlight the risks of cultural erosion and the importance of documenting endangered practices. Explain how the campaign is advancing open access—key strategies, milestones, and collaborations. Discuss our role as part of the TAROCH coalition and how we contribute to its mission. Emphasize the value of copyright reform to support open access to cultural heritage.

Session Outcomes: By the end of the session, attendees will: Gain actionable insights into using Wikimedia for cultural preservation and digital inclusion. Understand the risks of cultural erosion and strategies for digital representation. Learn about the advocacy efforts of TAROCH and how to contribute to the movement. Mobilize support for TAROCH’s efforts in influencing global policy.

How does your session relate to the event theme, Wikimania@20 – Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability?

Our session aligns closely with the Wikimania@20 theme of Inclusivity, Impact, and Sustainability by advocating for open access to cultural heritage and empowering communities to digitally preserve their traditions.

Inclusivity: By using Wikimedia projects to document Africa’s diverse cultural heritage, we ensure representation of historically marginalized knowledge and promote equitable access to cultural assets.

Impact: Through initiatives like Wiki Loves Folklore and Wiki Loves Africa, we highlight the power of collaborative documentation, strengthening global awareness and participation in cultural preservation.

Sustainability: As part of TAROCH, we push for policy changes that support long-term access to cultural heritage, ensuring it remains freely available for future generations.

What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?

Everyone can participate in this session

Resources

Speakers

  • Harriet Bayel
I am an open advocate, passionate about volunteerism and bridging the digital gender gap. My work focuses on Open Knowledge, women, and youth empowerment.
As a member of the Affiliations Committee (AffCom), I support and guide Wikimedia affiliates, ensuring they thrive within the movement. Previously, I served on the Regional Grants Committee for Sub-Saharan Africa (2021-2023), helping to fund impactful community projects.
In my leisure time, I contribute content on women to Wikipedia, upload images to Commons, add items to Wikidata, and continuously expand my knowledge of Wikimedia tools and the movement.
  • Jemima Antwi
My name is Jemima Antwi, but I go by the Username Jemima2019, I am a dynamic Wikimedia leader, cultural advocate, and digital inclusion champion. Since joining the movement in 2019 through the Global Open Initiative Foundation, I have been a driving force behind expanding Twi Wikipedia and preserving Ghanaian heritage online. As the leader of the Wikimedians of Twi Language, and a coordinator for the WikiWomen User Group, I have spearheaded impactful projects on language preservation, Ghanaian parliamentarians, and women’s representation in Wikimedia.
My groundbreaking work on Kente weaving oral history was featured at WikiIndaba, and i continue to elevate African voices through AfroCuration events, uniting young Africans, scholars, and educators to document their culture. In 2025, I am leading AfroCuration event in Ghana at KNUST, inspiring African youth to safeguard their heritage.
Passionate about representation, Jemima2019 is on a mission to make African knowledge accessible to the world.
  • Sadik Shahadu
Sadik is a certified Wikipedia trainer, journalist, and brand ambassador for the Curationist Foundation. He is also the executive director and co-founder of the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group, a young not-for-profit organization based in Ghana and working to support the 16 Mabia languages on Wikimedia and the internet at large.
Outside Wikimedia, he serves on the advisory board of the UNESCO 'Open Education for a Better World' program. He was a Mozilla Open Leader X fellow, a MozFest wrangler mentor, and a former ambassador for the Mozilla festival. Sadik is passionate about open-source technology, open data, and open education resources (OER).
As a digital language activist, he works with individuals and organizations interested in digitizing indigenous languages and cultures on the Internet.
  • Patricia Diaz Rubio (WMCL)
Social communicator and Open Culture advocate. Executive director at Wikimedia Chile.
During 2025, I have served as co-chair of the civil society advocacy working group for TAROCH.
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