2025:Program/Climate Resilience through Knowledge: Lessons from WikiForHumanRights 2024 in Uganda
Session title: Climate Resilience through Knowledge: Lessons from WikiForHumanRights 2024 in Uganda
- Session type: Lightning talk
- Track: Lightning Talk Showcase
- Language: en
As the world grapples with the escalating climate crisis, education is crucial for fostering sustainable practices and resilience. This talk highlights Wikimedia's significant contributions to climate change education, drawing insights from the WikiForHumanRights 2024 campaign in Uganda.
The WikiForHumanRights 2024 campaign in Uganda focused on expanding topics important to human rights and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). It encompassed writing on pollution, rivers, lakes, forest reserves, and other SDGs, including Gender Equality.
Activities included trainings, editathons, and community events. The successes of the campaign demonstrate Wikimedia's role in climate literacy and advocacy. Aligning with the theme "Wikimania@20, this talk celebrates Wikimedia's commitment to inclusivity by engaging diverse communities, and creating impactful educational content. Attendees will gain insights on the role of access to neutral, fact-based information in the combatting climate change effects.
Description
The three main objectives for the lightning talk include:
To highlight Wikimedia's role in Climate Education: In this, the talk will showcase how Wikimedia, through initiatives like WikiForHumanRights, contributes to climate literacy and resilience by providing access to reliable, fact-based information.
To share successful strategies and activities In this, the speakers will share the experience of the effective strategies and activities used during the WikiForHumanRights 2024 campaign in Uganda, such as trainings, editathons, and community events, to inspire attendees to implement similar initiatives.
To promote inclusivity and sustainability Emphasis will be put on the importance of inclusivity and sustainability in Wikimedia projects, aligning with the theme "Wikimania@20: Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability," and encouraging attendees to engage diverse communities and create impactful climate educational content.
During the campaign, 299 content pages were created on SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land), covering pollution, rivers, lakes, and forest reserves—while also integrating cross-cutting SDGs like Gender Equality. The campaign also allowed SDGs 6, 13, and 16. We collaborated with national bodies that support the environmental issues, such as the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). The campaign engaged 38 participants (including 8 new editors), with 32% female representation, fostering inclusivity.
The challenge the campaign faced was that many assumed that writing about human rights required legal expertise. Through trainings and editathons, this was addressed.
- How does your session relate to the event theme, Wikimania@20 – Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability?
Aligned with "Wikimania@20: Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability," this talk highlights how Wikimedia empowers communities to address climate change through collaborative knowledge, using the WikiForHumanRights 2024 campaign in Uganda.
- What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?
Everyone can participate in this session
Resources
Speakers
- Christopher Liberty
- Christopher Liberty is a Climate Change Education enthusiast and a Wikimedian in the Wikimedia Community User Group Uganda. He holds a MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Master of Project Planning and Management from Kabale University and Bachelor of Education from Makerere University. He has a strong belief that climate change literacy, more so through open and contextualized knowledge is a fantastic tool against Climate Change effects. Through his work, he is dedicated to promoting sustainability and environmental stewardship.
- Even though I created the account on 8th December 2013, I began participating actively in 2019. I have led trainings, participated in several Wikimedia projects including Wikipedia, and Commons, contributing to Wiki for Human Rights, Wiki loves Folklore, Wiki loves Africa, Wiki Soccerthon, and Wiki Gap.