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2025:Program/Empowering the Wikimedia Community in Africa and Around the World with Open Source

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Session title: Empowering the Wikimedia Community in Africa and Around the World with Open Source

Session type: Lecture
Track: Community Engagement
Language: en

đŸŽ„ Session recording: https://w.wiki/FQri đŸŽ„

This panel will explore the intersection between Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and the Wikimedia movement, focusing on strategies to expand community participation, particularly in Africa and other emerging regions. By bringing together visionaries in the fields of open source and free knowledge, we will discuss the shared values of collaboration, openness, and community building.

Description

This panel will explore the intersection between Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and the Wikimedia movement, focusing on strategies to expand community participation, particularly in Africa and other emerging regions. By bringing together visionaries in the fields of open source and free knowledge, we will discuss the shared values of collaboration, openness, and community building. The panelists will share insights on how FOSS can serve as a catalyst for Wikimedia growth, especially in locations where technological, cultural, or economic barriers may limit widespread participation. Panelists

Mario Behling – Founder of FOSSASIA Mario Behling has championed FOSS and open technology projects across Asia and beyond. His experience growing FOSSASIA into a major force in open source innovation positions him to address how similar models can be adapted to empower Wikimedia communities globally.

Valerio Bozzolan – Tech Commission member of Wikimedia Italy With years of experience advocating for open source adoption in Italy, Valerio will provide a European perspective on community engagement and grassroots efforts. His background includes fostering collaborations between tech communities, educational institutions, and civil society organizations—expertise that can be applied to Wikimedia’s global outreach.

Alice Kibombo – Librarian, Wikimedian (Wikibrarian) from Uganda Alice’s work as a librarian and active Wikimedian in Uganda centers on making information more accessible. Her practical experiences in organizing local Wiki initiatives and bridging technology gaps in African communities will bring a critical on-the-ground viewpoint to the discussion.

Session Rationale

  • Shared Values: Both Wikimedia and FOSS communities champion open collaboration, transparency, and inclusivity. Highlighting these alignments can inspire innovative partnerships.
  • Empowering Local Communities: FOSS tools can lower technological barriers to entry, providing user-friendly platforms for content creation and knowledge sharing in diverse linguistic and cultural contexts.
  • Sustainability and Scalability: Open source projects can be adopted and adapted with fewer financial and logistical constraints.
  • Long-Term Impact: When communities co-create knowledge using open tools, they build local capacity and collective ownership, strengthening the overall Wikimedia ecosystem.

Objectives

  • Identify Collaborative Opportunities: Explore how FOSS communities and Wikimedia affiliates can work together to expand knowledge-sharing initiatives.
  • Highlight Best Practices: Share success stories and lessons learned from existing open source and open knowledge projects, especially in Africa.
  • Formulate Actionable Strategies: Develop plans for cross-community collaboration, focusing on resources, training, and local engagement models.
  • Raise Awareness: Emphasize the potential of FOSS as a powerful vehicle to foster inclusivity, reduce digital divides, and amplify underrepresented voices in the Wikimedia space.

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Panel Discussion
  • Q&A / Open Floor

Desired Outcomes

  • Actionable Roadmap: A set of recommendations for Wikimedia communities to better leverage FOSS tools and methodologies.
  • Networking and Collaboration: Encouragement for participants to connect across communities (Wikimedia, Linux user groups, local FOSS meetups) after Wikimania.
  • Resource Sharing: A curated set of open source resources—documentation, toolkits, and collaborative platforms—made readily accessible to attendees.
How does your session relate to the event theme, Wikimania@20 – Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability?

This session is all about including more people in Wikimedia and open knowledge projects and hence making the community more sustainable.

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

Everyone can participate in this session

Etherpad link

https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/C93YPK

Resources

Speakers

  • Mario Behling
Mario Behling is an open source innovator passionate about fostering collaboration and connecting communities through technology. In 2009, he co-founded FOSSASIA with Hong Phuc Dang. Under his leadership, the organization has launched over 200 open source projects, built a community of 7,000+ developers on GitHub, and pioneered solutions like Eventyay, SUSI.AI, the Pocket Science Lab IoT platform, and Badge Magic.
  • boz
President of Italian Linux Society (300+ voting members).
Tech Commission in Wikimedia Italy.
Author of the Tech Strategy in Wikimedia Switzerland.
  • Alice Kibombo
She is a librarian and a former WiR with AfLIA
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