2025:Program

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06th – 09th August 2025, Nairobi and Online
Wikimania@20: Inclusivity . Impact . Sustainability

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In preparation

Wikimania 2025 Programming Call for Proposals

The form for submitting proposals will be published soon, and we will keep it open until March 31^st 2025 end of day. This page already contains all the information you need to begin preparing your proposals. For questions or clarifications, please feel free to send them to wikimaniawikimedia.org

If you would like to propose a session, whether onsite, virtual, or hybrid, please fill in the form by March 31 ^st, Anywhere on Earth . You can submit your proposal in Arabic, English, French, Spanish or Swahili. We will communicate decisions about proposals starting in May.

The form for proposals will be on Eventyay, Wikimania's virtual event platform. The form will be available shortly. In the meantime, this page contains everything you need to know to prepare your proposal. Please review it now and begin planning. We will link to the form from this page as soon as it is available.

The team will be hosting office hours to support prospective speakers with their proposals:

Thursday, 13 March at 18:00 UTC. Live interpretation will be available in French and Spanish. Zoom link.
Thursday, 20 March at 13:00 UTC. Live interpretation will be available in Arabic, French and Swahili. Zoom link

Sessions

The Heart of Wikimania 2025

The theme for Wikimania 2025 is Wikimania@20: Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability and it highlights our vision for a Wikimedia movement that is accessible to all, fosters collaboration across diverse communities, and prioritizes long-term viability. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, this theme underscores our commitment to addressing global challenges, promoting inclusivity, and ensuring the sustainability of free knowledge for generations to come. Your submission therefore should have elements connecting to at least one of these.

Inclusivity: Wikimania will be an opportunity to showcase regional and thematic groups as examples of inclusion: different volunteer groups, individuals, and affiliates, at different stages of development and from different cultures closely involved and collaborating in an equitable way.
Impact: As a distributed, global event, Wikimania will be a way to learn from each other and share knowledge like community initiatives, tools usage, organizing events, governance, online campaigns and edit-a-thons, solving Wiki-related problems, and more.
Sustainability: Wikimania 2025 will be significant to many Wikimedians as a forum to discuss various strategies , matters confronting the Wikimedia movement and other current and future priorities facing our movement, from technology to policy around the world.

Program tracks

We know that Wikimedians have been doing amazing work in the community and beyond and are eager to share this at Wikimania. To make the submissions easier for you, we have suggested 12 broad tracks. Information about the tracks , their categories and sub-categories can be found below. Think which one best fits your program idea. If you think your submission applies to more than one track, you can specify a secondary track in the submission form.

Track	Description	Categories/Suggested Topics
Education	This track caters for initiatives and programs at the intersection of Wikimedia projects, education and academia. Some guiding questions include How do we foster greater collaboration between educational institutions and Wikipedians? What factors make for a successful educational project? How can we manage growth, collaboration and sustainability in the Wikipedia Education Program? How do we work with different academic disciplines?	Integrating Wikimedia projects in educational settings Education and outreach initiatives Research and evaluation in educational settings The Wikipedia Education program
GLAM, heritage and culture	This track provides a space for initiatives and programs in heritage and cultural conservation, collaborations with cultural institutions that include Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums.	Working with indigenous communities Partnerships and coordination with GLAM and cultural institutions Campaigns such as Wiki Loves Monuments, Wiki Loves Folklore etc WiR programs and case studies The Wikipedia Library
Partnerships	This is a space in which we explore and talk about initiatives pairing the Wikimedia movement and its activities with external institutions to produce beneficial results	Collaborations with mission-aligned partners
Technology	This is a space in which we discuss anything related to product and technology in the movement	Hackathon and hackathon related proposals Latest products and features Automation, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Tool demonstration or tutorials Software development, tools in development or testing stage Technological innovations User interface and user experience
Community Engagement	Proposals under this track could explore the dynamics of wiki culture and community, and provide a forum for participants and researchers to share methods for community management, engagement, participation, and conflict resolution	Dynamics of wiki culture and the community Activities of communities and affiliates aimed at increasing the number of contributors, attracting new editors, making sure they are welcome Activities of communities and affiliates that foster capacity development and sustainability of initiatives
Community Health	This is a space to address issues related to retaining contributors that are already active. How to provide them with what they need to keep on contributing.	Discrepancies and conflicts between different policies Community and chapter dialogue.
Research (including science and medicine)	Proposals under this track speak about research with topics relevant to Wikimedia and the theme of Wikimania,issues related to doing research in Wikimedia projects as well as research that uses Wikimedia data and content It is also a space to discuss various content initiatives in the fields of science, nature, and medicine.	Actionable research projects by people conducting research on Wikimedia projects and in adjacent spaces (either completed or in-progress); Tutorials to help Wikimedians and researchers learn to use a series of useful tools for collecting and analyzing data from Wikimedia projects; Environmental studies and the climate crisis Studies on behavioral patterns in contributing content Content quality research Knowledge reliability Public health and wellness wiki initiatives Science and wiki Taxonomy, species etc
Diversity & Inclusion	This is closely related to community health and provides a space to discuss diversity and fostering inclusivity as ways to improve community health. This space makes sure that Wikimedia projects appeal to as wide audience as possible, and can be edited by as wide group of contributors as possible, to cater for variety and to invite everyone	Diversity centric discussions Equity, inclusion and belonging Knowledge equity User interfaces and interoperability Languages and translations The gender gap and other gender diversity topics IP address range blocks in countries with limited/shared infrastructure The Wikimedia Universal Code of Conduct (UCoC) Safety of volunteer contributors
Legal and advocacy	This track includes established topics of discussion, such as copyrights and digital accessibility, and newly emerged issues, such as rising censorship and misinformation in the world, as well as public policy and human rights.	Blocking of Wikipedia in certain countries Misinformation Censorship Legal threats , takedown requests Government and civil society relations Copyright reforms (Freedom of Panorama, free licences etc) Digital accessibility Environmental sustainability and the climate crisis
Open data	This is a space for community initiatives in data use and reuse, linking different Wikimedia projects together and beyond.	Publicly accessible statistical data Data use and reuse cases Open data and transparency Interlinking geographic data , socio-economic data and demographic data etc Wikidata or structured data on Commons
Governance and strategy	This track supports community discussions focused on governance, structures and reform, key initiatives from the Movement Strategy	The Movement Charter Regional and thematic hubs Roles and responsibilities in the movement Decision making processes and strategic planning The Wikimedia Global Council Administrative-specific governance (projects, community & affiliates)
Wild ideas	A future-oriented open track for Wikimedians to discuss wild ideas and predictions of the future... for good or bad. It could also be anything Wikimedia-related that does not fit well into any of the above or is so wild it needs a category of its own!	Experimentation and risk taking where ideas can be tested Unconventional thinking to challenge assumptions and think outside the box Disruptive technologies and their potential applications in the Wikimedia ecosystem Speculative futures that imagine potential futures for Wikimedia, its partners, the internet and society Unconventional partnerships that could amplify the Wikimedia Movement’s impact or reach new audiences

Session formats

We will support onsite, virtual, and hybrid sessions. We'll share more on the logistics side at a later date. Now though, we can confirm that:

Virtual sessions can be delivered live by dialing in or in a pre-recorded format. However, we advise all virtual speakers to record their session ahead of time for backup in case of connectivity issues.
Both presenters and the audience may dial in to take part in hybrid sessions. However, live interactions between the remote and onsite participants may be limited.

Session types

We intend to have a number of programming formats including lectures and presentations, panel discussions, lightning talks and workshops among others - all focused on sharing and skills development. There will also be sessions dedicated to social interaction. We are also open to new or original program format ideas, including combinations of types.

Please note that the total time indicated includes questions and comments where applicable
The standardised durations shown here do not include the time needed to change rooms

Type	Description	Time
Workshop	One or two moderators present(s) a topic by actively interacting with the audience. The audience is actively interacting with the topic, usually focused on practical work, acquiring or strengthening a specific skill, or accomplishing a specific task.	85 minutes
Demonstration	The presenter(s) introduces the methods of working with a tool, a technological innovation, a workflow or a program and gives the audience a live presentation.	40 minutes
Lecture	The presenter(s) normally offers an oral presentation that is intended to introduce information, share ideas about a particular subject, or summarize the results of a project. This followed by questions and comments from the audience.	25 minutes
Panel	A small group of people (could be subject matter experts or those with real lived experience) presents or discusses a particular topic before an audience. It often includes a moderator who guides the discussion and sometimes elicits audience questions. Audiences are invited to interact with the panel, ask questions and make comments to which the panelists respond.	55 minutes
Roundtable	This is a structured conversational process for discussing specific topics, sharing knowledge, and often collective decision-making	40 minutes
Lightning talk	This is a short, sharp presentation to enable a speaker to share a concept or idea, often as a teaser or a starting point for the audience to learn more. Lightning talks will be organized as a succession of speakers one after another.	10 minutes or less
Poster	A topic is presented on a poster that is displayed on a visible place in the venue Poster sessions can cut across topics and themes, usually presenting a project report or initiative, study results, research, or technology.	TBD
Other	These are all other activities such as entertainment , outdoor activities, pre-conference events, photography walks, edit-a-thons, datathon, resource, and citation hunts, etc. Note: Please specify what it is in the notes session	25 minutes (duration may vary)

Proposal review process

Proposals that are received during the submission period through Eventyay will be reviewed by the Program Committee.
Each submission will be rated on a variety of factors including but not limited to the likely level of impact and expected outcomes; expected community interest; and how well-connected the submission is to the theme or a focus area. Committee scores will be averaged and the top portion of submissions will be accepted as they fit into the schedule.
If there are multiple similar submissions on the same topic, the Program Committee may suggest combining these submissions.

Proposal form questions

General

Question	Required
What is the title of your session submission?	X
Session type. Workshop (85 minutes) Demonstration (40 minutes) Lecture (25 minutes) Panel (55 minutes) Roundtable (40 minutes) Lightning talk (5/10 minutes) Poster (not applicable–will be part of shared poster session) Other (including entertainment, pre-conference, etc). Specify idea and duration in Notes section (25 minutes)	X
Language. What is the primary language of your session? Sessions delivered in English will receive live interpretation into all Wikimania Nairobi languages. Sessions delivered in other Wikimania Nairobi languages will have live interpretation only into English.	X
Abstract. A brief description of your session.	X
Description. A full description of your session, including aims and objectives.	X
Additional speaker

Questions

Question	Required
What program track best fits your session? This is your session's primary thematic category. Education GLAM Partnerships Technology Community Engagement Community Health Research Diversity & Inclusion Legal & Advocacy Open Data Governance & Strategy (alternatively, Governance or Strategy) Wild Ideas	X
What other themes or topics does your session fit into? Please choose from the list of tags below.This will be shown publicly. Campaigns Events Grants Capacity building Collaboration Affiliates Edit-a-thons Conferences Product development Storytelling Other	X
How does your session relate to the event theme Wikimania@20: Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability?	X
Tell us a bit about yourself and your experience in relation to this submission.	X
Do you have any experience in public speaking, leading workshops or trainings, participating on a panel or delivering sessions? If yes, please describe.
Have you presented on this topic before or do you have any related references? If yes, please share a link.
What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session? Everyone can participate in this session Some experience will be needed Average knowledge about Wikimedia projects or activities This session is for an experienced audience	X
How do you plan to deliver this session? You will be asked to confirm this closer to the date in case of changes to the format. Onsite in Nairobi Dialing in from a remote location Hybrid, with some speakers in Nairobi and others dialing in remotely Pre-recorded, to be played in Nairobi and for the virtual audience	X
What would the desired time for your session be? Morning slot (between 9:00 – 12:00 local time) Afternoon slot (between 13:30 – 17:00 local time)
Are there any other needs or requests for your session not mentioned elsewhere in this application (all rooms have microphones and projectors but, for example, will you need a flip chart, markers, sticky notes, etc)?
Have you applied for a Wikimania Travel scholarship from the Wikimedia Foundation? This will NOT be shown publicly and is only used for cross-referencing with the scholarship process
Should your session be selected for the program, do you consent to having your session and supporting materials released on-wiki and on the eventyay platform under CC BY-SA 4.0? If you selected “Do not record this session” your session will not be filmed and no video will appear online.	X

Speaker info

Question & Info Text	Required
Speaker image. Please upload an image from Wikimedia Commons. This will be shown publicly in your speaker profile on eventyay.
Image attribution. Please provide the author name and image license info.
Image attribution: Please provide the image credit URL from Wikimedia Commons.
Name or username. Please enter the name you wish to be displayed publicly. This name will be used for all events you are participating in on this server.	X
Biography. Please provide a brief personal biography with information about your past involvement in the Wikimedia movement. This will be shown publicly in your user profile on eventyay.	X

Program FAQ

Have questions? Please see the Program FAQ subpage or join the team at one of our upcoming office hours:

Thursday, 13 March at 18:00 UTC. Live interpretation will be available in French and Spanish. Zoom link.
Thursday, 20 March at 13:00 UTC. Live interpretation will be available in Arabic, French and Swahili. Zoom link

Recordings will be shared for those that cannot attend.