Grants:TPS/safi-iren/Wikimania/2018/Report

Safi-iren

Hy.wikipedia.org

Outcome

Option 3: New Creation: What was one useful outcome that was created at the event for the Wikimedia movement?

Since it was my first Wikimania I can say that everything, every session and every talk in Wikimania 2018 has a great value for me, and for sure everything that I learned during meetups I’ll implement in my work in the future. Participants in the Learning days especially inspired me during the “Activating the next generation: Wikipedia in schools” session. As I’m coordinating WikiClub in Stepanakert I’m already working with school students and it was interesting to listen to other participants about their activities and their practice in this field of work.

A huge achievement for me during Wikimania 2018 was also to have an opportunity to talk about Stepanakert WikiClub. During my Lightning talk, I was given a chance to tell others about the work that we have been doing for the past 3 years. As a co-founder and coordinator of Stepanakert WikiClub, it was very valuable for me to talk about us and our achievements in these years. I hope I’ll have more opportunities to talk about our work and to share our experience during next Wikimanias.

This experience of participating in Wikimania 2018 is a big motivation for all wikipedians with whom I’m working now: starting from my wikistudents to other wikiclub coordinators. With my example, they now realize that due to your dedication and hard work you can always be rewarded. It’s fair. Just work, just do your best to make Wikicommunity wider and bigger and the magic will happen. And me, a wikipedian from a small unrecognized country who was with the “gangsters” of Wikipedia in Cape Town, who met with the founder of Wikipedia and had a few words with that amazing person is a great example for them.

I had also the chance to attend the CEE Meetup, where I got to know lots of participants from our region. We discussed many issues and upcoming projects which we are going to do together in the future.

Connections

Wikimania 2018 was my first, but I’m sure it also was the best Wikimania: location, theme, organization, meetups, sessions and everything was just perfect. I’ve made lots of friends there and some of them are lifetime ones for sure. I have made some of my best work connections during the “Wiki Women Lunch” and “Women in Wikimedia: Conversations with women in Africa” events, where I was able to feel the power of women in the Education processes. I was happy to meet so many inspiring women around me who definitely gave me new ideas to implement in my hometown. I want to mention especially May (Egypt) and Andrea Patricia Kleiman (Argentina) who are good examples of hard work and dedication to the Wikicommunity. Hopefully, these connections will launch so many future collaborations and events.

Anything else

I’ve recorded a short video with most of the participants of Wikimania’18 and also people of South Africa. This was made to show the beauty of our diversity and also to say something about my country, because everyone in that video say one phrase in my dialect, it says “Shen kenas, Artsakh” which means be prosperous, Artsakh in Artsakhian dialect. The main idea was to create something which will remain and also will be a good reminder of wonderful time we have had in Cape Town. I’m going to release that video in September.

Some precious moments from Wikimania'18

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  Wiki Women lunch at Wikimania'18.
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  CEE meetup at Wikimania'18.
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  With Abbad and May.
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  With May at the Wikimania'18 Closing ceremony.
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  Wikimedia Cuteness Association at Wikimania'18.
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  Anirudh and Mahmood were telling the history of my country to a habitant of South Africa. It was such an amazing and touching moment captured by me.