Wikimania 2020 bids/Armenia

WIKIMANIA 2020 YEREVAN Creative education through Wikipedia

City proposed: Yerevan, Armenia.

Proposed dates: July 26-30, 2020, August 7-11.

Pre-conference July 26 - 27, 2020, August 7-8, 2020

Conference July 28-30, 2020, August 9-11, 2020

Number of participants: Up to 1,000 participants.

Contact person: Susanna Mkrtchyan

Armenia is located in Southwestern Asia and is a destination where you will be intrigued by history, awed by monuments, amazed by the landscape and charmed by local people. Armenia is the country of old legends and Biblical stories. To visit Armenia is to travel back in history and feel the spirit of more than 41 centuries, experience first hand the “country sheltered by Biblical Ararat”, home of Noah’s Ark. Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity in the early 4th century. Armenian Alphabet was developed in 405 AD, which enabled translation of famous scientific and literature pieces into Armenian thus making the available knowledge of that time accessible to Armenians. Spectacular mount Ararat is visible from almost every corner of Yerevan which makes the landmark really amazing and leaves tourists breathless. Armenia, also is known to have over 4,000 monasteries and churches, which can be found all over the country. The Christian faith has shaped the Armenian culture so intimately that it permeates the very landscape of the country. Armenia has the longest aerial tramway in the world (5752 meters long) and provides the only access to Tatev Monastery. Armenia is the place where one can taste diverse, organic and delicious food. June 9, 1992 is the date on which Armenia became one of the member states of UNESCO. Presently there are three world heritage sites listed by UNESCO in Armenia, and each of Armenia's three UNESCO World Heritage sites hold significant religious and historical significance.

Why Armenia?

Goal

The main goal of Wikimania is to connect Wikimedians from all over the world with each other. Wikimania in Armenia will host hundreds of Wikipedians from neighboring and Asian countries: Iran, Turkey, Georgia, the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

There are 20 Wikiclubs in Armenia where teenagers learn to contribute to various wiki projects. We are particularly focusing out attention to the process of their contribution, by enhancing their concentration, analysis, study and perception skills. This approach is extremely helpful especially for developing countries. During Wikimania we are hoping to connect each Wikiclub with other countries' educational enthusiasts to learn from our Wikiclubs experiences and to continue mutual collaboration in the future.

Strength of the community

We have been building Wiki Community in Armenia since 2012. Every year more people are becoming aware of Armenian Wikipedia and our knowledge base is expanding with the growing community of contributors. We are a rising star on the global wiki stage. It is imperative for us to organize a larger event to attract wider audience in order to achieve maximum impact on dissemination of Wikipedia and to attract more contributors. Shortly after organizing the Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2016, we have received wider outreach and publicity. Wikimania conference will be a huge step forward in bringing a wider audience to Wiki movement in Armenia. This in turn will attract more attention from various stakeholders.

We will involve Armenian youngsters from the very first stages of event preparation and their engagement will help us spread the word easily and promote volunteer work in Armenia.

Venue

All venues proposed below are located in capital city of Yerevan and will be provided for free. Here is the list of possible venues presented by order of preference. All of them are located approximately 12-15 km from Zvartnots airport.

Proposed venues:

American University of Armenia - AUA has 2 auditoria of 1,300 seats and 90 seats, 15 classrooms ranging in size from 20-60 places, and modern computer labs for 25-40 people. AUA venues are equipped with LCD projectors, laptops, and screens. Large Auditorium and Small Auditorium are equipped with simultaneous translation system. A large cafeteria operates in the building which provides lunch and catering services. The Papazian Library is the only university library in Armenia that is open to the public, has open stacks, has a rich collection of books and periodicals in English with a foundation of American academic literature. Maximum distance from hotels is 2 km.
Karen Demirchyan Complex - The Sports and Concert Complex after K. Demirchyan was opened in 1984 in Yerevan. Stairs along a cascade of fountains lead visitors to the Complex, reminiscent of the silhouette of a huge bird with open wings. The complex consists of two main halls; the Concert hall and the Sports hall, in addition to the large foyer, Hayastan conference hall and Argishti hall designated for diplomatic meetings, exhibitions and other events. Its architectural concepts include a turning tribune of 1,008 seats, that can rapidly connect the two big halls to reveal additional seating, a concept for which the architects were awarded the USSR State Prize, the highest of its kind, in 1987.
Yerevan Cascade & Yerevan Matenadaran - The Cafesjian Center for the Arts is dedicated to bringing the best of contemporary art to Armenia and presenting the best of Armenian culture to the world. Artistic environment, beautiful setting, panoramic view of the city, location at a major landmark of Yerevan, the Cascade Complex - all this makes the Cafesjian Center for the Arts an unrivaled venue for any kind of event. The Center has a special events auditorium and several halls inside. The opening ceremony can be done on the upper level of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts, overlooking the city of Yerevan. Alternatively it can be done outside as well. Nearby cafes can be used for catering. The Cafesian Center for the Arts is located within walking distance from major hotels.
The Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts commonly referred to as the Matenadaran is a repository of ancient manuscripts, research institute and a museum in Yerevan, Armenia. It holds one of the world's richest depositories of medieval manuscripts and books which span a broad range of subjects, including theology, philosophy, history, medicine, literature, art history, and cosmography in Armenian and many other languages. Matenadaran has a large auditorium which is used for special events and conferences.

American University of Armenia
Karen Demirchyan Complex
Matenadaran
Yerevan Cascade

Conference venues listed above will be able to accommodate up to 1,400 participants. All conference venues mentioned above will be provided free of charge. These venues have flexible meeting spaces that can accommodate multiple tracks for five days

Internet

Armenia has a very good network infrastructure and various internet providers. There are three mobile phone operators currently in Armenia: Viva Cell MTS, Ucom and Beeline. All three offer both 2G and 3G as well as 4G services. All three networks are widely modern and reliable with shops located in major towns and cities where one can purchase a sim card or get assistance if needed. Most unlocked mobile phones are able to be used on roaming however network charges apply. Ucom and Viva Cell MTS are often recommended to tourists due to the variety of tariffs available and the help available in a variety of languages.

Lodging

Much more information on Yerevan can be found on WikiVoyage page.

Main hotels and hostels are located in downtown Yerevan which is approximately 12 km from the Zvartnots International Airport. We will transfer our participants by taxis or shuttles from the airport to hotels as it was done during the CEE 2016 event with the support of our volunteers. Two of our proposed venues are located in the city center which will allow participants to walk around, use the subway, public transport or taxis (cost of 1-4 km ride is 600 AMD = 1.5 USD) to reach the venue from their respective hotels. We can also arrange buses to transfer participants from hotels to the conference venue. Hotel prices vary between USD 40-90; hostels are between USD 10-15 per night. We were advised by companies hosting large events in summer to book lodging at least one year in advance to secure accommodation as summer is a prime tourist season in Armenia. We will also get accommodation discounts by booking in advance.

Catering

Yerevan has a number of catering companies that will accommodate all dietary requirements of participants.

Transportation

Traveling to Armenia has never been easier, with Armenia's 'open sky' immigration policy, internal passport for Russian citizens, visa agreements for the citizens of Iran, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Japan and free Schengen agreement short stay visas for the citizens of more than 50 European and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. There are now 34 direct flights to Armenia from cities in Europe, the Middle East, Gulf States and Russia, bringing in 1.5 million people through Armenia's two major airports in 2017. Several charter flights to Greece, Montenegro, Cyprus, Italy (Venice and Rimini), Spain (Barcelona), Bulgaria (Varna and Burgas) and Egypt are operating in summer as well. The Government of Armenia is currently in negotiation process with several new Air Companies, which will definitely increase the geography of destinations by 2020 and lower the ticket prices.

Destination	Frequency of flights per week	Flight duration
Barcelona	two flights per week	3h
Larnaca	one flight per week	3h
Thessaloniki	two flights per week	3h
Rhodes	two flights per week	3h
Bucharest	two flights per week	2h 50 min
Kiev	two flights per day four times a week; one flight three times a week	3h 10min
Dubai	daily	3h 10min
Doha	daily	3h 00min
Vienna	daily	3h 45min
Krasnodar	daily	1h 40min
Tehran	four flights per week	1h 15min
Warsaw	daily	3h 50min
Beirut	four flights per week	1h 15min
Paris	four flights per week	4h 40min
Sharjah	daily	3h 00min
Istanbul	five flights per week	2h 30min
Venice	once per week	3h 00min
Tbilisi	daily	0h 30min
Sochi	five flights per week	1h 15min
Rostov	four flights per week	1h 45min
St.Petersburg	four flights per week	3h 50min
Tel Aviv	three flights per week	2h 30min
Astana	two flights per week	3h 10min
Athens	three flights per week	3h 10min
Minsk	two flights per week	2h 45min
Voronezh	two flights per week	2h 10min
Mineralnie Vodi	two flights per week	0h 55min
Berlin (TXL)	two flights per week	3h 45min
Brussels	two flights per week	3h 40min
Damascus	one flight per week	2h 30min
New York via Vienna, Paris, Kiev, Moscow, Warsaw, Dubai, Doha	daily
Washington via Vienna, Paris, Moscow, Doha, Dubai	daily
Toronto via Vienna, Warsaw, Kiev, Moscow	daily
Montreal via Athens, Paris, Moscow, Warsaw, Doha, Dubai	daily
Deli via Kiev, Moscow, Doha, Dubai	daily
Hong Kong via Moscow, Doha, Dubai, Paris	daily
Tokyo via Moscow, Doha, Dubai, Paris, Vienna, Warsaw	daily
Cairo Via Moscow, Beirut, Vienna, Athens	daily
India via Moscow, Sharjah, Dubai, Kiev	daily
San Francisco via Paris	daily	-

Participants will arrive to Yerevan Zvartnots International Airport which is located approximately 12 km from Downtown and all the main hotels. Wikimedia Armenia will arrange participants transfer from airport to hotels although Airport shuttle and taxis are also available.

Dates

July or August would be the best months for Wikimania (except during the dates of the Golden Apricot Film festival which will take place from 7-14 July, 2019). The weather will be very pleasant and the fresh produce in abundance. Armenia is very famous for its delicious fruits and Yerevan's colorful markets attract many tourists. Proposed dates are: July 26-30 or August 7-11, 2019.

Partners

Armenian_General_Benevolent_Union,
IDeA Foundation,
Gulbenkian Foundation (already sponsors WM AM ),
Tumo Centre of Creative Technologies (WM AM Board member is also the head of Tumo Centre)
Yerevan city hall
American university of Armenia
Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences
French Univercity of Armenia,

Team

We have a team of ten experienced professionals that are involved in various departments (Program Development, Project Management, PR, IT, Communications, Logistics etc) and have notable experience in organizing large events, managing and involving high profile clients and bigger budgets.

In addition to our core staff we also have the support of 14 highly organized wiki camp coordinators that are capable of sharing responsibilities with Wikimedia Armenia core staff.

Wikimedia Armenia board consisting of seven professionals is experienced in hosting, budgeting, overseeing and directing large scale events.

All Wikimedia Armenia events are listed below.

Previous experience

GLAM International Meeting in Yerevan, 2018
"Wikipedia Education" collaborative meeting, 2017
Wikimedia CEE Meeting, 2016 (100 participants)
20 WikiCamps since 2014 (approximately 70 participants per camp)
More than 32 Wiki Loves Science events (more than 30 participants per event)
3 Wiki conferences (approximately 200 participants per event)
3 Wiki Loves Monuments events in six different regions of Armenia (approximately 150 participants per event)
Wikimedia 2030 Strategy Armenian forum, August 2017 (approximately 100 participants)
Every month Wikimedia Armenia organizes "Wiki loves science" 3-5 event, about 100 participants. Organization team consists from 3 staff members and 15 volunteers as group leaders, mentors etc.)
Beside wikicamps for school students last year we organized wikicamps for adults for times in a year (100 participants per camp).
In 2018 Yerevan hosted Francophonie conference 3500 participants. We are in cooperation with organizational team.

Visa

Armenia has a visa-free system with almost half the globe! It is a simplified process for visitors from over 90 countries. Please see below the most updated information on visas for foreign nationals. You can see the list of countries citizens of which can obtain visa only upon invitation from an organization in Armenia, e.g Wikimedia Armenia (most African countries except for South Africa).

If your citizenship is included in the following list, you are exempt from obtaining a visa.

Republic of Austria, Principality of Andorra, Commonwealth of Australia, Kingdom of Belgium, Republic of Bulgaria, Republic of Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Kingdom of Denmark, Republic of Estonia, Republic of Finland, Republic of France, Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of Greece Hungary, Iceland, Republic of Ireland, Republic of Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Republic of Latvia, The Principality of Liechtenstein, Republic of Lithuania, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Republic of Malta, Principality of Monaco, Montenegro, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Kingdom of Norway, Republic of Poland, Republic of Portugal, State of Qatar, Republic of Romania, Republic of San Marino, Republic of Singapore, Slovak Republic, Republic of Slovenia, Kingdom of Spain, Kingdom of Sweden, Swiss Confederation, Vatican City State, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America.

Even if your country is not listed above, obtaining a visa at the airport is simple. A visitor visa is issued for a variety of purposes, including tourism, business, medical and short-term stays. It can be for single entry or multiple entries, and a typical short-term stay visa, for up to 21 days, only costs 3,000 AMD (approximately USD 7).

You should check with your embassy and consulate, or embassy of Armenia in your country, if you are from one of the following countries, citizens and holders of travel documents can apply for a visitor visa only at the diplomatic or consular posts of the Republic of Armenia abroad, by invitation only.

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros Islands, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d'lvoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Rwanda, Saint Helen's Island, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Yemen.

Security and safety

Armenia is considered to be one of the safest countries in the world for solo travelers as well as for families. Low crime level and the hospitality of the locals allow tourists to enjoy their time here without any fear for their safety. The streets are always full of families, couples and tourists no matter what the time is. If you wish to go for a walk during late hours and find yourself hesitating, just don’t - the nightlife in Yerevan is really active and entertaining. Most of Armenians and foreign guests prefer to go out once the sun is down, especially during summer months. Thus, cafes and parks are filled with people wishing to try out the delicious Armenian cuisine or simply have a nice talk with their friends over a cup of coffee.

Let us remind you that Armenia is listed among the safest countries for Americans to travel to by the U.S State Department system. The system is divided into 4 levels, out of which the 4th stands for “do not travel.” Armenia is labeled as a level 1 country which stands for “exercise normal precautions,” while the neighboring countries received only level 2 or 3.

Meeting places, cuisine and events

Wikimedia Armenia office within walking distance to city center and is in close proximity to many hotels. It has enlarged its premises and now boasts a very modern office occupying 500 sqm. This space will be used for organizational committee work, as well as for organizing various social events.

Yerevan is vibrant with restaurants and cafes of all cuisines. Whether you just want a quick coffee or a long luxurious meal, there's the right place for every situation. In the summertime, the streets are lined with outdoor cafes and restaurants. The outdoor cafes in Opera are known for their relaxed vibes where you can sit for hours drinking coffee, ordering food and smoking hookah. There are also many restaurants for fast food when you are on the go. These spots can be just as delicious and satisfying. When you get tired of Armenian food, there are plenty of other cuisines for you to choose from. There is everything from Japanese, German, Italian, Thai, Chinese, to Indian. When traveling outside of Yerevan into the small towns and villages, there are homey and quaint restaurants waiting to welcome you. Whether you are sightseeing around one of the ancient monasteries or enjoying a relaxing day near a resort location, there are plenty of local spots to grab a bite to eat and enjoy the local cuisine and hospitality. National Geographic included Yerevan in the list of “Six Unexpected Cities for the Food Lovers” mentioning the capital city as one of the best places in Asia with rich cuisine. Over the past year tourism officials furthermore launched a new marketing campaign with a dynamic new website (Armenia.travel), an active social media presence, and attended several travel expos inviting more than 100 international journalists and bloggers from 15 countries to visit. Armenia was the focus of more than one hundred articles in the past year, and was featured prominently in a dozen movies and TV episodes, including renowned chef and best-selling author Anthony Bourdain’s popular television show CNN Parts Unknown and an in-depth photo tour in National Geographic Russia.

Armenia, as one of the countries with an outstanding affiliation to the French culture, is hosting the XVII Summit of Francophonie on the 11th of October 2018. Summits have been held every two years since 1986, and Yerevan is the 17th in this order. As every year, influential heads of states will be gathering in the capital city of Armenia to discuss major topics on ways to promote the Francophone values such as education, peace, sustainable development, protection of human rights and more. Yerevan 2800 Francophonie Summit. The World Congress on Information Technology which is the largest and the most reputable international event among worldwide IT leaders is going to be hosted in Yerevan in 2019. It will bring together high level officials from different countries, heads of multinational organizations, universities and scientific research center, non-governmental organizations' representatives and many more. [1]

Wikimedia Armenia office entrence
Crowded cafés near the Yerevan Opera House

Support

There are several organizations that Wikimedia Armenia collaborates with and has preliminary agreements for supporting Wikimania in Armenia: Armenian_General_Benevolent_Union, IDeA Foundation, Gulbenkian Foundation (already sponsors WM AM ), Tumo Centre of Creative Technologies (WM AM Board member is also the head of Tumo Centre) and the Yerevan city mayor. We have good connections with the Ministry of Education, The National Academy of Science, American University of Armenia and various NGOs. We can create Wikimania coordination council.