Wikimedia:
What does it mean to have knowledge exposed? Can anyone access all the knowledge of human civilization? The reality is, no. Not everyone can read every book. Some books remain out of reach, while many libraries are not accessible to everyone. Access to scientific journals often comes at a high cost, making it unattainable for many. These barriers highlight the challenges we face in acquiring knowledge.
The Wikimedia movement challenges these limitations. This is not just a repository of information but a platform that promotes open access to knowledge for all—whether for personal or commercial use. Every piece of content, including information and images, is made available under open licenses, subject to certain conditions. It is firmly believes that knowledge should be free and accessible without barriers.
One of the most prominent initiatives under Wikimedia is Wikipedia. It is widely used across the globe, often appearing as the top search result on Google. Wikipedia began its journey on January 15, 2001, with the launch of its English version. By mid-2001, additional versions in German, Catalan, French, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, Swedish, Dutch, Polish, Simple English, Esperanto, Afrikaans, Norwegian, and Basque followed.
On August 6, 2024, Wikipedia launched in Bajau Sama, bringing the total to over 330 language versions today, with 17 versions currently inactive. Each language version has its own unique community, where volunteers contribute to the growth of knowledge in their native languages.
Although Wikipedia started as the first project, the Wikimedia ecosystem has since expanded to include co-projects like Wikimedia Commons, WikiSpecies, Wikidata, and Wiktionary. Each project has its specific focus:
- Commons: The world’s largest open repository of media files, hosting images, audio, and video.
- WikiSpecies: Dedicated to documenting Earth’s species under open licenses.
- Wikidata: Focused on structured and machine-readable data.
- Wiktionary: A project to create multilingual dictionaries.
Volunteers worldwide, often called Wikimedians, spend countless hours contributing content, ensuring it remains freely accessible. For example, WikiVibrance collaborates with the African Union to empower young people in Africa. Universities in the United States and Canada integrate Wikipedia contributions into their educational programs.
collaborations extend to galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAMs) to generate knowledge under open licenses. International conferences, such as Wikimedia Summit and Wiki Workshop, unite volunteers and researchers. These events promote collaboration, leadership, and safety within the movement while fostering academic research on Wikimedia’s impact.
What’s remarkable is that no single entity owns the Wikimedia ecosystem. Decisions are made collectively by volunteers online, emphasizing its democratic and collaborative nature. This decentralized decision-making process has even piqued the interest of sociologists, who study its policies, potential contradictions, and resolution strategies.
Over time, it has evolved into what some call the “Wikimedia Universe” or “Wikimedia Movement.” From its humble beginnings with Wikipedia, it has grown into a dynamic global force committed to making knowledge accessible to everyone. Today, This stands as an ongoing movement, bridging gaps in knowledge and empowering humanity through open access.