In Central America there is a gap in the creation of knowledge and information on the Internet. In Wikipedia, biographies from the region represent only 1.8 percent and in the case of El Salvador only represent 0.14 percent.
In order to promote the generation of knowledge from and about El Salvador and Central America, a group of volunteers have joined together to develop educational programs that involve Wikipedia and its sister projects as the main protagonists of change in digital education.
Thus, on May 20, 2021 Wikimedia El Salvador was launched, formed as a group of Wikipedians that aims to raise awareness in the country about the use of Wikimedia Foundation projects.
The Wikipedistas seek to collaborate with communities and organizations in the development of education based on free knowledge and universal access to information through a free and open internet in which all people have the right to search, create, share culture and knowledge.
In addition, several events are planned to eradicate the stigmas and myths that exist around the use of Wikipedia and to show the power of the rest of the spaces that Wikimedia has as a foundation.
Since the launch of the initiative, events have been held to promote the collection of knowledge about El Salvador on different topics such as historical memory, gender, sports and culture. This through workshops, talks and collaborations with different organizations such as the Olympic Committee of El Salvador, the Latin American Council of Social Sciences and the Cultural Center of Spain in El Salvador.
In 2021, in the framework of the Bicentennial of Central America, a Wikipedia workshop was held in which the Central American Bicentennial entry was created together with researchers from the region.
The Wikipedians have also participated in the Art+Feminist initiative since before the launch of Wikimedia El Salvador.
This year they have held events for Women’s Month, such as talks, Wikipedia workshops with a gender focus, editatonas, as well as participating in the Latin American regional campaign “¡Alto! Mujeres Trabajando” (¡Stop! Women Working).
The Wikipedistas plan to become an official user group this year, in addition to continuing with events, workshops and actions that allow the creation and improvement of entries on women, environment, culture and history in Wikipedia.
“Now and in the future we will continue to work to contribute to open knowledge through the Foundation’s projects,” they say.
Learn more about Wikimedia El Salvador, here our networks:
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