My first time at Wikimania

When I found out that I had won a scholarship to attend Wikimania 2024 I was more than happy. After applying for several years without success, I finally had the opportunity to be part of the largest activity of the Wikimedia movement in the world.

My journey as a Wikipedia editor began in 2015, almost a decade ago, but until now I had not had the chance to live with such a large number of free knowledge enthusiasts. Hundreds of people attend Wikimania every year, either on scholarship or by their own means. They come from all over the world, and in the halls of the venue you can hear languages you’ve never heard, see typical clothes you’ve never seen before, and talk to people you wouldn’t otherwise connect with.

No one prepares you for the enormity of this event. But in truth, the Wikimedia movement is immense. There are Wikipedias in over 300 languages, and then there are Wikipedia’s sister projects, where thousands of volunteers work every day. Being in Wikimania shows you that what you do as a volunteer is just a grain of sand in the immensity of the ocean. Dozens of talks happen simultaneously, in the hallways volunteers talk about their ideas for new projects, in the rooms people from all over the world gather to listen to the experiences of volunteers with very diverse backgrounds and stories.

I was the only representative from Bolivia. I spent a lot of time with colleagues from Peru, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina and Mexico. I was also able to meet people from different countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. I even had the opportunity to be part of the Wiki Orchestra and perform a couple of Polish pieces for all the attendees.

It is impressive to see how so many people can unite under the same goal:

“To create a world in which every person on the planet has free access to the sum of all human knowledge.”

Poland welcomed us with much affection. Katowice (pronounced Katovitse) is an important Polish city that used to be a mining center. In fact, the building where the event was held is built on a former mine. Next year the meeting will be in Nairobi, Kenya, which we were told is known as the Silicon Valley of the Savannah. I hope with all my heart to be part of this meeting again and continue sharing with other Wikimedians all the passion I feel for what I do and for what we do from Wikimedistas de Bolivia.

*This story was originally uploaded in August 2024 to the Wikimedistas de Bolivia blog.