Crossing Bridges at CEE Meeting 2024 – An editor’s insights in knowledge sharing

Attending the CEE Meeting 2024 was a deeply enriching experience for me and it was also my first time attending the yearly conference in the CEE region. Held under the theme “A Bridge to Knowledge,” this gathering of Wikipedians from across the CEE region was more than just a series of discussions and presentations—it was a space to connect, reflect, and envision the future of Wikimedia as a team. This year, the CEE Meeting was held in Müze Ghazane, Istanbul, Türkiye. 

As someone who has always been passionate about the power of open knowledge, this meeting again reinforced the idea that Wikipedia is not just an encyclopedia; it’s a movement. It’s a platform that brings people together from all walks of life, cultures, and languages, and in the case of the CEE region, it’s a bridge that spans generations and borders. 

All of the sessions which I attended are some of what I particularly find deeply important and I thanked the presenters and attendees for the amount of engagement and information shared during every session. Some of what I would like to write about are: 

First, it was exciting learning about the success and impact of WikiCamp in Türkiye. This was delivered by Oner Hoca in his session titled, The Best Day of My Life “Arhavi WikiCamp”. WikiCamps brings together editors, youth, students, and even lecturers for a hands-on Wikipedia experience. Through the combination of editing workshops with fun outdoor and indoor activities, these camps create a welcoming environment where learning happens organically.

What I loved most about this initiative is how it bridges the gap between generations. Wikipedia can sometimes feel intimidating for newcomers, especially younger ones. WikiCamp offers a fun, community-based approach to learning, where senior editors mentor the next generation of Wikipedians. Watching the enthusiasm of the participants, I couldn’t help but think about the future of Wikipedia. Bright, energetic, and eager to contribute. From his experience, Oner Hoca also mentioned something I find quite profound: “This way, the Wikipedia family can be introduced and recognized correctly“, and I resonated with that.

One key takeaway for me from this session was that fostering a love for open knowledge starts with building relationships. In spaces like WikiCamp, it’s not just about learning how to edit; it’s about forming a connection to the global Wikipedia community. This approach helps turn first-time editors into lifelong contributors, and it’s something I hope to see more of in other regions as well.

Apart from that, it also reinforced to me the idea that community is central to Wikipedia, and nowhere was this more evident than in the discussions around CEE Youth Groups. There are WikiClubs that are active across the region, serving as hubs for young editors to meet, collaborate, and continue contributing to Wikimedia projects. This session was delivered by amazing young editors in the Wiki Student Clubs in Türkiye panel discussion. The panel speakers encompass bright and demonstrative students who are leading their respective WikiClubs in their universities. What I found particularly inspiring is that WikiClubs don’t necessarily need to stop at schools or universities. As they shared their thoughts and experiences, it was clear that WikiClubs can be a sustainable place where editors–and communities can evolve and grow together while contributing to Wikipedia. 

An idea worth mentioning is the success story of an alumni student WikiClub in Japan which was shared by Eugene Ormandy was that, forming an alumni WikiClub can offer a way for former students to stay involved, keeping that bridge to knowledge alive even after they graduate. It’s a model that ensures continuity and long-term engagement, something that I think every Wikimedia community can benefit from.

As someone who has worked to foster collaboration among different Wikimedia communities, I left the CEE meeting with a renewed sense of how important it is to create spaces that welcome people of all ages and experiences. The CEE Youth Groups go beyond just editing Wikipedia. They’re about creating a sustainable community who are passionate in knowledge sharing.

Finally, one of the most exciting discussions I found revolved around the Wikipedia in Class initiative by the Wikimedians of Albanian Language User Group. It shows that by integrating Wikipedia into the classroom, teachers can use it as a tool not just for research but also for active learning. In this session, I learned that this initiative encouraged students to contribute articles, improving their writing, research skills, and even their academic performance in the process. Hearing how this has transformed classrooms was inspiring. I believe in the educational potential of Wikipedia. It was promising to see how the Wikipedians from Albania put a lot of effort into imploring teachers to embrace this model. The idea that students can contribute real knowledge to a global platform, all while improving their own academic skills, is a perfect example of what the CEE meeting’s theme, “Bridge to Knowledge,” is all about.

It also made me ponder about how we can apply these same ideas in other educational contexts in other countries. Wikipedia offers such vast, untapped potential in classrooms, and I left the meeting determined to explore more ways to bring it into formal education spaces. With the right knowledge, information, and support from experienced people, this initiative has a massive potential to grow. 

On a personal level, the CEE meeting felt like a homecoming. Even though the participants were from a different region, the sense of camaraderie and shared purpose was universal. The theme, “Bridge to Knowledge,” resonated deeply with me because it reminded me that our work as Wikimedians is never done in isolation. We’re always building bridges. Between people, between cultures, between knowledge and those who seek it.

Leaving the meeting, I felt both inspired and challenged. Inspired by the innovative projects happening in the CEE region, and challenged to bring some of those ideas back to my communities. So, in wrapping up, the CEE meeting was an eye-opener for me. I saw firsthand how these amazing initiatives are transforming how people engage with Wikipedia. I think there’s so much we can learn from these programs, and I’m excited to see how we can apply some of these ideas to grow our own Wikimedia communities. The CEE Meeting 2024 was also a powerful reminder of what we, as a global community, can achieve when we come together. It emphasized the values of more than just sharing knowledge. It was about creating the pathways through which that knowledge can flow. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this meeting, and I look forward to continuing to build bridges within the Wikimedia movement, one edit at a time.

To the organizers, the CEE Meeting 2024 was a job well done. All appreciation and credit goes to you for the successful event.