The year 2024 was a pivotal and challenging one for Wikimedia Iraq as we started on revitalizing the user group after years of low activity. With the dedication of our experienced members and support from the Wikimedia Foundation, we implemented a solid plan starting on July 1st, achieving remarkable success. Here, we are proud to share some of the key highlights from the past six months.
We achieved remarkable impact through our efforts, particularly the Wikimedia Iraq Contest and our support for members participating in various Wikipedia competitions. Between July 1 and December 31, 2024, we contributed by16% of new articles created on Arabic Wikipedia.
This accomplishment includes over 2,000 new articles, more than 39,000 edits, and an impressive addition of 21 million bytes of content.
Our members’ impact extended beyond Wikipedia, reaching Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons through our initiatives to document notable Iraqi figures on Wikidata and the “Wiki Loves Iraq” campaign on Commons.
Together, we added over 10,000 new statements on Wikidata and contributed more than 2,000 new images to Commons. These efforts not only enriched these platforms but also improved the visual content of existing articles on Wikipedia, bringing fresh perspectives to knowledge representation.
These achievements would not have been possible without our focus on bringing fresh energy and engaging youth and newcomers in our movement and user group.
Through a series of diverse workshops, we successfully increased overall participation by 200%, With increasment of youth by 60% and women by 50%.
This was no small feat, but by deeply understanding our community’s needs and implementing clear, adaptive strategies, we turned this challenge into a milestone of growth and inclusivity.
Creating a new, inspiring identity for the user group has been transformative, energizing both longtime members and newcomers. This renewed sense of purpose and connection to our movement’s mission has significantly enhanced engagement, driving greater impact in our activities and advancing our goals.
Read more here -> Wikimedia Iraq: How We Built Our New Visual Identity
We take immense pride in our members who made a significant difference in 2024. Notably, most of them were newcomers who joined our user group within the last 4-5 months, showing the incredible potential of fresh talent and enthusiasm in our community.
Finally, we wish everyone a fantastic year ahead. As for us, we remain committed to contributing to our user group, supporting newcomers, and ensuring its sustainability. We also aim to enhance our country’s presence more on the internet while actively supporting national digital transformation efforts.
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