Perú: a key meeting for the Climate Justice Working Group and Wikimedia projects

On November 5 and 6, 2024, in the lead up to the Conference on Climate Justice, Indigenous Voices and Wikimedia Platforms in Huaraz, the Climate Justice Working Group and Wikimedia Projects had its second face-to-face meeting  in the Andean mountains of Áncash, Perú. This event marked another key moment for the collective, which since its creation in 2023 in Uruguay works to make visible and enrich the contents related to environmental issues,  climate change and sustainability in Wikimedia projects.

October: Building a common agenda

At our meeting in 2023, we had identified three major milestones to work on during 2024: the organization of the regional campaign “Wiki for Human Rights”; the Green Digital Skills course at Wikimedia and the Conference in Huaraz. The development of these activities helped us outline  an agenda of topics to discuss in the face-to-face meeting.

To prepare ourselves before the new face-to-face meeting, we had external support from the consultant Andrea Perez (expert in strategic design methodologies). She helped us develop a series of common working concepts, expectations and needs of each participating group in three online sessions during the month of October.  

In these spaces, we also thought about decision-making processes, with differentiated thresholds of participation according to the scope of each decision, and we delineated specific dynamics for doing our work during the Conference. We worked on the creation of a collaborative, adaptive and transparent structure, including the delegation of roles and the creation of specific committees to follow-up on activities. In addition, we highlighted the need for a progressive induction process for new people and groups, facilitating their integration according to their capabilities and available resources.

November: the in-person meeting

In total, 20 people were reunited, including teams of Wikimedia affiliates from the Working Group, some volunteers and Wikimedia Foundation staff. There were two days of work meetings, on Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 November 2024, in a rural space located one hour north of the city of Huaraz: Flor de Vida in Acopampa.

The two days were divided into two methodological blocks: mornings of divergence and afternoons of convergence. In the first half of the day, we focused on exploring ideas and sharing perspectives through participatory dynamics that promoted open exchange and creativity. During the afternoon, we shifted the focus to synthesizing and prioritizing these ideas to define concrete actions.

Day 1

As part of the divergence process, we conducted a collective story harvest where participants shared projects and experiences from the last year of the Working Group, focusing on key achievements, tools and learnings. Subsequently, in small groups, we explored strategies to address specific challenges.

In the afternoon, we adjusted the strategic axes towards 2025 and 2026, reviewing progress and prioritizing viable products. The axes include: partnerships and resources, knowledge development, community strengthening, impact measurement and strategic positioning. We defined short, medium and long term objectives, forming smaller groups with leaders to coordinate each axis, achieving a clearer plan of action.

Day 2

We worked on drafting a manifesto based on previous principles to define our vision and actions on Climate Justice. Through individual reflection and a group writing exercise, we set a tone of demand and inspiration, with a focus on action. This manifesto also aims to inspire and mobilize more people towards the struggle for Climate Justice, promoting free, collaborative and decolonial knowledge within Wikimedia projects.

We defined activities and priorities for the coming year and discussed models of participation that respect territorial autonomy, promote transparency and strengthen collaboration on climate and epistemic justice.  

The Working Group at the conference

As part of the opening of the conference, the manifesto was read, inviting all attendees to share their comments and reflections during the course of the days in Huaraz. 

Manifesto of the Working Group
(in process, version of November 8, 2024)

MANIFESTO

The climate crisis exists: science says so, our territories suffer from it.
We are a collective of Latin American Wikimedians organizations
that find ourselves working in a context of exclusions, inequalities and violence. 
We collectively assume the responsibility to create and safeguard an ecosystem of free, collaborative, participatory and inclusive knowledge that contributes to climate action.

Knowledge is not only in books, it lives in the earth and in all beings, and in our ancestralities. We consider the Wikimedia projects from a decolonial and anti-extractivist perspective, as open and public and open spaces that allow us to document, record, preserve, share and transform this knowledge, so that it can be useful for the care of life and its communities.

We defend the practices of building and safeguarding knowledge in a collective way. We think of ourselves as an action group that seeks to recover the memories and struggles of our territories. We weave networks of activism and visibility, which are fundamental to build and strengthen ties between communities.

There is no climate justice without epistemic justice. Responses to the crises
require a dialogue of knowledges.

After the reading, the manifesto was hung on walls so that participants could contribute their ideas to enrich it. Participants were invited to reflect on three key questions: what do they find interesting about the manifesto, what suggestions do they have to enrich it, and how could they collaborate to enable it? The activity generated 60 responses and most of the contributions focused on the last question, showing the community’s enthusiasm for activating the manifesto as a tool for transformation.

What we achieved

In this second meeting, we explored new strategies to establish ourselves as a consolidated Working Group in search of enriching climate justice content on the Wikimedia platforms. From sharing experiences to planning future actions, we reaffirmed our commitment to create collaborative spaces that integrate diverse voices and critical perspectives.

In Perú, we consolidated a strategic approach that links our initiatives, from editing campaigns to the creation of materials and new meetings, with an annual planning that ensures that each action drives our shared short- and long-term goals. In this way, we were able to strengthen commitment and synergy within the group, creating a sense of belonging that enhances our collective efforts.

Thanks! 

We want to thank all the people who participated in this Working Group meeting: for the time spent together to discuss, reflect, imagine and land ideas, actions and visions. We would also like to thank the Wikimedia Foundation staff, people like Brisa Ceccon, who helped us to organize this important two-day working meeting.

We are thrilled to invite you to be part of this collaborative effort and look forward to meeting you again at the Wiki Campaign for Human Rights to be held between April and June 2025. 

For more information on how to participate in the Working Group, please visit the following page on Meta-wiki.