Wikimedia Youth Conference: a place where youth energy and dedication meet – a report from the Greek attendees

From 16 to 18 May 2025, Prague became a global meeting point for young people from all over the world. The Wikimedia Youth Conference 2025, the conference dedicated exclusively to the new generation of the Wikimedia movement, brought together with participants from all over the world for three days full of creativity, collaboration, open dialogue and a willingness to interact. This article explains the experiences of the two Greek attendees, and gives a full overview on the program and the activities of the conference.

The event was organized by Wikimedia Czech Republic (WMCZ), with significant support from the Wikimedia CEE Hub, which has been playing an active role in supporting the youth movement in Central and Eastern Europe in recent years. The contribution of Klára Joklová, executive director of WMCZ and member of the CEE Hub steering committee, who is also a co-founder of the CEE Youth Group, contributed significantly to the conduct of the conference. From the Greek delegation, Nikos supported the event as a peer facilitator.

Two Greek Wikimedians attended the conference, coming from northern and southern Greece. During the conference, we exchanged experiences with various attendees, and shared with many people the difficulties we face in order to strengthen the movement in our country, and the common difficulties that Wikimedia communities face globally.

However, the first preparations began in 2024. In August the grant request was submitted. In November 2024 the second day of CEE Youth Prague meeting was dedicated on discussing the conference’s details and main topics of discussion like making Wikimedia more attractive for youth, raising their voices, providing support and keeping them into Wikimedia without losing enthusiasm. In this meeting the attending members of the CEE Youth Group agreed to help as peer facilitators in the conference. Nikos led peer facilitation sessions who included people from many countries. The peer facilitator model worked in this way: There were discussion groups on the 4 important questions (and another topic in Sunday) that formed the basis on the conference, and the 84 participants were divided in 11 discussion groups led by the peer facilitators who led the discussion and ensured everyone has a space to talk.

Before the conference

The early preparations began in November, in the CEE Youth annual meeting in Prague. The purpose of this meeting was to plan the strategy of 2025, but participants mostly talked on the Youth Conference in strategy, finding solutions and answers to the four main questions that the conference also talked about. Klara also explained to the participants of the meeting what would happen in the conference, and these issues were discussed by the participants about those topics in small groups during the 2024 CEE Youth annual meeting in Prague. Then, in January scholarship applications opened, and the two Greek attendees applied, with the applications being approved some days later. Coordination sessions for the peer facilitators began in April, and Nikos also proposed the idea of discussing topics about Youth and Wikimedia in lunch.

The continuous interaction we had with other young people from different countries showed us that the concerns and problems we face are common. This encouraged us to be more honest and open. In addition to the discussion and active dialogues, we had the time to participate in afternoon events and have fun together in games and musical evenings, gaining incredible experiences with our new friends.

During the conference

With the main question “How can we make the movement more attractive to young people?”, the conference focused on finding new ideas and practices to strengthen youth participation in the movement. The program included thematic workshops, collective sessions and open discussions — all designed by young Wikimedians. It has been observed that often the younger generation that contributes to the project often feels like they are losing their motivation to continue, given the lack of support from older generations of Wikimedians and support tools. The conference therefore clarified the ways in which young people can continue to build the project with enthusiasm.

The first day had an introduction in the aims of the conference and a general overview of the CEE Youth Group. The questions about the decreasing amount of young Wikimedians and that our voice wasn’t heard were discussed in workshops during the first day, as small groups of 6-7 people discussed the issues led by a peer facilitator. During the first half of the first day had also a 2-hour long energizer activity, intended to bring us closer.

In the second day one of the most interesting activities was when we were asked to discuss in pairs topics on Wikimedia. In order to add another layer of socialisation, we were strongly encouraged to talk mostly with people whom we didn’t know, or barely talked with. It was an amazing opportunity to exchange opinions with Wikimedians of various backgrounds and meet new people. That day’s workshops focused on the lack of enthusiasm among young Wikimedians, and the fact that their skills and presence is often underestimated by older members, and the questions were discussed as before in groups of 6-7 people led by the peer facilitators.

During the early hours of the second day, Euphemia introduced us in the Wikivibrance project as well, a project to increase the presence of youth in the Wikimedia movement. It’s active mostly in Africa, though Nikos has supported some of their activities as a speaker. In the second day, we were also asked to list our plans for the future in the movement, during the “Individual growth as a leader” activity. The second day concluded with the skills market, which offered various activities organised by the WMF and CEE Hub that was invited to attend. Among others, attendees could select between an introduction on the BoT, a workshop by Jessica Stephenson, an introduction to advocacy by Ricky Gaines, and many others. The purpose of the skills market was to offer useful skills and information about various parts of the movement.

Also, during the second day we were asked to do a self-assessment of ourselves and identify the elements we would like to improve. We had to identify our feeling of satisfaction in various elements from 1 to 10, acting as a way to find which aspects of Wikimedia we would like to improve. This activity highlighted the issue of burnout that many Wikimedians have faced from time to time.

In the third day, we discussed in groups, led by peer facilitators, about what skills the young people can gain by being involved in the movement. Also we were informed on how we as individuals as a community member and as an organiser can help the community grow, with emphasis on the youth. The final hours of the conference, after a dinner in the noon, focused on making plans for the future. Also, participants from each region (Northern and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Balkans, etc.) talked about the prospects of regional partnerships. The Greek attendees joined the Balkan discussion group, led by Nikos. We discussed the possibility of an editathon about Balkans at a moment in the future. Meanwhile, we also discussed partnerships, including future partnerships on CEE Youth scale, and partnerships involving the Greek community. Meanwhile, the conference was an opportunity for the CEE Youth members to share our story and experience, and as of July 2025, various regions want to create their own youth groups.

Takeaways from the conference and conclusions

The conference in Prague was not just a series of presentations and conversations. It was a living workshop of ideas, collaboration and empowerment. Participants discussed how they can strengthen the voice of youth in the movement, support new communities, gain organizational skills, and take more active roles in Wikimedia activities.

The atmosphere of the event was positive, encouraging, and inclusive. Special emphasis was placed on ensuring a safe and friendly space. All participants were able to express themselves freely, be heard, and contribute equally. The opportunity was given to highlight any issues or concerns participants had, always showing respect for each other’s opinions.

Overall, Wikimedia Youth Conference 2025 demonstrated that young people are active and equal members of the movement. With new friendships, real interaction with different people around the world, new ideas and substantial empowerment, participants left Prague ready to continue their action — in their local communities. We look forward to seeing our new friends and associates at a new meeting, always remembering how great we spent these days in Prague.

The Youth Conference is for both of us an unforgettable moment – a lasting example of youth collaboration and engagement, proving that youth has already capacity to lead the movement. The Youth Conference was an amazing conference, where we learned a lot of new things and found how common are the difficulties that youth faces globally on Wikimedia.

Personal insights from the Greek participants

This unit shares personal testimonials from the conference, allowing both Greek participants to share their prospects about the conference. The Greek attendee from Thessaloniki, Stella comments:

I really liked the fact that I met new people from all over the world in Prague. Despite our differences in language code, we had excellent communication and managed to find common ground. We practiced English, went out in the evenings, talked and discovered beautiful Prague together. Also, through the activities we had as part of the conference, we socialized even more. It was a very beautiful and unique experience for me, which I will remember forever. The conference highlighted common issues we are facing across our communities, and we set the foundation for future partnerships. We also had the opportunity to think about issues we are facing in order to improve ourselves and the community.

Nikos shares the following:

The Youth Conference 2025 was an amazing conference. It is a conference that helped us to elevate our capacities, and understand the common issues we are facing across our communities. Even though I had already the opportunity to attend other conferences before and by that way I got acquainted with the fact that our communities face common issues, I was able to dive deep on the specific issues the global youth of the movement is facing. It holds a special place in my heart because it was adapted to our needs and we found solutions and explanations on the most pressing issues that the youth is facing, opening the way to solve them and make the youth the future of Wikimedia. This conference really cultivated the sense of belonging, through vibrant workshops that showed how similar challenges we face and connections we forged. Meanwhile, the collaborative work of our CEE Youth Group is a testament of collaboration and common work to elevate an underrepresented group. I am really proud for being part of it from its beginning and helping with the conference.