The Wiki-Green Conference 2025 convened over 50 participants — including Wikimedians, civil society organizations (CSOs), educators, and youth advocates — at CSIR-STEPRI in Accra, Ghana to explore how open knowledge can drive environmental sustainability and support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Organized under the Wiki-Green Initiative, with support from the Wikimedia Foundation’s Rapid Fund, the conference aimed to build the capacity of CSOs to effectively use Wikimedia projects such as Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons in their advocacy, research, and storytelling work.
Opening the Dialogue on Climate and Knowledge
The conference was officially opened by Maxwell Beganim (User:Xibitgh), a climate activist and Wikimedia trainer affiliated with Wiki Green Initiatives. In his opening remarks, he urged participants to embrace Wikimedia as a tool for amplifying verified climate knowledge and community-based solutions.
“Climate advocacy must go beyond campaigns,” Beganim said. “It should be supported by reliable, accessible, and open data that empowers communities to act.”
These was followed by solidarity messages from invited organizations, including Open Foundation West Africa, Wikimedia Ghana, Global Open Initiative Foundation, Women in Sustainability Africa and the CSO Platform SDG Ghana.
Keynote Address: Open Knowledge for a Sustainable Future
Delivering the keynote on “Open Knowledge for a Sustainable Future: Empowering CSOs in the Digital Age,” Alex Stinson, spoke about the intersection of information integrity, technology, and sustainability. He highlighted how the world faces a growing information integrity crisis, particularly around climate and environmental topics. With the rise of large language models and algorithmic content, Alex stressed that access to accurate, verifiable information is more essential than ever.
“The complexity of finding reliable information today challenges how societies understand climate issues,” he said. “Projects like Wikimedia — and other Digital Public Goods — are essential to shaping an ecosystem of knowledge that empowers people and organizations to act for a sustainable future.”
Alex’s address encouraged CSOs and youth organizations to actively use Wikimedia projects to improve open access to climate information and build trust in digital advocacy spaces.
Panel Discussion: Open Knowledge and the SDGs
A panel discussion moderator by Daniel Owiredu (Green Advocacy Ghana) on the theme “The Role of Open Knowledge in Advancing Climate Action & SDGs in Ghana” explored how Wikimedia projects can support sustainable development initiatives.
Panelists included Joseph Afangbe (Young Visionary Leaders Ghana), Dr. Stephen Budu (GIMPA), Ruby Damenshie-Brown (WikiForHumanRights Africa Regional Coordinator), and Maxwell Odonkor (World Inspiring Network). The conversation highlighted the need for open data, knowledge sharing, and strong leadership in driving climate resilience and civic engagement.
During the discussion, Maxwell Odonkor called on CSOs and young people to “adopt innovative approaches to become more sustainable while reducing their over-dependency on foreign aid.” He highlighted two flagship initiatives of the World Inspiring Network:
- EcoFlames – A program that transforms coconut waste in Accra into clean energy, offering a model for circular waste management and renewable energy.
- Black Soldier Fly Pilot Initiative – A community-based, youth-led project that uses organic waste to produce animal feed and compost, fostering zero-waste solutions and green job creation.
“These examples,” Maxwell noted, “demonstrate how grassroots innovation can align with the SDGs while promoting economic self-reliance.”
Ruby Damenshie-Brown emphasized the importance of integrating gender perspectives into sustainability efforts, while Joseph Afangbe and Dr. Budu discussed the role of leadership and academia in shaping long-term, evidence-based strategies for climate action.
Hands-On Training Workshops
Beyond the discussions, the conference featured three hands-on training workshops aimed at strengthening the capacity of CSOs to engage with open platforms:
- Workshop 1: Introduction to the Open Movement — facilitated by Stephen Dakyi
- Workshop 2: Wikidata for Advocacy and Research — led by Justice Okai-Allotey
- Workshop 3: Visual Storytelling with Wikimedia Commons — conducted by Jesse Asiedu-Akrofi
Through these sessions, participants learned practical ways to use Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons to document projects, share environmental knowledge, and enhance advocacy efforts.
Beyond skill-building, the conference also served as a networking platform for CSOs, Wikimedia communities, and sustainability advocates, participants and speakers sharing case studies and success stories, identified opportunities for collaboration and cross-sector partnerships.
Key Outcome & Next Steps
A key outcome of this year’s conference was the development of the Wikipedia Toolkit for CSOs in Ghana, a practical guide designed to help civil society organizations integrate Wikimedia tools into their advocacy, communication, and education work.
This initiative was made possible through the technical and strategic support of the Wikimedia Ghana User Group, whose collaboration helped align the toolkit with local contexts and the broader Wikimedia movement’s open knowledge goals.
The toolkit aims to serve as a capacity-building resource for organizations seeking to document their impact, improve visibility through open knowledge platforms, and contribute to public awareness on environmental and sustainability issues.
Through practical workshops, storytelling sessions, and collaborative discussions, Wiki-Green Conference 2025 demonstrated that partnership between Wikimedia communities and civil society organizations can enhance environmental knowledge sharing, strengthen advocacy, and improve data reliability. Participants identified a need for ongoing mentorship, tailored training, and local-language documentation to make open tools more accessible.
“When civil society and open knowledge communities work together, we can amplify local stories, strengthen information integrity, and drive real climate action,” said Stephen Dakyi (User:NanaYawBotar), Project Lead of the Wiki-Green Conference and founder of the DABY Foundation, during his closing remarks.
Looking ahead, the Wiki-Green team plans to establish a Green Knowledge Network — a collaborative space where CSOs and Wikimedians can co-create open resources, document local projects, and continue advancing SDG-related advocacy through Wikimedia platforms.
📸 Learn more and explore project resources:
Visit the Meta-Wiki page → https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki-Green_Conference_2025
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