CEE Youth Group Annual Meeting in Yerevan: A Door to New Ideas and New Beginnings

On 22–23 November 2025, the annual meeting of the CEE Youth Group took place in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia. Since 2023, this gathering has become one of the key annual events that brings together young Wikimedians from the Central and Eastern Europe region and Central Asia. The meeting serves not only as a platform for reviewing achievements and ongoing projects, but also as an opportunity to strengthen connections, exchange experiences, and collectively shape the future of youth engagement within the Wikimedia Movement. This year’s meeting focused on reflecting on the work completed in 2025, ranging from local youth-driven initiatives to regional collaborations, and developing strategic plans for 2026. Participants shared updates about their communities, highlighted challenges and successes, and explored new ideas to enhance youth leadership and capacity across the movement.

One of the aspects that impressed me the most was the thoughtful structure of the sessions and the creative use of interactive methodologies. The program combined group activities, discussions, and game-based exercises designed to make everyone feel comfortable and involved. Speaking personally, I am usually a bit shy when it comes to sharing my ideas openly in front of a group. But thanks to the dynamic format and supportive environment, I found myself expressing my thoughts more freely and confidently. The facilitators ensured that every participant was able to contribute, regardless of their level of experience. Working in smaller groups helped build trust and encouraged everyone to listen to one another’s perspectives. The game-based approach, in particular, made complex topics easier to discuss and allowed us to explore solutions collaboratively. I genuinely believe that this methodology was one of the strongest elements of the entire meeting.

Throughout the two days, we examined the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities present in our communities, locally, regionally, and globally. These discussions were eye-opening. Despite being young, every participant already had meaningful experience and was actively contributing to the Wikimedia Movement. The room was full of energy, motivation, and the desire to do more. I felt especially inspired by participants such as Mari Avetisyan, Jan Beránek, and Caner Özyayıkçı. Their leadership, consistency, and commitment to empowering others showed how impactful youth can be when given the right support and opportunities. The team’s kindness and openness to newcomers and willingness to guide others allowed me to overcome my own hesitation and feel fully welcomed in the community.

One of the defining features of the meeting was the sense of belonging it created. Every conversation, whether during sessions, breaks, or informal gatherings, carried warmth and encouragement. The participants, although coming from different countries, backgrounds, and cultures, shared a common purpose: to strengthen the Wikimedia Movement through youth participation. There was no moment to feel bored or disconnected. Each activity revealed something new: either a fresh idea, a personal story, or an approach that could be useful in our home communities. For me, the meeting became not only a space for learning, but also a place where I gained confidence, inspiration, and a wider understanding of how interconnected our work truly is.

To be honest, I feel that I took away far more from this meeting than I initially expected. Perhaps because it was my first time attending, the experience was especially memorable. But beyond that, it marked a turning point for me. I once heard the saying, “When one door closes, another one opens.” After the two days in Yerevan, I genuinely feel that a new door has opened in my Wikimedia journey. I returned home with a head full of ideas, new initiatives I want to try, collaborations I hope to build, and ways I can help strengthen youth engagement in my own community. The meeting reminded me that every contribution matters, no matter how small, and that together, we can achieve far more than we imagine.

I am deeply grateful to everyone who organized this event and to the inspiring young Wikimedians who participated. The atmosphere of openness, support, and creativity made this meeting unforgettable. I look forward to contributing even more actively in 2026 and to seeing the projects and collaborations that will emerge from our shared ideas. The Yerevan meeting showed me that the Wikimedia Movement is full of opportunities, and that youth are not only the future of the movement, but an essential part of its present. I am excited to be part of this journey and eager to see what comes next.