From the eyes of a youth – Insights from the CEE Youth Meeting 2025

As a member of the CEE Youth group, this year, I have been invited to attend the CEE Youth meetup in Yerevan, Armenia. I participated in this meetup from 20^th November to 22^nd November 2025, where my return journey from Tartu to Armenia was from 19^th November 2025 to 23^rd November. 

The meetup was a small-scale meetup which consisted of invited participants who were representing their communities and shared their insights on what has worked for them in terms of youth participation in the Wikimedia movement and projects. We had around 20 participants from different countries in the CEECA region gathering in this meetup.

Undeniably, the Youth Group plays an increasingly important role in shaping how the Wikimedia movement engages with young contributors across any region. The meetup in Yerevan demonstrated that youth involvement is not only growing but also becoming more structured and strategic. As young Wikimedians from different backgrounds came together, the diversity of perspectives became one of the strongest assets of the meeting. The diversity of the participants represented various socio-cultural contexts, each with different community dynamics and levels of organizational maturity, and this allowed us to understand how youth engagement differs from country to country and why certain initiatives succeed in some places but not in others. It also opened the door to new ideas and collaborative approaches that can strengthen youth activities in our region. 

Activities by the CEE youth group

During the first day of our discussions, I learned that the youth members have contributed to the movement in so many ways. Apart from doing outreach to promote our respective Wikimedia communities, we still maintain our responsibilities as contributors, admins, patrollers, etc.  On top of that, each of us has either organized or been actively involved in various projects such as the Wiki Loves Monuments, photo walks, Wiki Loves Earth, Wiki Women, and many more. We also had the opportunity to present our projects to our communities, such as in monthly community meetings, during Wikimania, and at the CEE Meeting 2025. 

I was an official representative for Wikimedia Estonia as well. Therefore, I also brought up several efforts that have been made by the WMEE to support and encourage participation from the youth demographic in the Chapter and to contribute to different Wikimedia projects. For example, I emphasized the initiative of supporting the University of Tartu International Student Wiki Photography Club in our excursions and photo walks.

Struggles we are facing

I noticed a lot of introspectiveness from the participants I talked to because everyone was always positive about the challenges we talked about. There was various feedback gathered that is centered on the development of the youth in the movement in general, and I found them rather helpful to understand that the youth can be encouraged very differently when it comes to volunteering activities. 

Then, of course, this led to discussions centered on the struggles we faced when implementing ideas within our communities. These obstacles arise both externally, such as a lack of visibility or recognition, and internally, including limited experience or uncertainty about how to scale projects. A recurring sentiment expressed by many participants was the feeling that youth efforts are sometimes dismissed or misunderstood as “a bunch of young people hanging out,” which undermines the real work and dedication we invested in this movement. This perception can be discouraging and may even limit our motivation to expand outreach or take on new initiatives. However, what stood out to me throughout the conversations was the unwavering positivity of the youth members. Everyone remained hopeful and believed strongly that our limitations are solvable with proper guidance, support, and collaboration from more experienced Wikimedians in our community.

Our next steps

A prominent result from our discussion during this meeting was the concept of ambassadors who will be coordinators for different areas of youth in some aspects of support or activities that we are pursuing. In essence, when we look at the improvement of leadership skills for youth, we have four ambassadors who will assist in coordinating activities related to this topic with the CEE Hub or connected affiliates, such as in having a leadership workshop, etc. This is a good model as it provides a pathway for young Wikimedians to take on more formal leadership roles, as well as reflecting the group’s maturity and commitment to growing sustainably.

In addition, collaboration across communities was another major discussion. Participants agreed that more cross-border activities, such as joint edit-a-thons, regional photography campaigns, leadership training, and peer mentoring programs, are essential for maintaining our momentum. These collaborations are to strengthen youth relationships and also help smaller communities feel less isolated. They create opportunities for shared learning, collective problem-solving, and a stronger regional community for participants who want to improve their contribution to the movement.

Support we would like to have

For the CEE Youth Group, support from our respective affiliates is important to us. This is because we, in some ways, depend on experienced Wikimedians to execute our ideas. To develop and polish our leadership skills, we need to be trained by leaders. Many of our ideas require the guidance of experienced Wikimedians who can provide strategic insights, help navigate logistical challenges, and offer constructive feedback on what we can do to improve our outreach and more. As youth, we are eager to improve our leadership capabilities, but meaningful growth requires mentorship and training from those with practical experience. In this case, affiliates play a pivotal role in enabling our initiatives to become both feasible and impactful. This support is not only needed but also deeply appreciated.

My personal reflection

Personally, I found the meetup incredibly enriching. Apart from the formal sessions, connecting with young Wikimedians from across the region helped me better understand the landscape of youth participation and the challenges we collectively face in our respective communities. Moving forward, I plan to collaborate more actively with the CEE Youth ambassadors and to communicate more effectively with WMEE leadership about the needs, challenges, and aspirations of youth members. The Yerevan meetup served as a reminder that while youth sometimes feel overlooked, we are part of a vibrant, capable, and deeply committed company.

Finally, I unfortunately had to leave on Sunday and missed the last day of the meetup due to my other responsibilities. However, I received various updates from my fellow Wiki friends about what I missed. This proactiveness reaffirmed my belief that youth are not a secondary part of the movement, and rather, we are an essential source of inspiration and long-term sustainability for the Wikimedia movement as a whole. Additionally, the hospitality of the organizers and the warmth of Armenian culture created an environment where everyone felt welcomed, respected, and inspired. 

Acknowledgement

I would like to extend my gratitude to the CEE Hub and Wikimedia Armenia for organizing this meetup and for bringing the youth participants, whom I have learned so much from about the movement of youth within the region, and for inspiring me to continue my effort, because I am not alone after all. For Wikimedia Eesti, for supporting me with a daily allowance and allowing me to represent the affiliate officially. For Klára, Karo, Barbara, Karolina, and Shahen, for their patience and guidance throughout the meetup, allowing us space to voice out our opinions and needs. For Mari, for her constant support and agility in problem-solving. For my roommate, Kamola, for being the best roommate and friend one could ask for! For all Armenians whom I have met, Seda, Mari, Shahen, Argam, Arshak, Dawid, and/or David :), Svetlana, Haikuhi, and others, for being the most hospitable hosts and friends.