From January 30 to February 1, 2026, I had the opportunity to participate in the Wikimedia Futures Lab in Frankfurt, Germany, implemented by Wikimedia Deutschland in collaboration with the Wikimedia Foundation. The Lab brought together Wikimedians from different regions, roles, and backgrounds to explore emerging global trends, reflect on what they mean for our movement, and experiment with ideas that could help Wikimedia remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.
Rather than being a decision-making or strategy-setting space, the Futures Lab was intentionally designed as a community-driven environment for idea generation, a place to listen, question assumptions, and surface possibilities. The program followed a simple but powerful structure Learn, Think, and Do.
Day 1 — Learn
The first day focused on learning and listening. Through keynotes, panels, and breakout sessions, we explored trends shaping how people consume, create, and trust knowledge today, from content reuse and artificial intelligence to shifting online behaviors and platforms.
What became clear very quickly was that the value of these sessions did not lie only in what external experts shared, but in how the Wikimedia community reacted. In discussions that followed in breakout rooms, hallways, and coffee lines, it became evident that while these trends are global, their implications differ widely across regions and communities.
Personal reflection:
Hearing perspectives from different local contexts reminded me that the future of Wikimedia cannot be designed from a single viewpoint. Similar challenges can take very different forms on the ground. This reinforced the importance of flexibility and local sensitivity when imagining what comes next, rather than assuming universal solutions.
Day 2 — Think
Day two created space to slow down and reflect more deeply. We explored questions around contribution, participation, and the evolving relationship between readers and editors. Through hypothesis-building workshops, we began connecting trends to possible futures for Wikimedia projects.
Personal reflection:
This day challenged many of my assumptions about what “contribution” means today. In a world where people increasingly encounter knowledge through short-form platforms and AI-generated summaries, the traditional path read an article, click edit, become a contributor is no longer guaranteed.
What stood out was not disagreement itself, but the productive tension between bold ideas and caution. There was broad alignment on the challenges we face, but less certainty about how far and how fast change should go. This felt honest and important. Thinking about the future does not require immediate consensus it requires curiosity, openness, and the willingness to sit with uncertainty.
By the end of the day, I found myself reflecting on how closely connected consumers and contributors really are, and how future ideas often need clarity about whether they aim to grow readership, participation, or new forms of engagement altogether.
Day 3 — Do
The final day shifted the focus from reflection to action. Building on insights from the previous days, participants worked in groups to design “safe-to-try” experiments, small, testable ideas that could be explored within communities and projects. The emphasis was on learning through action, not on getting everything right from the start.
This day was the most energizing for me. Moving from abstract conversations to concrete experiments made the discussions feel grounded and hopeful. Framing experimentation as “safe-to-try” lowered the fear of failure and encouraged creativity. It reinforced the idea that adaptation does not require abandoning core values, but rather finding new ways to express and protect them.
Moments beyond the sessions
Several moments outside the formal program added emotional depth to the experience.
On Day 2, we celebrated Wikipedia’s 25th anniversary, a reminder that while the Lab focused on the future, it stands on decades of collective volunteer effort and shared belief in free knowledge.
On Day 3, visiting the venue of the first Wikimania in 2005. After days spent discussing what comes next, returning to where so much of the movement’s shared history began was grounding. Listening to early organizers speak about how they met and the challenges they faced highlighted how radical and experimental Wikipedia once was and how much that spirit still matters today.
Meeting Wikimedia Foundation’s new CEO, Bernadette Meehan, was also meaningful. Her presence at the Lab listening, asking questions, and engaging like any other Wikimedian reflected a leadership approach grounded in humility and learning. For me, this was especially resonant given her familiarity with my country Iraq and her understanding of different regional contexts.
Finally, connecting with youth participants brought a vital energy to the Lab. Conversations about language, culture, and identity, as well as how to bring newcomers into the movement, reinforced that the future of Wikimedia is not only about technology or platforms, but about people, belonging, and motivation.
Looking ahead
What I am taking with me from Frankfurt is not a set of answers, but a mindset of the importance of listening before deciding, experimenting before scaling, and remaining open both to bold ideas and to those who question them. The Futures Lab was one step in a longer, collective process, but it highlighted something essential that the future of Wikimedia will be shaped not by any single strategy, but by the willingness of its communities to learn, adapt, and imagine together.
I’m looking to share and transfer what i have learned through futures lab to my local community in Wikimedia Iraq and the broader Arab Community.
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