Connecting Local and Global: Georgian Wikimedians at Wikimania 2025

Every year, Wikipedians and Wikimedians from dozens of countries gather at Wikimania — the annual conference organized by the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikimania serves as a sustainable platform where volunteer editors of Wikimedia and other free knowledge enthusiasts gain new knowledge and experience, meet fellow volunteer editors from around the world, and share their own knowledge and skills. The conference is held annually as an in-person event, but it is also streamed online and accessible to everyone.

The first Wikimania in Wikimedia’s history was held in 2005 in Frankfurt, Germany, and was attended by around 400 people. The largest conference to date was Wikimania 2024, held in Katowice, Poland, with approximately 2,000 participants.

Each year, the Wikimedia Foundation, which owns and operates Wikimedia projects (including Wikipedia), awards scholarships to around 300 volunteer editors to attend Wikimania. These scholarships cover travel, accommodation, and meals. All other participants attend at their own expense or with funding from another Wikimedia organization.

Since 2023, editors of Georgian-language Wikimedia projects have also been supported by Wikimedia Georgia with scholarships that cover travel and accommodation costs. For example, in 2023, Wikimedia Georgia awarded scholarships to two volunteer editors to attend Wikimania in Singapore. In 2025, three volunteer editors received scholarships.

Wikimania 2025, held in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, became the third Wikimania in history to take place on the African continent, following the conferences in Alexandria, Egypt (2008) and Cape Town, South Africa (2018). This Wikimania was also historic for the Wikimedia community in Georgia, as it saw the largest number of participants from the country ever. In total, five (5) volunteer editors from Georgia participated in Wikimania 2025, three of whom were funded by Wikimedia Georgia and two by the Wikimedia Foundation.

For two of the participating editors from Georgia, who are both scholarship recipients of Wikimedia Georgia, this was their first Wikimania. Jaba Labadze, who has been a volunteer editor of Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects for 17 years, described his first Wikimania as follows:

“Although I have been part of the Georgian Wikipedia for 17 years, Wikimania in Nairobi marked the beginning of my direct engagement with Wikimania, where I met Wikipedians from different countries and shared their experiences.

For me, Wikimania is first and foremost an opportunity to gain a wealth of experience and then share it with editors of my home Wikipedia. Most importantly, I’m now actively sharing the experience I gained at Wikimania with the local Wikimedia community, both online and in person. I believe this is one of the most valuable aspects of Wikimania. The experience gained at Wikimania is especially beneficial for small and actively developing organizations like Wikimedia Georgia.”

For Mikheil Chabukashvili, this was his fourth Wikimania, following his participation in 2015, 2017, and 2023. He described his impressions of the conference as follows:

“For me, Wikimania is a special event that I look forward to throughout the year. What could be more enjoyable and exciting for an experienced Wikimedian than several days entirely dedicated to Wikimedia projects? It’s a place where you meet hundreds of Wikipedians and Wikimedians from all over the world, including old friends, acquaintances, and like-minded people. A place where you can endlessly discuss Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects and meet new people.

As with every other Wikimania, this year’s conference was especially beneficial for small, actively developing Wikimedia communities such as Wikimedia Georgia. There, we met many Wikimedians and organizations that had taken the path we are currently on years ago. Of course, sharing their experience along this journey is extremely important — one could even say decisive.”

According to the Executive Director of Wikimedia Georgia, Mehman Ibragimov, Wikimania is a unique platform where members of local Wikimedia communities meet members of the global Wikimedia community and jointly discuss the improvement and development of Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. In the age of artificial intelligence, Wikipedia is becoming even more important, and its contributors need to meet frequently and exchange ideas.

Wikimedia Georgia will continue supporting volunteers of Georgian-language Wikimedia projects and will ensure their participation and engagement in global events.

Individual reports from Wikimania 2025:

• Report by Mikheil Chabukashvili;
• Report by Jaba Labadze.