Wikimedia Summit 2024/FAQ

Wikimedia Summit 2024

• Contact
• FAQ
• Budget

Program

• Program Outline
• Engagement session
• Program
• Topic groups
• Onboarding
• Regional Meetups
• Sightseeing

Participation & logistics

• Eligibility
• How to Participate
• Participant list
• Data Privacy Policy
• Logistics

Documentation & reports

• Final Outputs
• Documentation
• Event report
• Further reports

Frequently Asked Questions

Program

• Q: Why is this Summit only about governance?
  • A: The movement charter is currently being written, as one of the main initiatives coming from the 2030 movement strategy. The charter will be an important document outlining the changes to how we make decisions in the movement, and introduce new entities such as hubs and the Global Council. It is important that affiliates participate in shaping the future of the movement and the affiliate ecosystem.

• Q: Is this the last Summit of this kind?
  • A: Yes. Hoping that the movement will have a charter by 2025, it is time to reevaluate the meeting format, size, tent and location. There will be an affiliate survey and session at the 2024 Wikimedia Summit to discuss options for the future of affiliate gatherings.

• Q: What level of proficiency in English is required to participate in the Wikimedia Summit 2024?
  • A: While the working language of the Wikimedia Summit 2024 will be English, we want to introduce some level of multilingualism to foster inclusion and diversity amongst participants. We will therefore offer app/browser-based translation during the online engagement sessions and the on-site event in Berlin via a subtitling software. Please note that translation differs from live interpretation.

Participant

• Q: Why is the Summit only open to affiliates, hubs and the Wikimedia Foundation?
  • A: The Wikimedia Summit (formerly known as the Wikimedia Conference) is the meeting for Wikimedia organizations. The meetings more tailored to volunteers are Wikimania and the regional conferences.

• Q: Why is there a selection process?
  • A: Due to budgetary constraints and in order to create a participative working environment the number of seats is limited.

• Q: Why do we enable Affiliates with paid Executive Directors to nominate two representatives?
  • A: We are aware that only a few Affiliates have the possibility to hire a paid Executive Director. In our current Movement structures, Executive Directors play a major role in making decisions that impact their Affiliates and by extension, the global Movement.

• Q: Why do we introduce online engagement sessions as a condition to come to Berlin?
  • A: There are people who have been involved in movement strategy conversations for years, and there are people who are just beginning to engage. The pre-engagement sessions are designed to assure that we all start from an equitable place at the Wikimedia Summit and get right to the important conversations.

Visa

• What can be done to optimize the chances of visa approval for the Wikimedia Summit 2024?
  • Based on last year’s learnings, the organizing team has moved the selection process earlier to make sure there is sufficient time for visa applicants to get an appointment by their respective embassies. The full participant list will be published by the end of October 2023, 6 months prior to the Berlin event. Once applicants are selected for the Wikimedia Summit 2024, they will receive an official invitation letter by Wikimedia Deutschland. As soon as they receive this letter, applicants need to contact their embassy independently to make an appointment. This can take months, so please make sure you inform yourself on the visa procedure in your country as soon as possible. Wikimedia can not offer any support in the process of making appointments with the embassy. Participants who need a visa are required to reach out to our support team and keep them informed of the status of their application.

Other topics

• Q: What are the hygiene rules and what is the Covid-19 protocol?

A: In order to protect all participants, service partners, and also our own staff the following rules and measures apply to the Wikimedia Summit and all side events: Please only attend the conference if you feel healthy!

We all want to enjoy the three days of the conference, so please take care of yourselves and your surroundings. Participants can test for Covid-19 themselves and wear FFP2 mask if they wish. Self-tests and FFP2 masks will be available at the hotel info-point on April 18 between 15:00 and 18:00 and during the conference.

If you feel unwell during the conference: Reach out to the organizing team directly (if you are at the conference) or via Support chat on the event platform (if you are not at the conference venue).

What happens if you test positive for Covid? Before your travel: In case you are tested positive for Covid-19, please immediately contact the Wikimedia Team via the event platform Support-Chat and cancel your travel.

During your time in Berlin: In case you are tested positive for Covid-19, please immediately contact the Organizing Team via the Support-Chat on the event platform. Do not continue to participate further in the conference and go back to your hotel room.

Wear a mask when leaving your hotel room.

• Q: Why is there no Wikimedia Summit 2023?
  • A: The engagement process for the Wikimedia Summit 2024 will start in August 2023 with the online engagement session. In the closing session of the 2022 Summit, Nataliia Tymkiv announced that the next Summit will be in 2024. We wanted to go back to the original timing of hosting the Summit in March/April of each year, as the September date was in between Wikimania and the regional events and thus caused scheduling and resourcing conflicts for many participants and ourselves. On top of that, we wanted to make sure to have enough preparation time – minimum one year – for the next event.