Welcome session

What began as a simple edit on Dagbani Wikipedia has grown into a life-changing experience!

Attending GLAM Wiki 2025 in Portugal marks my first international trip and an incredible opportunity to connect with passionate Wikimedians from around the world. Sharing ideas, learning from diverse cultures, and representing the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group on such a global stage has been both humbling and inspiring.

This journey reminds me that knowledge truly has no borders and every edit, every contribution, and every collaboration helps make the world more open, inclusive, and connected.

Attending GLAM Wiki 2025 in Portugal has been one of the most transformative experiences of my Wikimedia journey.

The GLAM Wiki community is a worldwide network connecting projects, initiatives, and collaborations across every timezone and continent. This year’s conference brought us all together a moment to celebrate achievements, exchange experiences, learn from one another, and collectively shape the future of open knowledge.

African Wikimedians at GLAM wiki conference

Co-organized by Wikimedia Portugal (WMPT) and Wiki Editoras Lx (WELx), the event carried the powerful theme: **“Resilience Shaping the Future Through Community and Openness.” **that occurred from 30th October to 1st November, 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Resilience reminds us that no matter the challenges social, political, economic, or technological, our community continues to adapt, recover, and grow stronger. Through collaboration, openness, and innovation, we’re building a movement that not only preserves knowledge but also champions inclusivity and diversity.

Representing the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group on this global stage filled me with pride and purpose. It reaffirmed my belief that our local actions contribute to a global impact, and that together, we can bridge knowledge gaps and strengthen the world’s cultural and digital heritage.

Dagbani Wikimedians

The conference kicked off with a warm and heartfelt welcome address from André Barbosa and Flávia Doria. Their message really set the pace for the days ahead.

One of the sessions i participated was “Building the Future of Cultural Heritage”, led by Carlos Silva, Giovanna Fontenelle, Dália Guerreiro, Ronaldo Mendes, Tiago Lubiana, and Teresa Nobre.

At a time when cultural heritage is facing so many challenges, from funding shifts to rapid technological changes, this panel felt both timely and inspiring. The speakers shared how cultural institutions and communities are learning to adapt, innovate, and stay connected in an evolving world.They spoke about the need for resilience not just as resistance, but as the ability to imagine new ways of preserving and sharing our heritage. I was especially moved by the discussions on how technology and open access can help make culture more inclusive, sustainable, and community-driven. It reminded me why I’m passionate about open knowledge and why collaboration across borders truly matters.

GLAM Wiki in Lisbon in 2025.

Another session that truly caught my attention was “Data is Everything: Why Knowledge Institutions are the Future of AI” presented by Greg Leppert.

He shared thought-provoking insights on how artificial intelligence depends deeply on the quality, openness, and diversity of data and how institutions like libraries, archives, and Wikimedia projects play a crucial role in shaping that future.

The Technology Lightning Talks brought together brilliant minds like Hisyam Athaya, Marco Chemello, Marta Arosio, Angela Cervellera, and Ursula Oberst. From Wikimedia Indonesia’s efforts to preserve cultural data through Wikidata, to the Museo Egizio di Torino’s groundbreaking move to open its vast Egyptology collection under free licenses, every story showed how technology and openness can keep culture alive, relevant, and shared with the world.

Hisyam Athaya Greg Leppert

Another highlight for me was the Digital Resilience panel, featuring Gorana Gomirac, Nat Baca, Irvin St. Tomas, Doug McCarthy, Beatrice Murch, and Jael Serwaa Boateng. The discussion focused on how open knowledge communities like Wikimedia are adapting to a fast-changing digital world while staying true to their values of openness and inclusivity.

The panelists explored important themes from the challenges of keeping up with new technologies and infrastructure needs, to bridging regional gaps in digital access and skills. I was particularly moved by the reflections on our growing dependence on commercial platforms and the urgent need to build community-led, sustainable alternatives.

Another special moment for me at GLAM Wiki 2025 was being part of the WikidataCon 2025 Viewing Room. This year marks Wikidata’s 13th anniversary, and it was inspiring to see how far the community has come in advancing structured, open knowledge across the world.

I had the privilege of volunteering during this session, helping with registration and broadcasting the event live so that other participants could join and experience it too. It was both fulfilling and exciting to contribute in a hands-on way, supporting the flow of knowledge and connection among Wikimedians everywhere.

Sir Amugi with Maryana Iskander

One of the most insightful moments of GLAM Wiki 2025 was the session titled “Meet the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees,” featuring Natalia Szafran, Lorenzo Losa, Maryana Iskander, Mike Peel, and Shani Evenstein Sigalov.

The panel offered a closer look at how the Board of Trustees works, not just in guiding the Wikimedia Foundation, but in staying connected to the communities that form the heart of our movement. It was enlightening to hear how their decisions are shaped by the voices and experiences of Wikimedians around the world.

Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees

The final session I attended and one that truly stood out for me was “The Tapestry Project” by Bob Stein. It was the perfect closing experience to an already inspiring conference.

Bob introduced Tapestries, a free and open-source tool that allows anyone to create non-linear, multimodal presentations using web pages, PDFs, graphics, audio, video files, and even code running in emulators. What fascinated me most was how this tool can bring together vast collections of digital objects from Wikimedia Commons, the Internet Archive, and Europeana, weaving them into interactive, story-like experiences.

Watching Bob demonstrate how knowledge can be creatively “taped together” across platforms was eye-opening. It showed me the boundless possibilities of openness and innovation how, with the right tools, we can connect information in powerful new ways and make learning more dynamic and accessible for everyone.

The conference wrapped up beautifully with the Closing Session led by Connor Benedict, who took a moment to thank everyone, organizers, speakers, volunteers, and participants for making GLAM Wiki 2025 such a meaningful and inspiring gathering. His words were filled with gratitude and hope, reminding us that our collective effort is what keeps the Wikimedia and GLAM communities strong.

Bob Stein

One of the most heartwarming moments was when the Dagbani Wikimedians named Carlos Silva from Wikimedia Portugal “Wumpini” a Dagbani name meaning “God’s Gift.” He joyfully embraced it and even said he would create a Wikidata lexeme for the name! Moments like this remind me how culture, language, and community come together beautifully in the Wikimedia movement.

Carlos Silva named ‘Wumpini’ in Dagbani

As the conference came to an end, I felt truly grateful for the journey. I want to sincerely thank the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group’s Executive Director Sadik Shahadu and Wikimedia Portugal for this great exposure and unforgettable experience.

Being part of GLAM Wiki 2025 has broadened my perspective, strengthened my commitment to open knowledge, and deepened my connections within the global Wikimedia movement. I look forward to many more opportunities like this in the future to learn, share, and continue growing together with the community.

And as I learned in Portuguese “Obrigado!” thank you!

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