Submissions/Wiki loves parliaments

This is an accepted submission for Wikimania 2014.

Sunday, August 10, 11:30, Auditorium 2

Submission no. 1125

WLP Logo

WikiTV

Title of the submission: Wiki loves parliaments in the European Parliament

Type of submission (discussion, hot seat, panel, presentation, tutorial, workshop): presentation

Author of the submission: Olaf Kosinsky, Manuel Schneider

E-mail address: olaf.kosinsky@gmail.com

Username: Olaf Kosinsky, 80686

Country of origin: Germany

Affiliation, if any (organisation, company etc.)

Personal homepage or blog

Abstract (at least 300 words to describe your proposal)

Wiki Loves Parliaments is a new name for a project which had already been implemented several times in the german-speaking community. Volunteers, mainly photographers and Wikipedians, gathered in State Parliaments for an orchestrated action in order to take as many portraits of deputies, talk to them, give them a hand if they had some problems with Wikipedia or their articles and leave a good impression with them and the parliament's administration on the Wikimedia movement.

These projects have been successful, since 2009 14 such projects have been organised, thousands of pictures were taken, photographers teached each other how to make the best portraits, equipment such as flash units, backgrounds and lenses have been bought and soon the project became an almost professional endeavour - at least looking at the results. The issue became a topic in the german conference of State Parliament directors and soon every parliament invited Wikipedia to visit them - even across the borders in Austria where until today two such projects have been implemented. Eventually we also started taking video statements from deputies.

In 2013 we wanted to bring it to the next level, talked to the European Parliament and after some time received invitation there as well - for almost a whole week, to cover 766 deputies. We accepted the challenge, requested a PEG Grant from the Wikimedia Foundation, asked all chapters to support their local volunteers to participate and got almost 50 volunteers from nine countries, speaking 19 languages to participate in this project. More than 2000 pictures, 200 videos in 24 languages have been taken and a lot of know-how has been transfered (example: Angelika Niebler).

While requesting our Grant at the WMF we learned what we had not thought about before, due to the great visibility, success and knowledge of the community about this project: That it was hard to explain and to "sell" to the international community. But going to the European Parliament was already internationalising the project, including spreading the idea to other communities throughout Europe and the GAC. So we tried to evaluate it in the best way possible and gave it a name as a continous program which could be implemented all over the world: "Wiki Loves Parliaments".

Now this talk is about what had happened. That is the best way to literally illustrate what it is all about and we can report about the European Parliament and discuss whether this was a good use of WMF Grant money. Eventually we will get you addicted and you will start your own instance of Wiki Lives Parliaments in your own country?

Track: WikiCulture & Community

Length of session (if other than 30 minutes, specify how long): 30 minutes

Will you attend Wikimania if your submission is not accepted?: Yes

Slides or further information (optional)

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Pymouss (talk) 19:47, 16 February 2014 (UTC)[reply]
~~--Base (talk) 20:22, 19 February 2014 (UTC)~~ won't be on 'mania :( --Base (talk) 17:37, 13 July 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Ата ^(talk) 20:47, 19 February 2014 (UTC)[reply]
AdamBMorgan (talk) 14:10, 10 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]
--MF-Warburg (talk) 21:08, 29 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]
--Martin Kraft (talk) 08:44, 31 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]
--Pölkkyposkisolisti (talk) 15:21, 1 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
--Die Wandzeitung (talk) 16:54, 1 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
DerHexer (talk) 16:59, 1 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Poco a poco (talk) 18:57, 4 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
MB-one (talk) 07:46, 5 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Discott (talk) 10:33, 2 July 2014 (UTC)[reply]
--kaʁstn 10:55, 13 July 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I will be your session host Edwardx (talk) 17:56, 31 July 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Daniel Case (talk) 03:23, 1 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
NickK (talk) 00:10, 8 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
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