Representatives from 27 Countries Commence in Dilijan, Armenia
DILIJAN, Armenia—Dilijan, Armenia was the site of the fifth annual meeting of the Central and Eastern Europe Wikimedia affiliates during the Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2016 (#WMCEE2016). Wikimedia Foundation Executive D
irector, Katherine Maher attended the conference for the first time as officials from Wikimedia Foundation and leading professionals from the top fields of the Wikimedia movement congregated at the UWC Dilijan College campus from August 27-29.
Organizers of the Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2016 are Wikimedia Armenia and Wikimedia Foundation. Wikimedia Armenia is supported by Scholae Mundi Armenia Foundations.
“Wikimedia CEE Meeting in Armenia became possible due to the hard work of the Armenian wiki-community. This conference is very significant both for Wikimedia Armenia and UWC Dilijan. I hope that after the conference the college students will also contribute to Wikipedia, editing in their native languages. I hope that our collaboration with the Scholae Mundi Armenia Foundation will continue with new initiatives,” said Susanna Mkrtchyan, the president and co-founder of Wikimedia Armenia.
Participants from 27 countries attended the Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2016 in Dilijan including those from: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Iran, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Iran, Israel, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the U.S.A. The representatives discussed topical issues in the Wiki movement.
During the three-day meeting participants presented the activities of their respective Wikimedia affiliates. Wikimedia Foundation representatives also presented updates on free/open software news, examining the social and technical aspects of the topics related to free knowledge and free content.
“It’s a great honor for us that UWC Dilijan College is hosting such a significant conference for Wikimedia, in which the technology of equal access to a quality education in Armenia formed part of the discussion. We hope that the cooperation of the Scholae Mundi Armenia and Wikimedia Armenia foundations will lay the groundwork for further disseminating the world’s best educational practices in the country,” said Veronika Zonabend, co-founder of Scholae Mundi Armenia.
The meeting was a unique opportunity for the Armenian Wiki community to learn more about the Wikimedia movement and to present the programs implemented in Armenia while sharing their experiences. The meeting also provided a unique opportunity to involve Armenian Wikipedians in the international Wikimedia movement, and establish closer collaborations with the Wikimedia Foundation and Wikimedia affiliates.
About Wikimedia Armenia
Wikimedia Armenia educational NGO was founded on May 14, 2013, as a Wikimedia Chapter in Armenia supporting the free sharing of knowledge. Wikimedia Armenia is the only such recognized organization in the region. To learn more about Wikimedia Armenia visit www.wikimedia.am.
About Scholae Mundi Armenia
Scholae Mundi Armenia (SMA) is a charity foundation established by the entrepreneurs and philanthropists Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend. Scholae Mundi Armenia together with Scholae Mundi Russia and Scholae Mundi UK comprise an international platform aimed at promoting the most advanced educational practices, which in the long run will become catalysts for social change in the world.
SMA sees education as a major force for boosting the development of Dilijan and Armenia. SMA’s approach is to bring the most capable and motivated people and organizations involved in education together with the students and teachers, across a variety of educational platforms. SMA nurtures, supports and unites projects like UWC Dilijan College, UWC National Committee of Armenia, Teach For Armenia and the Just Dilijan It! summer program, as well as sponsoring several scholarships programs providing Armenian children with world-class educational opportunities.
The SMA Board of Trustees includes heads of major educational institutions actively working in Dilijan: UWC Dilijan College, TUMO, AUA, AYB, Research Centre of the Central Bank of Armenia, as well as the representatives of the local educational community. For more information please visit en.scholaemundi.org.
