WikiConference North America 2026 will take place in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada), on September 25–27, 2026, with the Culture Crawl happening on September 24.

We expect around 250 people to attend. This will include scholarship recipients, guest speakers, and affiliates from across the region. The conference will feature workshops, presentations, and networking opportunities, fostering connections among Wikimedians, educators, and cultural organizations.

Building the Future of the Commons

“Building the Future of the Commons” is about reimagining how we create and share free knowledge in a rapidly changing world. As technologies like AI reshape how information is produced and consumed, the Wikimedia movement has a unique opportunity to ensure the commons stay open, human, reliable, and inclusive.

This theme aims to spark conversations across communities, the tech world, and cultural and educational ecosystems. Together, we will explore the evolving relationship between Wikimedia and AI, highlight underrepresented voices in our communities, and deepen our work with GLAMU institutions.

One of the conference days will also focus on empowering contributors at every level: from newcomers making their first edits, to everyday contributors looking to develop or improve their skills, to experienced users with extended rights and the issues that are most relevant to them.

Registration will open on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

Wikimedia Korea and Wikimedians of Japan User Group held 「日本・韓国 友好編集月間」”the Korea-Japan Friendship Editing Month” from March 23 to April 17, 2026. This was the second Korea-Japan editathon, following the event held during Asia Month in 2024.

Results report

It appears that 106 articles were created and edited by 29 participants. Thank you all for your participation.

When organizing events like this, I often worry about what will happen if there aren’t enough participants, but Wikipedians are so kind that they always end up joining in before I even realize it.

From the perspective of someone who reviews articles as part of the management team, there are benefits to this kind of opportunity, such as gaining knowledge that you wouldn’t otherwise learn, and satisfying your intellectual curiosity. It’s very educational and good. Wikipedia is a wonderful tool that allows you to share the knowledge you have and the things you want to know with people all over the world.

Article introduction

It would be impossible to introduce all the articles contributed to this editorthon, so I will only introduce the articles that were selected for the April Monthly New/Improved Article Award.

・「老松堂日本行録」…上野ハム…This article was written by Ueno Ham. It is said to be the oldest surviving travelogue of Japan written by a Korean. Apparently, it is something that is studied in high school Japanese history, and when a certain Wikipedian showed me a glossary of Japanese history terms, I was excitedly saying, “This is in there!”

・「朝鮮半島のヒスイ製勾玉」…のりまき…This article was written by Norimaki. I wonder if his experience writing about 「糸魚川のヒスイ」 “Itoigawa Jade” is proving useful. According to the article, it seems that these magatama (comma-shaped beads) may be of Itoigawa origin.

・「朝鮮半島の建築」…犭…This article was written by 犭. It’s surprisingly difficult to summarize such a broad topic into this size, so I think it’s truly impressive.

・「柳川一件」…This is an article I wrote. I will explain more later.

summary

When I first joined Wikipedia (around 2019), my impression was that the only editing event on Wikipedia was “Asia Month,” so I’m very happy to see an increase in these kinds of international events. I’m not very good at socializing, so I’ll leave the initiation of those kinds of conversations to those who are good at it, and I’ll focus on organizing these kinds of events.

Perhaps because of this connection, at the ESEAP Conference in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, I received a gift related to Korea (probably a notepad) from, 韓国のウィキメディアン, a Wikimedian in Korea, and I really like the design of it.

My own view

Now, this is my own view. I thought it would be strange to criticize the merits and demerits of other people’s articles without writing one myself, so I completely revised one of my own articles. It’s an article called「柳川一件」 “The Yanagawa Incident”

I usually write about the various feudal domains of the Edo period, so I didn’t want to stray too far from that if possible. However, 「対馬府中藩」”the Tsushima-Fuchu Domain”, which has some connection to Korea, was too heavy for me. While searching for a subject of just the right difficulty level, I came across this theme.

The Tsushima clan Sou, determined to repair the broken Korea-Japan relations caused by the Bunroku-Keicho War. But couldn’t find a way. They even resorted to tampering official documents to the capital in Japan(apparently they had been doing so regularly before), and managed to send a Korean envoy again, and restore diplomatic relations. However, one of their retainers (Yanagawa), who played a key role in this effort, became dissatisfied with his position and sought independence, ultimately taking the outrageous step of exposing the forgery of the official documents. This family feud is known as the “Yanagawa Incident.” It’s a very interesting story, and I enjoyed writing it. I was thinking, “These guys are tampering with official documents again (lol),” while I was writing it.

It was selected for 月間強化記事賞 “the Monthly Featured Article Award for April”. All’s well that ends well.

For close to two years, my involvement in the Wikimedia ecosystem was mostly technical. I contributed through code during hackathons as a member of Wiki Mentor Africa. I understood the connections among platforms such as Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons. I knew their importance, but I also felt there was more I could do. Something was missing in how I was contributing.

That changed when I joined Africa Wiki Women and was introduced to the On-Wiki Skills Mentorship Program.

Entering Wikimedia Beyond the Technical Layer

I came into the program with one clear goal: to gain a deeper, practical understanding of how to contribute beyond the technical side of Wikimedia. I wanted to move from simply supporting the ecosystem to actively building knowledge within it.

The training opened my eyes to the structure and responsibility behind Wikimedia contributions. I learned that every Wikimedia project is guided by strong principles that protect the quality and reliability of information.

On Wikipedia, content must be notable, verifiable, and supported by reliable sources. On Wikidata, data must be structured, accurate, and referenced. On Wikimedia Commons, files must follow copyright and licensing policies.

These are not just guidelines; they are what make Wikimedia a trusted global knowledge resource.

Learning Through Practice

One of the strongest aspects of the mentorship program was its practical training. The program did not simply explain policies and standards; it required us to apply them through real contributions.

I learned how to properly reference articles, structure content, improve neutrality, and contribute according to Wikimedia standards. At first, this process was challenging. Finding reliable sources, understanding notability requirements, and writing neutrally required patience and attention to detail.

However, through continuous practice and guidance from the trainers, these concepts gradually became clearer and easier to apply.

The trainers also played a major role in making the experience impactful. Complex policies and technical concepts were broken down into simple, understandable steps, making the learning process accessible and encouraging.

Milestones That Changed My Confidence

One major milestone for me during the program was creating two articles and receiving a barnstar in recognition of my contributions.

That moment shifted my confidence completely.

For the first time, I felt that I was no longer just observing how open knowledge is built behind the scenes. I was actively contributing to the preservation and sharing of knowledge myself.

The experience helped me see Wikimedia differently. It became more than a technical ecosystem I contributed to during hackathons. It became a collaborative space where I could directly improve content, document knowledge, and support representation online.

Growing Beyond the Program

Beyond technical editing skills, the mentorship program also changed my perspective on community contribution and leadership.

Looking ahead, I plan to share what I have learned with my community and support the onboarding of new contributors. I am also stepping into a new role as a trainer for an April editathon, which reflects how much this experience has shaped my growth within the Wikimedia movement.

This journey has been both challenging and rewarding. It pushed me to learn, adapt, and contribute more meaningfully.

Wikimedia is more than a platform. It is a collective effort to make knowledge accessible to everyone.

And now, I am fully part of that effort.

Happy editing.