Wikimania Paris wordmark

PANNEAUX

For me, Wikimania 2026 was not simply a conference in Paris. It was a journey that connected many parts of my Wikimedia experience – learning, volunteering, meeting people from different communities, exploring new ideas, and contributing to the free knowledge movement in my own way.

When I received the opportunity to attend Wikimania 2026 in Paris, I knew that this would be a very different experience from participating in Wikimedia activities from Odisha. Wikimania brought together Wikimedians from different countries, languages, backgrounds, and communities. The 2026 edition was held from 21 to 25 July at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie in Paris, under the theme “ Freedom, Equity, Reliability.” It was also a special year because Wikipedia was celebrating its 25th anniversary.

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Baby Globe in Paris

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Arriving in Paris

Coming to Paris for my second Wikimania was a very different experience. This time, I was not completely new to the Wikimedia community. I already knew some people from my previous Wikimania experience and from my interactions within the movement, while many others were new faces whose work and communities I was getting to know for the first time.

I was travelling to Paris as a Wikimedia Foundation scholarship recipient, which made the journey particularly meaningful for me. Although the scholarship made it possible for me to attend Wikimania, I travelled from Odisha to Paris independently, making this a solo travel experience as well.

Aliva Sahoo at Wikimania 2026

From navigating a new city to finding my way around the conference, there were many small moments that pushed me beyond my comfort zone. But once Wikimania began, those moments of unfamiliarity quickly turned into conversations and connections. I reconnected with people I already knew, met many new Wikimedians, and had the opportunity to interact with people from communities and countries I had never worked with before.

For me, Wikimania was once again much more than a programme of talks. It was a space where people came together to exchange experiences, discuss challenges, share ideas and simply get to know one another.

Being there for the second time made me appreciate something even more deeply: the Wikimedia movement may be global in scale, but its strongest part is the people and relationships that connect communities across borders.

Learning beyond the sessions

I attended a wide range of sessions during Wikimania 2026, and each one gave me a different perspective on the Wikimedia movement.

One of the sessions I attended was the WikiWomen+ Summit, which focused on gender equity, empowerment, strategy and content gaps. The conversations around participation, leadership and creating more inclusive Wikimedia spaces made me reflect on the importance of supporting women contributors not only to participate, but also to take on meaningful roles within communities.

Photo de groupe du Wiki Women Summit à Wikimania 2026

I also attended a session on how the Wikimedia movement can adapt if AI becomes the first interface to the web. The discussion explored a possible future where people increasingly access information through closed applications and generative AI rather than directly through websites and search engines. It made me think about the importance of keeping Wikimedia knowledge accessible, reliable and connected to people even as the internet changes.

Another particularly useful session for me was “Tools that make Wikimedia Commons Contributions reliable and easy.” As someone who contributes to Wikimedia Commons, I found the practical focus very relevant. The workshop introduced tools and user scripts that can make Commons contributions easier and more reliable, including resources useful for newcomers, campaign organisers and people working with images for educational and outreach purposes.

I also attended “Social integration of the new generations: How do we turn casual editors into community leaders?” The discussion focused on how communities can support people who start as occasional contributors and gradually become active community members or leaders. This made me think about my own interest in bringing more students and young people into Wikimedia projects through educational institutions in Odisha.

The Wiki Women Lunch – From Participation to Power * was another meaningful space. Rather than being just a networking lunch, it created opportunities to discuss mentorship, leadership, governance participation, sustainability and equitable access to resources. Conversations like these reminded me that community growth is not only about increasing the number of contributors; it is also about creating an environment where people feel supported to continue and grow.

I also joined a Wiki Loves Film creative workshop, which showed how Wikimedia Commons content can be used in creative and collaborative ways. The workshop connected photography, creativity and free licensing, demonstrating that Commons can be more than a place to store photographs—it can also become a space for experimentation and storytelling.

The session on Community Governance: “The Good, the Bad, and the Way Forward” gave me another perspective. It looked at how Wikimedia communities make decisions, collaborate, handle challenges and improve governance practices. The emphasis on transparency, clarity, accountability and collaboration was particularly interesting because healthy communities depend not only on good contributions but also on good processes.

Baby Globe at Wikimania 2026

Learning Beyond the Sessions: The Poster Presentation

I also attended the poster session. The space brought together Wikimedians from different communities who were presenting their projects, tools, research, campaigns, and community initiatives through posters.

As I walked through the posters, I came across a wide range of ideas – from community capacity building and education initiatives to projects around biodiversity, science, languages, digital tools, and Wikimedia outreach. Each poster offered a glimpse into how different communities were approaching their local needs and challenges through Wikimedia projects.

What I enjoyed most was that the session allowed me to explore many projects in a short time and interact with people behind them. Some of the ideas made me think about how similar approaches could be adapted for the Wikimedia community in Odisha, especially in areas such as educational outreach, community capacity building, documentation, and introducing Wikimedia projects to new groups.

For me, the poster session was not just about seeing different projects. It was a space where I could collect small ideas from different communities and imagine how some of them could inspire future work back home.

Poster session at Wikimania 2026 in Pari s

Poster session at Wikimania 2026 in Paris

Volunteering behind the scenes

Another special part of my Wikimania experience was volunteering with the Wikimania swag pack team.

Being a participant and being a volunteer are two different experiences. As a participant, we see the conference, sessions and activities. As a volunteer, we also get a glimpse of the work that happens behind the scenes to make those experiences possible. Working with the swag pack team gave me an opportunity to contribute in a small but practical way to the conference itself. It also gave me another reason to interact with people beyond the sessions and understand the importance of teamwork in organising a large Wikimedia event.

Swag Pack Team at Wikimania 2026

It reminded me that Wikimedia is built not only through articles, photographs and technical contributions, but also through hundreds of small acts of volunteer work.

Paris through the lens of Wikimedia Commons

My Wikimania experience did not end inside the conference venue. Paris gave me another opportunity to contribute to Wikimedia Commons through photography and documentation.

During my stay, I visited some beautiful places and monuments in the city and photographed them with the intention of documenting them for Wikimedia Commons. For me, photography was not simply about bringing back beautiful memories from Paris. It was also about thinking about how those photographs could become part of a freely accessible visual record.

Every monument has a story. Every historic building represents a particular period, culture or architectural tradition. By documenting these places and sharing the images under free licences, we can make cultural and historical visual resources available to people who may never get an opportunity to visit them personally.

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre, Paris

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel – Front view, Paris

Pont Alexandre III pylon and Grand Palais, Paris

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre, Paris

Fontaine des Mers, Place de la Concorde, Paris

Obélisque de Louxor, Place de la Concorde, Paris

Institut de France seen through an arch of the Louvre Palace

Eiffel Tower located in Paris

Notre-Dame de Paris – West facade

Sphinge de Sébastopol et plaque au Général Lemonnier – Jardin des Tuileries, Paris

Louvre Museum Cour Carrée inner courtyard

What I am taking back to Odisha

Coming back from Wikimania, I am carrying more than memories and photographs.

I want to continue working on Wikimedia projects in Odisha, particularly around educational institutions, Wikimedia Commons, local culture and underrepresented knowledge.

The sessions on community growth made me think more about how students and newcomers can be introduced to Wikimedia in a simple and welcoming way. The Commons-related sessions encouraged me to explore better tools and documentation practices. The discussions around women’s participation strengthened my interest in creating more opportunities for women contributors.

Most importantly, Wikimania reminded me that local contributions matter.

An article written in Odia, a photograph documenting a village, a historical monument, a cultural tradition, a workshop conducted with students, or a new contributor taking their first edit—all of these can become part of a much larger global movement.

Wikimania 2026 Day 4 group photo