Wiki Edit-a-Thon and WikiConference

Exploring the world of Digital Archiving as a tool for activism. How do we define notability and credibility?

We reflect on the possibilities and limits of Wikipedia in telling the stories of our community and participate in an Edit-a-Thon for the Filipino Canadian’s Wikipedia page.

We are sponsored by Art and Feminism. (Stylized as Art+Feminism) who started an annual worldwide edit-a-thon to add content to Wikipedia about women artists, in 2014. The project has been described as "a massive multinational effort to correct a persistent bias in Wikipedia, which is disproportionately written by and about men".

We presented our project at the WikiConference North America 2023.

What is the WikiConference?

WikiConference North America 2023 was the tenth annual gathering of wikimedists, institutions, and professionals from across North America, including Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Our theme for that year was "Recent Changes", named after the bountiful wiki stream and also reflecting on everything that happened since our last in-person conference in 2019. The event was held primarily at the Toronto Reference Library in Toronto, Ontario, from 9 to 12 November 2023.

When and what did you present?

On November 11, 2023, we presented at the Toronto Reference Library during the Wiki Conference North America 2023.

Our panel, titled "Wikipedia as a site of archival activism: Potentials and limits from the experience of equity-seeking community advocates," delved into community initiatives focusing on equity, inclusion and community health within the digital sphere of Wikipedia as a community archive. We explored various facets of archival activism, examining the role of Wikipedia in amplifying underrepresented histories and engaging in collaborative Edit-a-Thons to contribute diverse perspectives to the digital landscape.

What questions did your presentation unpack?

• What constitutes archival activism?

• Why and how do we engage in it?

• What is the evolving role of Wikipedia in our broader archival activism efforts?

• How effectively does Wikipedia fulfill this role?

• What are our future directions and aspirations?

We situated our work within the context of feminist and progressive history-making, drawing inspiration from Hall's (2001) perspective on the critical and contested nature of archival practices. Our goal is to integrate community voices into digital spaces like Wikipedia through meaningful activities such as edit-a-thons, aiming to garner media attention, publish op-eds, earn recognition through awards, nominate community members intentionally, collaborate on research initiatives and foster solidarity across diverse support networks. This collective effort is pivotal in advancing feminist and progressive narratives within digital archives.