Belarusian Wikipedia Day in Poland 2015
 Group photo from the event | |
| Date | 14 March 2015 |
|---|---|
| Location | Poznań |
| Organizers | Belarusian National Memory, Wikimedia Polska |
| Languages | Belarusian, Polish |
| Website | Official site |
Belarusian Wikipedia Day in Poland 2015 – an event organized on March 14, 2015 in Poznań, Poland, aimed at popularizing the idea of editing and developing Belarusian-language Wikipedias among Belarusian-speaking people living in Poland; the event was organized by Belarusian National Memory and the Wikimedia Polska (WMPL).
Goal
[edit]The workshop was a continuation of earlier similar initiatives held in 2013 in Warsaw, Prague, and Vilnius. Their goal was to popularize the idea of editing and developing Belarusian-language Wikipedias among Belarusians living abroad. A second goal was to create a nucleus of a Belarusian-speaking Wikipedia community in Poland, which could eventually become independent and strengthened. In a broader context, this would have a positive impact on the development of civil society among Belarusians. The third goal was to support, preserve, and popularize the Belarusian language, which is endangered.
Organizers and participants
[edit]The organizers were Anatol Mikhnavets, chairman of the Belarusian National Memory – organization operating in Poland, and Tomasz Bladyniec, a member of WMPL. Significant assistance was provided by Natalia Szafran-Kozakowska, head of the WMPL Press Office, who participated in leading the workshop, and by Marysia Silvanovich, who recruited participants. The workshop was planned for up to 10 participants. In fact, there were eight active participants and one listener. All were Belarusians who had been living in Poland for some time, most of them students.
The event
[edit]The Belarusian Wikipedia Day in Poland took place on March 14, 2015, at the Street Cafe at 2 Fredry Street in Poznań. The event began at 10:00 AM. Anatol Mikhnavets welcomed the guests, and Natalia Szafran-Kozakowska spent the first hour discussing the history, goals, and principles of Wikipedia. Tomasz Bladyniec then took over the lead. The practical portion of the event began at 11:00 AM, when participants registered their accounts. From 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM, there was a coffee break and a conversation between the presenters and WikiRadio. From 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, participants and presenters enjoyed lunch in the same venue where the workshop was held. At 4:30 PM, the results were summarized, the winner of the most active participation competition was announced, and prizes and gifts were awarded. Participation was determined by participation in the workshop, the size, and the level of advancement of the article created. The winner was Ivona Neviarouskaya with her article "Абацтва Даўнтан". She received Marek Wierzbicki's book: "Poles and Belarusians in the Soviet Partition: Polish-Belarusian Relations in the Northeastern Territories of the Second Polish Republic Under Soviet Occupation 1939-1941". Five other participants received gifts in the form of Wikipedia promotional materials: books about Fryderyk Chopin and Maria Skłodowska-Curie, bags, and postcards with the Wikipedia logo. The event ended shortly after 5 p.m.
At Natalia Szafran-Kozakowska's initiative, the presenters taught participants how to edit using VisualEditor instead of source code. This showed the possibilities and limitations of this technology when used by beginners.
Budget
[edit]The workshop was financed by Wikimedia Polska in accordance with the Board Resolution of March 10, 2015.
Estimated
[edit]- Bus ticket for two people from Warsaw to Poznań and back: PLN 60 + PLN 40
- Coffee and lunch for 13 people at Street Cafe: PLN 13 * 32 = PLN 416
- Book prize: PLN 50
TOTAL: PLN 566
Completed
[edit]- Train and bus tickets for two people from Warsaw to Poznań and back: PLN 108 + PLN 61
- Coffee for 9 people and lunch for 13 people at Street Cafe: PLN 380
- Book prize: PLN 38
TOTAL: PLN 587
Articles edited during the workshop
[edit]Six new articles were created during the workshop – three in the official Belarusian Wikipedia and three in the classic Belarusian Wikipedia. One article was deleted while the event was still ongoing because it was deemed to be advertising.
| Article | Author | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Litara-A | Marysia Silver | official Belarusian | |
| Універсітэт імя Адама Міцкевіча ў Познані | Visna2015 | official Belarusian | |
| Абацтва Даўнтан | IvonaN. | official Belarusian | winner |
| Street Cafe | Stefanol.tm | classic Belarusian | deleted |
| Emacs | Kevwargo | classic Belarusian | |
| Таварыства беларускай культуры ў Летуве | Michnaviec | classic Belarusian |