Wikimedia Foundation/Communications/WikiCelebrate
The Wikimedia movement exists because of the contributions of countless volunteers and other Wikimedians from around the world, people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences contributing to the sum of human knowledge. The sheer magnitude of this global collaboration baffles most outside our movement. Many editors have long contributed independently without much acknowledgement, and some like it that way. For others, love and recognition from peers can go a long way to encourage and uplift. We are here to celebrate the exceptional people of Wikimedia, the pillars of our movement, the puzzle pieces of our ever-expanding universe of knowledge.
Celebrating Wikimedians[edit]
Barnstars are a beloved way of expressing gratitude for each other in the movement, but often without further public attention. We have no shortage of amazing contributors to celebrate and we are dedicating this space to them. WikiCelebrate is an easy, collaborative way to spotlight Wikimedians and their amazing work throughout the year. Each month we will celebrate a different Wikimedian and invite your help in further celebrating them! If you know them, share a great anecdote about your work with them. If there are others we should celebrate, please nominate them. In addition to your love and gratitude of course, the Celebrated Wikimedians will receive a limited edition barnstar, a small gift, and posts on Diff and social media.
Read about all the previous Celebrated Wikimedians!
We plan on presenting the Wikimedians of the Year in this space as well and will soon create an in memoriam page as we mark the passing of fellow Wikimedia friends and colleagues.
Mea Hanohano[edit]
The word 'wiki' is at the root of our nomenclature. That’s Hawaiian for quick. Honouring this quintessential term, we are calling this section hanohano for honour, distinction, and prestige, and adding mea to create mea hanohano, an honourable person. So, we are here to celebrate honourable Wikimedians of the highest distinction and prestige, Wikimedians of exceptional commitment and contribution.
This month we celebrate...
Brahim Faraji[edit]
In 2016, Brahim Faraji‘s search for a way to make a positive impact led him to the Wikimedia Movement. Browsing the internet, Wikipedia caught his eye. He soon realized it was more than just an encyclopedia: “I looked to know more about Wikipedia, how it works and its background, then I found the Wikimedia movement with its values which motivated me to work harder and with passion”, he says.
His entry point was Wiki Loves Monuments, a global photo competition that encourages participants to capture images of cultural heritage sites around the world. The idea of preserving history through images resonated deeply with Brahim. In 2016, he uploaded photos to the contest for the first time, with four making it to Morocco’s Wiki Loves Monuments top ten! Since then, he has become a dedicated Wikimedia photographer, contributing pictures on diverse topics: from TBOURIDA Festival (henna on a Moroccan wedding), to rebab instrument, from dramatic stormy sky to Morocco’s cultural heritage sites. His work has been part of popular Wikimedia photo campaigns like Wiki Loves Africa, Wiki Loves Folklore and especially Wiki Loves Monuments, where Brahim impressively achieved finalist status for four years in a row.
