Decolonising knowledge in Switzerland 2024-2025/Report
Report of the project Decolonising knowledge in Switzerland 2024-2025.
The "Decolonising Knowledge in Switzerland 2024-2025" project activates a selection of cultural institutions, professionals, researchers and volunteers. The topics of decolonising knowledge, provenance, migration, care principles, underrepresented communities, biases and misrepresentations are an important entry point to engage new contributors and GLAMs in the Wikimedia project, triggering a specific and very topical issue.
This report summarises the achievements and learnings of the project.
Legenda:
- √ Goal achieved, outputs produced as planned, results achieved.
- + Fully achieved results.
- ++ Significantly better results than expected.
Objectives, activities and results
[edit]| Specific goals | Expected outputs | Report | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identifying sources related to Swiss colonial history, provenance of Swiss collections, underrepresented communities, bias and representations within existing collections, migration and communities in Switzerland | List of collections, exhibitions, events, sources, institutions, networks, researchers and topics. Data in CC0 and uploaded on Wikidata. | √ Decolonising knowledge in Switzerland 2024-2025/Data.
Please refer to the page for the items created or improved on Wikidata. Content archived on OSF https://osf.io/z924m/. |
The exhibitions that constitute the focus of this project reflect the extensive research work and public engagement (e.g. through conferences, blogs and journalistic activities) that took place in previous years and are still ongoing in Swiss academic and cultural institutions. This project, while not exhaustive, captures primary outputs and protagonists.
|
| Engaging GLAMs, researchers, existing networks and volunteers on the topic of Decolonising knowledge in Switzerland. | List of contacts; number of networks and institutions contacted, number networks and institutions which expressed interest in the collaboration with the Wikimedia projects. | √ List uploaded to OSF with restricted access shared with Wikimedia CH and accessible on demand. | A list has been produced that includes contact information related to the institutions, scholars, curators and other professionals (e.g. artists) involved in the exhibitions or researching the project's subjects. The list highlights who has been contacted and who has shown interest in the project.
Since the list includes sensitive information (names, status and contact details), it is shared with restricted access. |
| Involving editors in contributing to knowledge gaps related to colonial history, provenance of Swiss collections, bias and representations within collections and exhibitions, migration and communities | A series of 3 online conversations, two events, number of participants, and number of edited content. | ++ 5 online conversations, 267 participants
√ 3 events, 38 participants √ An online edit-a-thon Decolonising knowledge/Edit-a-thon January 2025 |
Organisation of a training course specifically designed for curators to respond to requests. |
Metrics around participation or content
[edit]| Expected metrics around participation or content | Report | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3 online conversations: expected 10-15 participants each | ++ 5 online conversations, 267 participants
Organisers are included in the participants count. |
Very successful was the collaboration with WikiAfrica Hour dedicated to Decolonising knowledge on Wikipedia.
All webinars are recorded and available online. |
| 2 events: expected 40 participants | + 3 events, 38 participants
Training course in Neuchâtel for researchers on global studies and decolonisation postponed. Organisers are included in the participants count. |
To improve participation, we increased the number of events and online events.
The training was also organised to respond to the requests of curators and researchers. |
| Data about GLAMs, networks, researchers: expected a selection of 150 | + 173 curators, researchers, activists, artists (involved in the exhibitions), and 40 GLAMs and networks have been identified. List of contacts uploaded to OSF with restricted access for sensitive information. | The contact list provides information on engagement status, highlighting who has been contacted and who responded (including in representation of a broader researchers' or curators' team) |
| Contacts with selected GLAMs, networks, researchers: expected in this first initiative 15 | ++ 93 individuals have been contacted with 17 GLAMs and 10 networks and associations. | Individuals contacted have carried out research either as curators, in an academic project, at times as artists, or in a combination of these roles. |
| ++ Even though it was not among the expected results, we succeeded in involving institutions in releasing exhibition content under open licences. |
Budget
[edit]| Activities | Details | Expected cost | Actual Cost | Details |
| Preparatory research about Swiss relevant collections, exhibitions, event and topics | 3000 chf | 3000 chf | ||
| Research and contacts with Swiss related networks and communities | 6600 chf | 6560 chf | ||
| Research and contacts with Swiss related networks and communities by SUPSI | 6203 chf | |||
| Training course in Zurich | 360 chf | |||
| Two events | 3500 chf | 3500 chf | ||
| Travel, accommodation, food | 1220 chf | |||
| Preparatory work | 2280 | |||
| Coordination 15% | 1965 chf | 1965 chf | ||
| Total request to Wikimedia CH for the proposal 2024-2025 | 15,065 chf | 15,028 chf | ||
| Total request to Wikimedia CH for the proposal 2024-2025 | 15,000 chf | 14'640 chf [1] |
[1] We would like to ask Wikimedia CH to directly pay a trainer we involved in the project for 360 chf. In that case we would request a contribution of 14'640 chf (15'000 chf minus 360 chf excluded).
Please note that SUPSI will pay 8,10% VAT on Wikimedia CH contribution equivalent to 1'129 chf, so we will actually receive for the activities 13'942 chf.
Learnings and recommendations
[edit]Opportunities in community engagement
[edit]The project has achieved to activate a selection of cultural institutions, professionals, researchers and volunteers.
Decolonising knowledge as a compelling topic
[edit]Decolonising knowledge, provenance, migration, care principles, under-represented communities, biases and misrepresentations have shown to be relevant topics, capable of engaging GLAMs in the Wikimedia projects, by triggering a specific and very topical issue.
Exhibitions are an entry point to foster open practices in cultural and academic institutions
[edit]The main learning from the "Decolonising knowledge in Switzerland" project is that engaging cultural institutions on the occasion of an exhibition is an effective strategy to raise interest in curatorial teams – these may include external contributors with various backgrounds, from the academy to the arts: once contacted, not only were the curatorial teams willing to offer a guided tour to wikipedians, but they were strongly prepared and motivated to share their content through the Wikimedia projects to reach a wider audience and amplify the impact of their content. Notable events that testify to interest and commitment, and to the variety of potential collaborations, are:
- The project's team was invited to present the project at a conference organised in the framework of the "Naming Nature" exhibition, "(Re-)Naming Natures: Knowing and Collecting Otherwise" (Zurich, May 20-21); the event aimed at reflecting on the methodologies used to re-think the colonial legacies of museums and their connection to Indigenous communities. The project was presented by Jonas Lendenmann.
- ETH Zurich (which has already implemented open practices), to facilitate work for other institutions, contributed a short video explaining how they prepared data for wikipedians.
- Some curatorial teams and researchers unfamiliar with open practices expressed interest in learning to edit Wikimedia projects directly and engaged in training opportunities (or indicated their wish to do so as soon as one is available).
As a receptive entry point for cultural institutions, curatorial teams can potentially advocate for open practices within such institutions and foster change. Some curators were related to more than one institution (eg. the person in charge of the exhibition curation has an academic affiliation); in such cases, engaging one person may impact multiple institutions at once.
Engaging existing Wikimedia networks to increase impact
[edit]High participation in the WikiAfrica Hour online conversation shows the benefit of linking new projects to well-established existing ones. And thanks to the WikiAfrica Hour team for their support and involvement!
Addressing training needs
[edit]Once engaged in the project, curators were often motivated to learn how to edit Wikimedia projects' content directly. During the project, one such introductory course has been organised in Zurich; requests for more opportunities in English and French emerged. It proved advantageous to address this need as it comes up, and to do so in the language the curators and researchers are more familiar with – this can be challenging in Switzerland, given the presence of multiple official languages. The high level of specialisation of curators suggests it is worth considering different kinds of training opportunities, from basic to PhD level, including working on Wikidata.
Challenges
[edit]Engaging with exhibitions that showcase sensitive information
[edit]Some GLAMs showed strong interest in sharing their content but were constrained by its sensitive nature (e.g. images documenting colonial dehumanising attitudes towards local communities). Wikimedia can consider developing a clear strategy to guide institutions on balancing their will to share with their need to respect copyright and protect communities.
Matching time availability
[edit]Curators were mainly available to present the exhibitions in a webinar at a time when most wikipedians were working. However, curators were keen to offer a guided tour during weekends, which allowed for a good participation; this is also a powerful opportunity to build relationships that can potentially lead to further collaborations.
Follow up
[edit]- "Decolonising knowledge on Wikipedia", roundtable at Wikimania Nairobi, August 2025 (selected). Please see the description hereUser:Iopensa/Wikimania 2025/Decolonising knowledge.
- "Collaboration: The Contribution of Swiss Exhibitions, GLAMs and Researchers in Decolonising Knowledge, also on Wikipedia", Proposal for a presentation at DARIAH-CH study day, September 2025 (pending).
- Possibility to organise a new training in Neuchatel by involving researchers specialised in research about decolonisation and global power dynamics.
- Possibility to submit a new project to Wikimedia CH always related to decolonising knowledge.
Credits
[edit]A deep thanks to all the volunteers, institutions, curators and researchers who have kindly contributed to the initiative with their time, energy and kindness. A special thanks to Noircir Wikipédia for the work they continuously do and for contributing also to this project. Our gratitute to Wikimedia CH for the financial support.
- Iolanda Pensa, principal investigator, concept and project lead.
- Chiara Somajni, preparatory research about Swiss relevant collections, exhibitions, event and topics, contacts with the institutions, preparatory work for the events.
- Marta Pucciarelli, preparatory research about Swiss relevant collections, exhibitions, event and topics and some contacts.
- Jonas Lendenmann, contacts and volunteer contribution to the project.
- Mattia Baffari & Carmela Ilenia Amato, graphic design of the project (volunteers).
Report by Chiara Somajni and Iolanda Pensa, June 2025.