Deoband Community Wikimedia/Events/Train a Wikipedian

Deoband Community Wikimedia

• Main page
• Activity Plans
• Activity Reports
• Assets
• Events
• Members
• Partnerships
• Programs
• Resolutions
• Roles

Train a Wikipedian (or simply TaW) is a pilot initiative of the Deoband Community Wikimedia, forked from CIS-A2K's past program with a same name. Since our inception in 2021, we have identified two significant challenges while exploring the open knowledge ecosystem. There are extensive knowledge gaps related to Muslims and Muslim-related topics, and apparently Muslim participation within these ecosystems remains notably low. This gap in representation perpetuates systemic biases, despite the fact that Muslims possess valuable knowledge (libraries, archives, institutions) and have the potential to be leaders in these open spaces. Our surveys have found that many of our community members are usually unsure how to effectively engage, and do not feel ease in navigating the open spaces. Through TaW, we aim to addresses these challenges and aims to empower our community in open ecosystems.

TaW is dedicated to equipping volunteers and emerging leaders in our community with essential leadership skills and knowledge to effectively navigate and contribute to open ecosystems, with a particular focus on the Wikimedia movement. The key objectives include providing foundational understanding of the ecosystem's dynamics, inculcating leadership skills through practical training, facilitating equitable access and utilization of opportunities within the ecosystem for individual and collective benefit and fostering critical decision-making abilities within a collaborative environment to address community challenges.

Upcoming

Tentative: April 2026.

Previous Editions

• October 2025
• February 2025

Scholarship Granting Criteria

Participants of previous editions, and those who have attended events of similar or advanced nature are not eligible to apply. We have a total of 15 full/partial scholarships to grant, and the Scholarship Review Committee will consider the following facts when making decisions:

• Your active contributions to Wikimedia projects (encyclopedic/leadership)
• Your interests and objectives of participation (evaluated from scholarship application)
• Your commitment to leadership development within our community.