CALL TO IMPROVE THE PRESENCE OF MUSEUMS IN WIKIMEDIA PROJECTS

Museums Uniting a Divided World

International Museum Day 2026

ICOM has been organizing the International Museum Day for over 40 years. The 2026 edition will take place on May 18th. Please join our GLAM digital event on the 18th of May at 6 pm CET.

Uniting a Divided World

This year's theme is Museums Uniting a Divided World. Museums are key contributors to building sustainable futures together with communities. As trusted institutions and important threads in our shared social fabric, they are uniquely placed to create a cascading effect to foster positive change. There are many ways in which museums can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: from fostering innovation and inclusivity to promoting resilience and championing sustainable development. Every year since 2020, the International Museum Day supports a set of Goals from the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. In 2026, we will focus on:

Goal 10 – Reduced Inequalities – Reducing inequality within and among countries

Reduce inequality within and among countries

Goal 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – Promoting just, peaceful and inclusive societies

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

Goal 17 – Partnerships for the Goals – Revitalising global partnerships for sustainable development

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

Panel

The online panel takes place the 18th of May at 6 pm CET on the topic of Politics of Care.

The panel will be in English language. It will be moderated by Christine Düwel, International Society of Visual Arts.

Our speakers are:

Heike Bazak, director PTT-Archive Bern, Telephone directory stories from the past, exhibition, Museum of Communication
João A. Peschankski, executive director Wikimedia Brazil, indigene culture in Brazil at the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi
Rani Le Prince, artist from South India, founder of art and child, exhibition Who Cares?
Almut Hüfler, Curating Care, curator of the exhibition Our Voices at the Hack Museum

Exhibition

The exhibition "PTT Archive meets Wikipedia: Telephone directory stories from the past" will take place at the Museum for Communication in Bern, and will present original work created by artists based on the archive materials from the PTT Archive during two "CoCreation" workshops organized by Wikimedia CH in 2025 and 2026.

The POP-UP exhibition will be presented in the Museum for Communication starting on May 19th, 2026 at 12:30 and run until May 29th, 2026. It will include both an analogical and a virtual (VR) experience onsite. More details will be added to the dedicated page of the CoCreation project. The editathon will take place on the 19th of May from 2 to 5 pm. The entrance will be free for Wikipedians.

THANK YOU AND SUPPORTERS