Youth Conference 2025/Participants

Participant statistics

A total of 223 young people from 90 countries applied for scholarships to the conference, with applicants representing 108 nationalities.

Almost 42% of applications came from women (93 applicants) and the average age of applicants was 23.3 years.

In order to apply for the scholarship, applicants were required to submit a form describing their background, organizational experience, connection to the movement, motivation to empower youth participation, and how they could contribute to their community. Additionally, a motivational video and a letter of recommendation were required to complete the application.

Scholarship Committee

The scholarship committee was formed by experienced and active Wikimedians representing different communities and regions:

Barbara Klen (CEE Hub)
Toni Ristovski (CEE Hub)
MRB Rafi (Wikivibrance)
Euphemia Uwandu (WMF/Wikivibrance)
Francesc Fort (Wikivibrance)
Martin Rulsch (Wikimedia Deutschland)
Beverly Jiang (WMF)
Enriqué Tabone (WM Malta)
Olesia Lukaniuk (Wikimedia Ukraine)
Zana Strkovska | (CEE)

Organizing teamː

Klára Joklová (Conference director, WMCZ)
Anna Mayfat (Conference coordinator, WMCZ)

The selection process was designed to take into account as much as possible a fair regional representation and diversity of experience. Organisational experience and, in particular, organisational potential for the future was a prerequisite. Indeed, one of the goals of the event was to support and build future leaders of the movement. This is also why we asked individual branches or user groups and other individual leaders to identify the best representatives of their communities. The result was a balanced selection of 83 young Wikimedians from around the world - both from established communities and from underrepresented regions.

In the first step, a 12-member international scholarship committee selected 80 young people from more than 50 countries from an initial pool of 223 applicants. The committee's primary goal was fair geographic representation, while also considering gender and language balance, diversity of experience and breadth of community representation, simply the overall diversity of voices. According to the plan, 40 scholarships were allocated to the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region and 40 others were equally distributed among the remaining 7 Wikimedia regions.

Despite the careful organization and intensive support of each scholarship recipient, not all of them were able to make it to Prague. In the end, 16 selected participants did not obtain visas or permission to travel - mainly from regions with limited diplomatic representation or complicated visa procedures. Their absence was noticeable in terms of missing voices and reopened the question of the accessibility of international Wikimedia events for young people from all parts of the world.

Final number 83 young participants including volunteers, 76 regular participants, 4 partial scholarship holders and 6 self-payers.

Region	Number of participants
CEE (Central and Eastern Europe)	38
NWE (Northern and Western Europe)	8
ESEAP (Asia & Pacific)	8
LATAM (Latin America)	8
MENA (Middle East and North Africa)	4
SSA (Sub-Saharan Africa)	3
SASIA (South Asia)	3
NA (North America)	4

Participant's list

Add yourself!

Country	Username	Languages	Comment? Fun fact? Favorite quote?
Czech Republic	janbery	cs-N, en-4	"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move." — Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Kazakhstan	Nurtenge	kk-N, ru-4, en-2, uk-2, ky-1	"The Earth is a fine place and worth fighting for." — Ernest Hemingway
Turkey	İsnaaa	tr-N, en-N,	Did you know? People are more likely to remember emotionally charged experiences—so let's make this conference unforgettable in the best way possible!
Ukraine	Rina.sl	uk-N, ru-N, en-4, pl-2, de-0.5	"This too shall pass" — Solomon
Greece	NikosLikomitros	el-N, en-5, ru-1, de-0.5	Workers of the world, unite! — Karl Marx
Germany	Luftmentsh	ru-N, de-5, uk-4, en-3, yi-3	"You are a guest of nature – behave" — Friedensreich Hundertwasser
Macedonia	Jtasevski123	mk-N, en-4, sr-3,
India	Gopa Vasanth	en, te, hi	Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose!
Azerbaijan	Nemoralis	az, tr-5, en-3
Czech Republic	Jan Myšák	cs, en-4, de-2	"Rip and Tear, until it is done." — King Novik, DOOM Eternal
Turkey	Kurmanbek	tr-N, en-3, az-1	"In the end one needs forbearance to get by in this world." — Stefan Zweig, The Post Office Girl
Serbia	Aleksandra Stojićević	sr-N, en-4, mk-2, ar-2, de-1	"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." — Desmond Tutu
Malaysia	EmpAhmadK	ms-N, en-5, ar-1	“I stand by my oath, for which I commit my blood and soul.” — some old Malay song, translated
Georgia	ზურა6446	ka-n, en-4, ru-2	"has not burnt the mtsvadi nor the skewer." - Georgian proverb
Indonesia	Annidafattiya	id-N, en-3, jv-2	"Idealism is the last luxury owned solely by the youth" - Tan Malaka
Malaysia, Estonia	Wiki Asmah	ms-N, en-N, et-2	“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” — Joseph Campbell
Philippines	MaxixKatana	Ph-N, en-2	"Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important." - T.S. Eliot
Philippines	Allen Marx 12	Ph-N, en-2	"Require not things to happen as you wish, but wish them to happen as they do happen and you will go on well." - Epictetus
Poland	Msz2001	pl-N, en-4	I collect public transport tickets, you can bring some or we can exchange :)
South Korea	Aspere	ko, en-3, ja-2
Nigeria	King ChristLike	ig-N, en-5	The best is yet to come.
México	Ferfive	SP-N, EN-5	May the force be with you.
Argentina	Luis Fernando Flores LAB	es-N, en-3
Lithuania, Germany, Ukraine	Vogone	de-N, en-3, lt-3, uk-3, lv-2, fr-2, nl-2	Do not fear, for I am with you.
Venezuela, Germany	Anna Mendez (WMDE)	sp, de-5, en-4
Karakalpakstan (autonomous republic of Uzbekistan)	Inabat Allanova	kaa-N, en-3	«Before long, the wise will speak not in words — but in the language of machines.» — Ibrayim Yusupov
Austria	TheTokl	de-N, en-4, it-1, fr-1	"One day you'll leave this world behind, so live a life you will remember." - Avicii
Rwanda	Derrick Ndahiro	rw-N, en-3,	"Expect the best.Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes!" - Zig Ziglar
Armenia	Mari Avetisyan	hy-N, en-3, ru-3	"The fate of nations should be sought in the palms of mothers…" - Garegin Nzhdeh
Poland	Nadzik	pl-N, en-5, de-2, fr-1	Attending in my capacity as the WMF Trustee
Bolivia	Nicaela Leon Coico	es-N, en-5, fr-5	Stories are important, the monster said. They can be more important than anything. If they carry the truth.
Peru	Shitvia	es-N, en-5, fr-5	Keep going! Wikikausari and Wikiacción Perú are my safe spaces to do my activism :)
United States	Pingnova	en-N, dak-1	Also representing m:Wikimedians of Minnesota User Group. "And I said, 'That last thing is what you can't get, Carlo. Nobody can get to that last thing. We keep on living in hopes of catching it once and for all.'" – On the Road
Turkey	Biologg	tr-N, en-4, fr-1	"Success on the path of civilization depends on innovation. In social life, economic life, and in the fields of science and technology, this is the only path to development and progress."
Poland	Dawid2009	pl, en, de	"You are never alone or helpless. The force that guides the stars guides you too." – Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar
Italy	Sciking	it, lmo, en-3.5, es-1, ca-1, cs-0.1	Lots of nice quotes, let me use one in honour of our hosts: Truth and love must prevail over hate and lies.
Germany	New York-air	de, en-3, fr-1	I don't know, what about just having a great time at the conference?
Ghana	Knowledge and philosophy	en-1, dag-1	"until the lions have their own historian, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter" Chinua Achebe
Kyrgyzstan	Mamatkazy	ky,ru-2,en-3
Kazakhstan	Nurken	kk,ru-4,en-4,de-2,uk-2	"They misunderestimated me." – George W. Bush
Kyrgyzstan	Aiyanakk	ky,ru,en,de	What an amazing conference we had!
United Kingdom	Manxshearwater	en	"The education of women ought not to be regulated by the whims of stupid men." - Elspeth Hughes-Davies
New Zealand	Hacerbics	en, de-1, mi-2, sm-3	"That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse." - Walt Whitman
Nigeria	Obedmakolo	ig-N, en-5,Igl-5	The knowledge that will take you further in life is in what you're yet to know, keep seeking wisdom .
India	CosmicCodex	hi-N, en-5,ur-2	So, surely with hardship comes ease. (Quran: 94:6)
Nigeria	Ridzaina	yo-N, en-5, ar-1, fr-1, de-1	"BE!" and it is .

youthwikimedia.cz

This e-mail address can be used for all inquiries or questions regarding the event.