February-March — review of the rules, update pages on Commons, website, and social media channels, and invitations for the local teams;
April-May — understanding the needs of local organizers, communication with them, promotion of the contest, CentralNoticeBanners setting up;
May-July (partly prolonged to August) — contest period;
July-September — local results, checking local team’s submissions;
August-September — choosing the international jury team, WLX jury tool setting-up, guidelines for the jurors;
September-October — the evaluation process;
November — sum-upping of the final results, receiving the feedback;
December — announcement of the final results, sharing the results in different channels, communication with the winners, awarding the winners (+award ceremony);
50 participating countries (53 aimed to participate from the very beginning);
42 countries moved to the international level (submitted their local winning images);
60,992 images were submitted overall (492 local winning images)
6,869 (11%) images used in the Wikipedia;
3,411 uploaders (2,396 (70%) registered after the competition started)
11 countries joined for the first time: Burkina Faso, Czech Republic, Ivory Coast, Haiti, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, North East Nigeria, Senegal, Slovakia, Uzbekistan;
8,558 images submitted for the special nomination.
The main highlights
Top countries with the most number of uploads: Germany, Wales, Ukraine;
Top 20 winners in the main nomination and top 10 in the special nomination (28 winners overall);
Lists of protected areas were improved for 9 countries in cooperation with Wikimedia Sweden (still the implementation stage should be improved);
30 countries were interviewed, and detailed feedback was received.
General timeline — all the processes went smoothly and the main deadlines were not missed. The general time framework works well for us but still needs some detailed improvements;
A record number of participating countries (50) + 11 new countries (growth: +20% compared to the previous year);
The number of uploads increased compared to the previous year: 50,845 in 2022 → 60,963 in 2023 (growth: +19%);
Communication with the local teams: permanent, relevant updates, reminders, and personal approach, the acceptable response rate from the organizers;
Communication and work with the jurors, the number of jurors involved;
Current cooperations (Wikimedia Sweden, CEE Hub);
Promotion of the project;
Award ceremony was conducted (first time after 2020);
Proactive winners, who are active on social media, shared the information about the project, and had a high response rate to us;
Conducted interviews and feedback gathered;
Project representation on the international level: we took the opportunity to present the project to a global community and to conduct sessions about WLE at Wikimania, at some local conferences, Learning Clinic, etc.
What should and planned to be improved
The number of uploaders decreased compared to the previous year: 4,121 in 2022 → 3,409 in 2023 (drop: -17%);
Cooperation with WMF regarding better funding for local organizers;
Sooner launch of the contest: in 2023 we announced it in March, so in 2024 the announcement is going to be at the beginning of February (so local teams will be able to have more time to apply for grants and the general preparation);
More engagement with the local teams: open office calls, chat interactions, etc.;
More involvement of the international jurors: common call, Telegram\WhatsApp chat, pre-introduction;
Launch of WLE materials Hub: create and add all needed instructions, translate in a few languages, and share with the local organizers and participants. Some examples of instructions: how to use the WLX jury tool, how to create and add a list of protected areas (for organizers), how to upload your image and operate on Wikimedia Commons (for uploaders), and many other useful instructions;
To involve more participating countries: to increase the number to at least 55;
To involve more volunteers and ambassadors among the regions: at least to have 4 ambassadors and 3 active volunteers;
More promotion and visibility for the project on social media channels, create new promo materials and share;
To improve the WLX jury tool and its functional;
More activity on the talk pages, etc.;
Improvements to the timeline: to make it smoother and more detailed, to not postpone important processes, and to plan activities beforehand not to skip the deadlines;
Lists of protected areas improvement: to investigate more which countries are lacking the lists of protected areas or if they need some improvements and help with it, especially with the implementation stage and practical usage. In cooperation with the partner, improve the lists, also to share the instructions, and maybe conduct a webinar if needed.
Osama Silwadi — is a Palestinian photojournalist, visual storyteller, archivist, and folklorist. He started his professional career in 1991. During the first Palestinian Intifada, he faced difficulties and challenges and was in danger as he worked in the conflict areas. In October 2006, Osama was seriously injured by a stray bullet during a march in the center of Ramallah, which resulted in paralysis of the lower limbs. Silwadi has won titles inspired by his work in documenting the Palestinian heritage, including "The Eye of Palestine" and the "Palestinian Heritage Documenter". Osama was the international jury member of the previous WLE editions in 2020, 2021, and 2022 and was glad to continue contributing to the contest this year.
Carlos Figueroa — is a Chilean dentist and active Wikipedian since 2005 and has contributed to Wikimedia Commons since then. As a part of the Wikimedia Chile board since 2017 and chair since 2020, he has been in charge of the “Chile in images” project, which portrays the main cultural events in the country. Also, Carlos was a member of the national jury of the 2018 and 2019 editions of Wiki Loves Earth and a jury for other photographic contests, such as “6 months that changed Chile” and “Revealing Sites”. Carlos was the international jury member of the previous WLE editions in 2020, 2021, and 2022 and was glad to continue contributing to the contest this year.
Shani Evenstein Sigalov — is an Israeli educator, researcher, and Free Knowledge advocate, focusing on bridging gender, language, and social gaps. She teaches at Tel Aviv University, where she explores the intersection between technology, education, and Openness, and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at the School of Education, focusing on learning via the Semantic Web, more specifically, using Wikidata as a learning platform. Shani joined the Wikimedia Movement in 2011 and has been heavily involved in Outreach efforts. While serving on the Board of Wikimedia Israel, Shani has been involved in setting up Wiki Loves Monuments, both in creating partnerships for the competition and serving as a judge in the competition. As an amateur photographer (and married to a professional photographer), she has a deep appreciation of Art & photography and enjoys adding free-licensed media files to WikiCommons. She especially enjoys adding portraits (or videos) of notable people she encounters, places she travels to, or dishes she cooks or bakes. She even participated in the #100WikiCommonsDays Challenge. Though she failed the challenge miserably, she believes every Wikimedian should take on the challenge and looks forward to a time when she can take it up again. As of 2019, she serves on the Board of Trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation and is currently the Vice Chair of the Board. Shani was the international jury member of the previous WLE editions in 2020 and 2022 and was glad to continue contributing to the contest this year.
Susanna Ånäs — is a coordinator by practice and an artist, photographer, and documentarist at heart. Having joined the Wikimedia movement in 2012, she now runs the AvoinGLAM group in Helsinki, Finland, promoting open access to cultural heritage. The group likes to interpret GLAM as Global Languages, Art, and Memory instead of the institutional Galleries, Libraries, and Museums. The focus of the work is on urgent and important issues and bringing people together from across domain boundaries to work and learn together on them in case studies, experiments, or events like the co-creation "hackathon" Hack4OpenGLAM. Susanna has organized Wiki Loves Monuments in Finland three times. She wishes to explore and promote ways in which open culture advocates can make a positive impact on vulnerable and threatened cultural heritage or secure environmental sustainability. Susanna was the international jury member of the previous WLE edition in 2022 and was glad to continue contributing to the contest this year.
Evelin Heidel — is a Wikimedian based in Uruguay. She's currently leading the work of Wikimedistas de Uruguay, and one of her main areas of interest is climate change & sustainability topics, so much so that she's pursuing a Master's on the topic of Economics and the law of Climate Change! Evelin was the international jury member of the previous WLE edition in 2022 and was glad to continue contributing to the contest this year.
Ananya Mondal — is a veteran Wikimedian, hobbyist, nature photographer, and conservationist from India. She is also fond of forest surveying, rock climbing, and Himalayan trekking. In photography, her special love is shooting Butterflies and that's why she started and still has been operating successfully a scientifically-based WMF-granted project on species and subspecies level detailed documentation of butterflies of West Bengal and North-East India entitled Wiki Loves Butterfly (WLB) for the past 6 years with a group of enthusiast Wikipedians, lepidopterists, naturalists, researchers, scientific organizations, etc. hailing from different parts of India. She is also known as Butterfly Wikimedian and received the Wikimedian of the Year 2021 Rich Media Award. Ananya is one of the members of the Organizing team of Wiki Loves Monuments (WLM) in India and Wiki Loves Food (WLF) in India. Ananya was the international jury member of the previous WLE editions in 2018 and 2022 and was glad to continue contributing to the contest this year.
Lodewijk Gelauff — is a postdoctoral scholar working in computational social science in California and an enthusiast Wikimedian. His research focuses on engaging citizens and stakeholders in complex decisions using online tools. He is a Dutch Wikimedian and was one of the founders of Wiki Loves Monuments, leading its international team for several years. Wiki Loves Monuments has become the largest photography competition and is a sibling competition to Wiki Loves Earth. Lodewijk was the international jury member of the previous WLE edition in 2022 and was glad to continue contributing to the contest this year.
Bijay Chaurasia — a Nepal-based professional photographer specializing in landscape, travel, cultural, and monumental photography with a decade of experience, has captured Nepal's allure. A dedicated Wikimedia contributor since 2014, he promotes Nepal's charm worldwide.
Muhammad Amdad Hossain — is a renowned visual artist from the enchanting landscapes of Bangladesh. His photography journey is a compelling narrative that goes beyond snapshots, offering a glimpse into the rich tapestry of rural life in Bangladesh. With a deep connection to rural communities, Amdad's work highlights their daily joys, struggles, and resilience, serving as a call for action to address their challenges, especially after natural disasters. Amdad's lens is his bridge to diverse cultures worldwide, and he's earned over 150 international photography awards for his innovative and boundary-pushing work. His photographs have graced the pages of prestigious publications like Guardian, National Geographic, Forbes, and more. A rising star in the world of photography, Muhammad Amdad Hossain captures the essence of undiscovered worlds, weaving tales of hope and humanity with each click of his camera.
Jan Ainali — started his Wikimedia journey on Wikimedia Commons in 2006. He has been the CEO of Wikimedia Sverige and is a co-founder of Wikimedians for Sustainable Development. In previous years, he has been on the jury for the Swedish Wiki Loves Earth and Wiki Loves Monuments, as well as the international Wiki Loves Monuments. In his day job, he helps public organizations collaborate on open-source software at the Foundation for Public Code.
Magdalena Sobolewska-Bereza — is a biologist working at Warsaw University, Faculty of Biology. Nature and biodiversity are her great passions. She loves to observe wild animals and nature in the city, take photos, and educate her students about them. She leads educational excursions, during which she teaches respect for biodiversity and balance between our fast-growing civilization and nature. For many years, She’s been teaching photography, and currently, She is focused on mobile photography. She likes to use experimental techniques and combine photos with graphics and art. She is also a trained phototherapist. The combination of diverse experiences enables her to develop people’s skills and show them how to express their emotions by capturing moments in the form of photos wherever they are.
Gheorghe Iordachi — is a Wikimedian from Moldova, administrator on Romanian Wikipedia, and active on Wikidata. A 'Wiki Loves X' enthusiast – he often makes detours to visit protected areas and cultural heritage monuments.
Gatete Pacifique — is a Rwandan photographer and a Wikimedia volunteer since 2019. In the Wikimedia movement, he has participated in most of the photograph and writing contests within Rwanda. He managed to be a winning contributor in Loves Folklore 2021, Wikipedia pages wanting photos 2021, WikiGap 2021, and 2022. He has organized Wikiindaba 2022 in Rwanda.
Special nomination “Human Rights and Environment”
João Pompeu — a Brazilian biologist and ecological researcher. Photography first came into his life as a working tool, but it soon assumed a more important role as art. As an independent documentary photographer, Joao portrays the environmental processes related to his research areas, including great natural phenomena, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and their relationships with all the spheres of the Earth System.
Nicky Deluggi — Italian, based in Austria intern with the Human Rights Team at the Wikimedia Foundation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and Japanese Studies from Vienna University and a master’s degree in Human Rights from Central European University. Nicky is a former climate activist with Fridays for Future Vienna, especially interested in climate disinformation, socio-ecological transformation, and the intersection between environmental and digital rights.
Valentina Vera-Quiroz — a Colombian human rights activist and lawyer from Harvard Law School. As a fellow at the Wikimedia Foundation, she provides legal and advocacy advice on human rights, disinformation, and policy. With extensive research and lecturing experience, Valentina advocates for freedom of expression and access to information globally.
Juliana Almeida — a Portuguese Integrates UNEP’s Law Division as an Environmental Law Specialist. She is currently working with matters related to human rights, the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, future generations, and building judicial capacity for the environment. She has previously worked in the European Parliament and the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union in environmental matters. She has a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws in International and European Law from the Nova University of Lisbon, as well as a post-grad in Environmental Law.
Masana Mulaudzi — a South African senior Manager, Campaign Organizing at the Wikimedia Foundation. Hailing from Johannesburg, South Africa, Masana joined the movement in January 2023 and has enjoyed learning about Wikimedia volunteers and their contribution to knowledge equity globally.
Olivia Carolina Bonner — based in the USA, has worked at the intersection of human rights and environmental law for more than five years. She is dedicated to ensuring global commons are sustainably and progressively managed for the benefit of all people and the planet and is steadfast in her commitment to the right to a healthy environment to be realized around the world. She is from a small town in Northern California but has had the pleasure of traveling around the world for her work, learning from countless others about the interdependency of human rights and the environment.
The award ceremony was held online on the 18th of December in Zoom;
Around 30 participants have joined: winners, jurors, local organizers, etc;
Recording from the ceremony you can find on our YouTube channel;
You can find the presentation here.
Prizes
Winners of the main nomination received a voucher for online shopping (mostly from Amazon or any other local shop). The amount depends on the winning place. Also, they received online diplomas and are going to receive WLE-branded souvenirs;
Winners of the special nomination and jurors received online diplomas and are going to receive WLE-branded souvenirs.
Here you can find an International jury report, where you can check the full information about each of the winning images, about jurors, and the selection process.
