Monuments Fund Aruba, Biblioteca National Aruba,
Archivo Nacional Aruba, UNOCA and Wikimedia Nederland are proud to
announce the start of the “Wikipedia on Aruba | Aruba on Wikipedia” project.
This groundbreaking initiative will boost the content on Aruban heritage and
culture on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia platforms, providing a global audience
with greater access to the island’s rich history.
Starting in January and scheduled to run for 18 months, the project will
empower institutions, educators, and community members on Aruba to
contribute to Wikimedia platforms, such as the famous encyclopedia Wikipedia,
the media-library Wikimedia Commons, and the database Wikidata. This will
promote greater awareness and appreciation of Aruba’s unique cultural identity.
The project was developed by Wikimedia Nederland – in cooperation with its
Aruban partners – and made possible through the financial support of
Netherlands’ Fonds Cultuur Participatie.
Key Appointments: Wikimedian in Residence & Project Coordinator
Outreach & Organizing
Two young and enthusiastic Aruban professionals will take the lead in this
project.
Wikimedian in Residence (WiR): The WiR, Jeanelij Quandt, will lead the
initiative, overseeing its execution, managing partnerships with heritage
organizations, and fostering community participation. She will also provide
hands-on training, helping participants create, expand and enhance Wikipedia
content, including articles, images, and data related to Aruba’s culture and
history This is the first time that such a Wikimedian in Residence role has been
created in the Caribbean.
Project Coordinator – Outreach and Organizing: Supporting the WiR, the
Project Coordinator, Ricardo Arends, will focus on logistical planning, outreach
campaigns, and event coordination. He will play a pivotal role in engaging
Aruban institutions, volunteers, and the broader community, ensuring the
smooth execution of workshops, edit-a-thons, and promotional activities.
Program highlights:
The project features a series of carefully curated activities, including:
Training workshops: Educating local volunteers, students, and cultural
institutions on Wikipedia editing and content creation and sharing images
& data.
Community challenges: Inspiring creative contributions through photo
contests, edit-a-thons with a focus on writing in Papiamento.
Heritage campaigns: Organizing Aruban participation in global
Wikimedia campaigns such as Wiki Loves Monuments photo competition.
Content donations & development: Enhancing Papiamento-language
Wikipedia and enriching Wikimedia Commons with authentic Aruban
materials.
Expected impact:
The initiative is designed to deliver far-reaching benefits, including:
A stronger international multilingual digital presence for Aruba’s cultural
heritage.
Greater community engagement in preserving and sharing local history
through Wikimedia.
Enhanced collaboration between local and international knowledge
networks.
New opportunities for creative reinterpretation of cultural assets, such as
online exhibitions and apps.
Join the journey: The “Wikipedia on Aruba | Aruba on Wikipedia” project
invites all Arubans, living in Aruba or abroad, to contribute to this exciting
initiative. Whether you are a student, a professional, or a history enthusiast,
there are countless ways to get involved. Together, let’s put Aruba on the map –
the digital map of open knowledge!
In the second week of February an inspiring kick off meeting for the project is
organised. To pre-register, please see the registration form on the project
website:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_on_Aruba.