How Wikimedia Belgium works
What is the purpose of the organisation
The Wikimedia Belgium association shares similar objectives with the Wikimedia Foundation and other Wikimedia organisations in other countries worldwide.
We are committed to promoting free access and sharing all knowledge, especially at the regional, federal and European levels. We contribute to the social, cultural and legal issues related to free data and free knowledge. We encourage consultation and responsible contribution to Wikimedia projects through presentations, books, videos or other media. We encourage the collection, arrangement, enrichment, indexing, cataloguing, and making available of Free knowledge. We make institutions, organisations, the government and the public aware of the importance of free licences to ensure that human knowledge, heritage and related intangible elements remain available to mankind in perpetuity. We encourage the digitisation, description and inventory of heritage through photography, audio and video (Wikimedia Commons).
Who is the association addressing
The association supports all communities in all languages, in particular for Dutch, English, French and German, as well as projects dedicated to Luxembourgish, West Flemish, Limburgish, and Walloon languages. In particular, it may support any activity of other societies, organisations, and institutions whose objectives are similar or complementary to its purpose, e.g. Creative Commons, OpenStreetMap, Open Knowledge, Open source. We cooperate with other socio-cultural institutions or associations with a similar aim, e.g. museums, libraries, archives, colleges, universities, other schools, adult education, associations, public interest initiatives, the government and its institutions. We help raise awareness of Wikimedia projects (outreach). We also want to give a social dimension to our activities, e.g. making Wikipedia available to prisoners, or to non-native speakers.
What are the organisation's main activities
The association may undertake any actions that contribute to the realisation of its objectives; e.g. internet facilities and Wikimedia projects for the creation, dissemination and use of free educational and encyclopaedic content and its sharing, the organisation of private or public activities and events, meetings, conferences and seminars, trade fairs and formation events or the provision of information through various channels. We organise events, conferences, seminars and workshops. We cooperate with cultural organisations, e.g. museums, archives, libraries or collections; to encourage them to share content with the general public under an appropriate free licence to allow everyone to share the cultural richness of our collective heritage. We handle national public relations. We provide training in ‘Writing for Wikipedia’. We promote Free knowledge (Wikimedia projects) and Open data (Wikidata).
Where is the organisation operating
We are active in Belgium but also collaborate with homologous Wikimedia societies using the same language such as the Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the UK and others where we exchange ideas and projects. We organise events together. We organise or participate in (inter)national conferences and trainings. We support volunteers.
See also
- Press release founding Wikimedia Belgium
- About Wikimedia Belgium
- Donation with tax certificate
- category:Financial statements