Speech to celebrate 25 year Wikipedia on 18 March 2026 in Brussels

Dear guests, wonderful volunteers,

It is an honour to be here today. We are not simply celebrating a website; we are celebrating a quarter of a century of human curiosity, determination and, above all, altruism.

When Wikipedia started 25 years ago, many declared the project as madness. Anyone can change anything. “An encyclopaedia that anyone can edit? That’ll be a digital disaster,” they said. But look where we stand now. Wikipedia has become the backbone of the free internet. And that is not thanks to algorithms or billions of dollars in marketing, but thanks to you all as an individual and as a diverse community.

The invisible engine of knowledge

In Belgium, we have a unique tradition of community life and volunteering. You have expressed your personal ‘enthusiasm’ by contributing to the common good in a digital world.

• You are the people who, on a rainy Sunday, check sources on the history of a forgotten village in the Westhoek.
• You are the ones who debate the correct spelling of a scientific term in Dutch, French, English, German, or any other language.
• You shoot the perfect photo of a listed monument for Wikimedia Commons.
• You describe the world on Wikidata.
• You are part of the community, as an individual, or as a member of the organization.

Your work is typically invisible. The millions of people who visit the site every day — the student writing a paper, the grandparent wanting to settle a debate at the dinner table — usually don’t see your names. But they do see your impact.

Truth in times of confusion

In an age where disinformation and ‘fake news’ travel faster than the truth, your role is more crucial than ever. Wikipedia has become a beacon of reliability. Not because it is perfect, but because of your continued contribution to neutrality and verification.

You prove that, as a society, we can still agree on what constitutes a ‘fact’. In today’s world, that is an almost revolutionary act.

Thank you

On behalf of everyone who has ever learnt something new via the Dutch, French, German or even the West Flemish, Limburgish or Walloon Wikipedia: thank you.

• Thank you to the pioneers who were there from the very beginning, when the pages were still blank.
• Thank you to the moderators who monitor the quality and keep digital vandals away.
• And thank you to the heroes who may have written just one single article. In doing so you preserved a piece of knowledge for ever, for every single human on earth.

Up to the next 25 years

25 years of Wikipedia in Belgium is a milestone, but we’re not done yet. The world keeps changing and there’s always new knowledge to unlock.

I am sure you’ll continue to write, amend and improve with just as much passion. You’re not only making the world smarter, but also more free.

As an organisation we like to continue collaborating with museums, archives, heritage associations, libraries, universities and colleges.

Enjoy this celebration. You have more than earned it.

To the 250.000 volunteers, to knowledge, and to Wikipedia!