Aruba is the first Caribbean nation to launch an innovative Wikipedia cultural heritage project.

This groundbreaking initiative will boost the Aruban heritage and culture content 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 in Aruba to contribute to Wikimedia platforms, such as the famous encyclopedia Wikipedia, the media library Wikimedia Commons, and the database Wikidata. It 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 by the financial support of the 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 on Aruba’s culture and history. It is the first time such a Wikimedian in-residence role has been created in the Caribbean.

Project Coordinator—Outreach and Organizing 
To support 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 and 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, content creation, and sharing images & data.
• Community challenges: Inspiring creative contributions through photo contests and edit-a-thons focusing on writing in Papiamento.
• Heritage campaigns: Organizing Aruban participation in global Wikimedia campaigns, such as the Wiki Loves Monuments photo competition.
• Content donations & development: Enhancing Papiamento-language Wikipedia and enriching Wikimedia Commons with authentic Aruban materials.

Expected impact: 

The initiative aims to deliver far-reaching benefits, including:

• A more robust 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, they will organize an inspiring kickoff meeting for the project. To pre-register, please see the registration form on the project website.