We are happy to announce that the second WikiCamp in the Diaspora will be held in Portugal this year!

It will be organized at Tempo de Aventura, in Cadaval, from the 17th to 26th of August 2016. During the 10 days, participants will not only have the opportunity to write articles on subjects that interest them in Western Armenian, but also, be involved in numerous outdoor activities, meet new friends from all over Europe and elsewhere, and enjoy a memorable week-and-a-half in a relaxed but active environment.

The Armenian Communities Department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation started to support Wikimedia Armenia in 2015 to encourage young authors to write articles in Western Armenian. At the beginning of 2015 there were some 650 Wikipedia articles in Western Armenian. A year later, in early 2016, that number had increased to 3546 articles. The main reason for this five-fold increase is the organisation of Wiki writing camps for teenagers which facilitate and give inspiration to write articles in Western Armenian in a casual, fun and dynamic environment.

The first international WikiCamp for Western Armenian was held last summer, from the 3rd to 12th of August, in Beirut, Lebanon, attracting over 60 participants (students, teachers and IT facilitators). During the camp, students had an opportunity to develop their skills and confidence in writing and editing articles on Wikipedia and Wiktionary, as well as translating articles from European languages.

The camp in Portugal is for young individuals between the ages of 16-25. It is free for selected participants. Interested individuals should submit an applications as soon as possible. The deadline is May 10. There are a limited number of places available and we expect the competition to be high. The application process is on-line (link below), and includes a motivation statement in Armenian.

For more information regarding the WikiCamp in Portugal please click here (information available only in Armenian). To access the application form please click here.

Wikimedia Armenia was founded in 2013. It is an active member of the International Wikimedia Foundation, and recognized for its innovative initiatives under the leadership of Susanna Mkrtchyan.