Pillars That Inspire

In my first year as CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation, I asked people all over the world what they thought the world needed from us now. And what I heard sent me back to Wikipedia’s founding principles. 

These pillars of shared collaboration and free, reliable information have remained constant, even as so much has changed in the past 22 years since Wikipedia was first created. They have only gotten stronger as societies everywhere experience increased threats to our information ecosystem, including a rise in disinformation and misinformation, and an even higher risk of censorship online. 

Wikipedia’s pillars are practical and essential, and illustrate the inspiration behind the largest source of collective knowledge in human history. This Annual Report celebrates these pillars, which are reflected in Wikimedia projects across hundreds of languages, and in the people that create these projects. The pillars show the vision and purpose that unites a global movement and powers Wikipedia through new contributions every day. 

Wikipedia has already done the impossible once, by bringing together hundreds of thousands of people to share their knowledge with the world. It has done this guided by pillars of transparency, truth-seeking, collaboration, and through a system that is human-led and technology-enabled.

We must continue to invest in communities and technology that will keep Wikipedia relevant and welcoming to more contributors as the world around us keeps changing. 

Our world needs this now more than ever. 

Maryana Iskander
CEO, Wikimedia Foundation