Wikimedia Indonesia Bolsters Admin Capacity with WikiCendekia 2026 Training
Surabaya, Indonesia – Wikimedia Indonesia recently concluded WikiCendekia 2026, a capacity-building program designed to support administrators of Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects across the country. The initiative, held February 7-8, 2026, in Surabaya, brought together 30 administrators for a combination of online learning and an in-person training session.
WikiCendekia 2026 aimed to provide a space for administrators to share knowledge, skills, and experiences related to managing their respective Wikimedia projects, including Wikipedia, Wikisource, Wiktionary, and Wikiquote, in both Indonesian and local languages. A significant portion of the participants were relatively new to their roles, with less than one to five years of experience.
To address the needs of both experienced and new administrators, the program offered “Using Administrative Tools” modules at both basic and advanced levels throughout January 2026 via a Learning Management System (LMS). The in-person session, attended by 20 administrators, facilitated direct interaction, collaboration, and the exchange of best practices.
The training curriculum was developed based on a needs assessment conducted among administrators. Key topics covered included creating and running bots using Pywikibot, implementing and managing abuse filters, editing the MediaWiki namespace, and enhancing digital safety for administrators in the Indonesian context. Wikimedia Indonesia collaborated with the Wikimedia Foundation’s Trust & Safety team to provide resources and presentations on safety considerations.
Participants highlighted the value of hands-on practice and the direct applicability of the training to their daily administrative work. One participant noted, “WikiCendekia opens opportunities for new administrators to learn together with experienced administrators.”
Beyond formal presentations, the program incorporated “Cangkruk” sessions – peer-to-peer practice sharing – allowing newer administrators to learn technical skills from more experienced colleagues. Discussions ranged from bot development to the process of preparing new projects for launch from the Wikimedia Incubator. “Warung Kopi” sessions, or small-group discussions, focused on real-world case studies, approaches to handling community issues, and cross-project perspectives.
A key discussion during WikiCendekia 2026 centered on “The future of Wikimedia project adminship in Indonesia.” Participants identified challenges such as insufficient technical capacity among some administrators, increasing instances of vandalism and misinformation, limited representation in local-language projects, difficulties in translating technical terminology, and a decline in native speaker contributions. The rise of generative AI and short-form content were also recognized as emerging challenges.
Despite these hurdles, participants expressed optimism about the strength of the Wikimedia community in Indonesia, citing a shared vision of free knowledge, a spirit of volunteerism, support from global Wikimedia volunteers, and a consensus-based decision-making system. The diversity of projects and the preservation of Indonesian and local languages were also highlighted as key strengths, as was the increasing participation of women in the movement.
WikiCendekia 2026 represents an initial step in Wikimedia Indonesia’s ongoing commitment to supporting administrators and strengthening the role of local communities in the development and management of Wikimedia projects in Indonesia. Organizers emphasized the importance of continuous learning, open dialogue, and meaningful support for administrators to sustain the free knowledge movement.
“May we continue to interact with one another, both within this forum and beyond!” – User:Salsa66syifa, one of the WikiCendekia 2026 participant
