Share knowledge about the Right to a Healthy Environment with #WikiForHumanRights

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Get involved with #WikiForHumanRights 2022 by joining a live launch webinar on 14 April; participating in a month-long Wikipedia writing challenge; attending global events; and more.

Image: Adapted illustration by Jasmina El Bouamraoui and Karabo Poppy Moletsane for Wikipedia 20; photo by Neil Palmer (CIAT). Khat leaves. (CC BY-SA 2.0).

We are excited for the launch of the 2022 #WikiForHumanRights campaign, which calls on volunteers to write and improve content on Wikipedia about human rights, environmental health, and the range of communities impacted by environmental issues around the world.  The campaign will run from 14 April – 30 June.

For the first time last year, the UN officially recognized that having a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a human right. This key decision highlights how vital it is that people have access to information, including that found on Wikipedia, that helps them better understand their rights, and how to guard them. 

It also comes at a time when our planet is facing what the UN calls a “triple planetary crisis” of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Access to neutral, fact-based, and current information about climate change topics plays a critical role in our ability to not only understand these interconnected crises, but to mitigate their causes and adapt society to ensure a healthy future for all.  In turn, the role of Wikipedia has never mattered more. 

You can help respond to this global crisis by joining the #WikiForHumanRights campaign. We invite you to the following activities to learn more about the connection between human rights and the environmental crises, and how to share this information on Wikipedia.

Join the Launch Webinar!

 

On the 14th of April 14:00 UTC, we invite you to join the live event which will mark the launch of this year’s #WikiForHumanRights campaign.  

For the third time, the Wikimedia Foundation, in conjunction with the  United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Rights Office (UNOHCHR), will be hosting a special live conversation on how Wikipedia and other public knowledge play a role in understanding the human rights impacts of the triple planetary crisis, of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution. 

We will have a guest panel of experts working with the UN system to advance the Right to a Healthy Environment. This will include the Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights, Dr. Marcos A. Orellana; UN Assistant Secretary General and Executive Secretary, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity Elizabeth Mrema; Women4Biodiversity director Mrinalini Rai; and youth activist Alejandro Daly. To join the event, register to participate here.

During the event, we will discuss the role of open knowledge platforms like Wikipedia in addressing the environmental crises. Panelists will share thoughts on how to make the connection between human rights and the environment more clear and accessible to the general public. 

The event will include live translations in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, and Arabic.  

Join the Global Writing Challenge

From 15 April to 15 May 2022, we are calling on Wikimedians everywhere to join the one-month global writing challenge. The challenge is aimed at bridging content gaps on human rights, environmental health, and the diverse people affected by the convergent environmental crises of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. 

Join Community Events

As part of the campaign, there will be a myriad of synchronous activities and events happening across different regions. Events like, webinars, edit-a-thons, workshops, and local writing contests are taking place around the world, and we encourage you to find an event to join.

Earth Day

In commemoration of Earth Day, we will be hosting an editing workshop on  22 April  15:00UTC which will focus deeply on environment and human rights topic areas as we train participants on how to contribute to these topics on Wikipedia. 

The impact of the environmental crises cannot be understated. We all have a responsibility to ensure that everyone has access to neutral, fact-based, and current information about our shared Right to a Healthy Environment. Be part of this event by joining the zoom call.

Become part of the Human Rights Interest Group by signing up here!

The Human Rights Interest Group (HRIG) is a new group consisting of Wikimedians, individuals, and affiliated organizations interested in human rights as they pertain to Wikimedia projects. It is a movement-wide initiative aiming to create a safe space wherein the human rights concerns of our diverse communities can be heard, discussed, and addressed. 

The HRIG also aims to support the sharing of notable, reliable knowledge regarding human rights ideas, challenges, movements, and actors so our readers are informed of the state of human rights around the globe and in their own part of the world. The mission of the HRIG is to create an equitable and global approach to human rights in Wikimedia projects. Become a member by signing up here. You can read more about the group via meta

Share the story and learn more!  

Follow us on Twitter @Wikipedia,@Wikimedia, and @WikiSusDev or join the WikiForHumanRights Telegram Channel for event details and updates as the campaign continues through the 30th of June 2022 and check back for updates on the event page. Use the campaign hashtag #WikiForHumanRights to spread the word. You can also write to campaigns@wikimedia.org if you have questions. 

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