Wikimedia+Libraries International Convention 2025/Programme/healthy-information-environment
A positive agenda for a healthy information environment: Wiki-Library Synergies- STEPHEN WYBER
Time: 11:30-13:00
Room: Alfonso Reyes Auditorium
Abstract:
The growing international drive to address the problems of mis- and dis-information has most recently given rise to the United Nations' Global Principles on Information Integrity. These mark an important turning point in that they set out the ambition of creating a healthy information environment as a more 'positive' goal, alongside the more 'negative' ones of countering information disorders.
This notwithstanding, the Global Principles remain vague as to what a healthy information environment looks like, other than highlighting the importance of local and independent journalism. Most of the focus remains on responding to the information disorders linked to the behaviours and business models of major digital platforms.
As a movement and sector with a strong positive story to tell about the power of access to knowledge and practical solutions for providing it, this creates an opening for Wikimedia and libraries to fill in a gap. We should be able to use the space created by the Global Principles' emphasis on a healthy information environment to set out an agenda for achieving it, and on that basis, engage with UN teams and any other relevant players to deliver on it.
This session focuses on that agenda. It will start by mapping out ideas for what a shared Wikimedia and libraries agenda for a healthy information environment looks like, and then draw on advocacy experiences in order to explore avenues for advocacy to achieve this.
Participants will take away a clearer idea of the opportunities offered by the Information Integrity agenda, as well as concrete ideas for how to take this forwards, in particular working with UN Country Teams.