Education/News/October 2020/Collegiate Students Fight Historical Revisionism Through Online Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
Collegiate Students Fight Historical Revisionism Through Online Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
Author: Bel Ballesteros and Jojit Ballesteros
Summary: Forty-nine collegiate students from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) edited and improved Wikipedia articles through an online edit-a-thon organized and conducted by the UP Internet Freedom Network during 26-27 September 2020 to fight historical revisionism.
The UP Internet Freedom Network, an organization from the University of the Philippines, organized and conducted an online edit-a-thon on 26-27 September 2020 entitled "Wikipedia Edit-a-thon: Documenting Desaparecidos and Red-tagging against activists in the Philippines" in partnership with Youth Advocate for Peace and Justice (YAPJUST) and sponsored by UPLB Mathematical Sciences Society, Anakbayan UP Los Baños and UPLB College of Human Ecology Student Council. The objective of this event was to fight historical revisionism by improving Wikipedia articles incorporating well-researched, well-sourced, reliable, and verified content or information about forced disappearances and red-tagging of activists in the Philippines.
The first day of the event was focused on educational discussions about topics that participants could use in improving Wikipedia articles such as red-tagging and forced disappearances under President Duterte's government. Speakers include Congresswoman Sarah Elago of the House of Representatives who represents the youth sector under the Kabataan Party List, Ms. Linda Cadapan who is the chairperson of Desaparecidos which is an organization of families of enforced disappearances, and Mr. Paolo Anico who is a member of Youth Advocates for Peace with Justice which is an alliance advocating for awareness of human rights. The session was live-streamed and can be viewed here.
The actual edit-a-thon was held on the second day of the event. It was participated by forty-nine collegiate students from the University of the Philippines Los Baños. Before the actual editing, Bel Ballesteros discussed how Wikipedia works while Jojit Ballesteros taught the participants the "how" or the technical side in improving Wikipedia. Both are from Hablon User Group of Wikimedians in the Philippines (HUG). They also answered queries and offered possible solutions to problems encountered by the participants during the actual edit-a-thon. The session was also live-streamed and can be viewed here. Their presentation slides are available here and their report can be read here.
Social Media channels or hashtags:
- Facebook: @hugwikiph @upinternet.org