The UK has a rich history of humanist activism that goes back hundreds of years. But much of this history is nowhere near as widely known as it should be. As part of Humanists UK’s ongoing Humanist Heritage project, the Humanists of Wikipedia network was established to help make historical and factual research about humanism more widely available for free on the Internet, via the English language Wikipedia.
Much of the work involves taking stories that exist in the archives or in academic libraries and finding high-quality primary and secondary sources for Wikipedia articles about famous humanists, or about the under-reported contributions of humanists to our society. Together this work shines a light on the huge impact humanist have had on life in the UK – and in advancing a kinder, more tolerant world. Often, these histories exist in dusty, untouched physical archives. Wherever possible, our goal is to extract these stories and get them online, where everyone can access them.
The network was established with support and encouragement from Wikimedia UK, the charity which supports Wikipedia and its sister projects to flourish in the UK.
What we do
We research, publish and edit well-sourced articles on Wikipedia. To help with this, we coordinate ‘wikithons’ (Wikipedia edit-a-thons). During a wikithon, a range of volunteers will come together to improve, create, and add to articles on a specific theme, such as press freedom, reproductive rights, or a special birthday.
These events usually bring together a mix of established Wikipedia editors, historians, and other students and activists. These events take place remotely and complete beginners are invited to join in – they can be a great way to get involved with Humanists UK for the first time, wherever you might be based.
Get involved
You don’t need any experience to join the Humanists of Wikipedia member – anyone interested in humanism and online activism is welcome. So, if you like the sound of promoting a better understanding of humanism on the web, amongst a welcoming community of like-minded people, then Humanists of Wikipedia could be for you!