Wikimedia Deutschland is the oldest and largest national organization: Over the twelve years of our existence, we have accumulated a lot of experience and knowledge. At the same time, we are certain that Wikimedia Deutschland could learn a lot from the other Wikimedia organizations. That is why we encourage our colleagues, but also volunteers via conferences, visits, and exchange programs to learn together with and from other Wikimedia contributors. Our goal is to establish learning partnerships and to thus enable constant exchange. In this way, for instance, we can share our experiences from our project for recruiting new authors for Wikipedia and learn more about what is being done in other countries to counteract the declining number of contributors.
Wikimedia Deutschland also takes a leading role in the international network. In 2016, we organized for the second year in a row the Wikimedia Conference. At the annual conference, Wikimedia organizations and groups, and the Wikimedia Foundation get together to discuss and determine the future direction of our global network. Simultaneously, the Wikimedia Conference is a meeting place for participants to learn from and to inspire each other and also to form new partnerships. The program is based on the specific wishes, experiences, and needs of the participants, and the topics of the conference are pursued and monitored throughout the entire year. By means of this approach, in 2016, we successfully laid the foundation for understanding and improving the relations between the Wikimedia Foundation and its organizations and groups.