Q: Why UNESCO World Heritage?
A: Wikipedia is an international project and therefore to apply for the UNESCO World Heritage status seems appropriate.
The UNESCO World Heritage agreement is the most successful agreement on the protection of culture and nature that the international community has ever reached. Over 180 countries have signed the UNESCO agreement from 1972 for the protection of world heritage. No other UNESCO project gets as much attention from the german public as the UNESCO World Heritage.
Q: Wikipedia is located in the USA and the operator of Wikipedia is the Wikimedia Foundation. Is WMF ok with the project?
A: The idea was developed in Germany, but we always intended it to be an international project. We presented the idea at the Wikimedia Chapters Conference and received positive feedback only. Today we know that there are many chapters from all over the world who are going to take part in the “Wikipedia for World Heritage” project.
Q: Is there a benefit for Wikipedia?
A: Appreciation for Wikipedians, higher attention for Wikipedia in the public, inform about and elucidate free knowledge, increasing awareness of free knowledge and protect free knowledge and access to it.
Q: Which UNESCO World Heritage criteria does Wikipedia meet?
A: Wikipedia meets many of the UNESCO criteria, e.g. “the site represents a masterpiece of human creative genius”. However, it is not our main objective to meet single UNESCO criteria but to emphasize the project as the greatest ever collection of human knowledge, collected and supplemented by many people from all over the world. It is not only a success story in the history of the internet, but a success story for a paradigm change in the treatment of free knowledge. Therefore we deem Wikipedia ready to join the ranks of other UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Q: What exactly are you trying to protect?
A: We are trying to protect the biggest constantly evolving collection of human knowledge that is open to everyone. It is important for us to secure free access to this project in the future and to keep it free from ads.
Q: Why does Wikipedia not use the formal way of application?
A: The formal way is rather time consuming and only possible via national states. We are taking this way as well, but we think that a petition signed by many people all over the world is a wonderful representive for the idea behind Wikipedia.
Q: Which goals you are trying to achieve?
A: We want to create awareness and acceptance. Additonally we want to use the chance and educate people regarding the idea of free knowledge.
問：為甚麼要申請成為世界文化遺產？
答：維基百科搜集世界知識，成為世界文化遺產最適合不過。自1972年以來，《保護世界文化和自然遺產公約》已有超過180個簽署國，是國際間最重要的文化相關條約。世界文化遺產計劃亦是聯合國教科文組織最為公眾認識的計劃。
問：「維基百科也申遺」是誰主辦的活動？
答：活動由德國維基媒體協會發起，並得到營運維基百科的維基媒體基金會支持。世界各地的維基媒體地方分會，包括香港維基媒體協會，都會協辦活動。
問：申遺對維基百科有甚麼益處？
答：認同維基人所作的貢獻、加強公眾對維基百科的認識、推廣對自由知識的正確觀念、保護自由知識和存取知識的渠道
問：維基百科憑甚麼做世界遺產？
答：維基百科符合列為世界遺產的多項條件，例如它是「表現人類創造力的經典之作」。當然，維基百科的成就不只是達成了幾項條件。維基百科是史上最大的知識庫，參與的編輯來自全球各地。它的協作模式不單是互聯網史上的成功，還標誌著人類處理知識的文化已經轉變。故此，我們認為維基百科成為世界文化遺產，當之無愧。
問：維基百科有甚麼「遺產」需要保護？
答：我們要確保維基百科裡的知識繼續開放給全人類自由使用，繼續免費、免廣告。
問：為甚麼維基百科不循正式途徑申遺？
答：正式的申遺建議只能由聯合國成員國提出，且花費大量時間。我們也正循這途徑進行申請，但我們認為舉行一個全球網上聯署行動更能體現維基百科背後的理念。
問：申遺的目的是甚麼？
答：我們想令更多人認同維基百科的成果和明白自由知識的意義。
