Amnesty International is a global movement with over 6 decades of experience in defending human rights and a presence in more than 150 countries. In Germany, Amnesty International brings together thousands of members and volunteers that advance advocacy, campaigns, and community action.
To support this growing community, Amnesty International Germany needed a modern, internal knowledge base. They were seeking a platform that was easy to use, designed for collaboration, and flexible enough to evolve with their mission. Together with XWiki SAS and KnowledgeBase Consulting (KBC), one of XWiki SAS's premium partners, they set out to build exactly that.
Why organizations like Amnesty International Germany choose XWiki
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For organizations that rely on distributed teams and volunteers to manage large volumes of internal knowledge, XWiki provides a flexible alternative to rigid knowledge management tools. Its open-source foundation allowed Amnesty International Germany to tailor the platform to their organizational structure. This ensured that processes and documentation formats aligned with the unique workflows of a volunteer-driven movement.
XWiki's revision history, rollback feature, and structured content capabilities improve reliability and accountability across a decentralized editorial community.
Additionally, its customizable applications, powerful search, and seamless integration with existing systems streamline workflows and reduce the need to juggle multiple tools. Combined with features like page templates, comments, annotations, and export capabilities, XWiki enables teams to collaborate and work efficiently. At the same time, they can maintain a scalable knowledge environment that evolves with the organization’s needs.
It was also important for Amnesty International Germany to have a direct German-speaking point of contact to discuss any questions or issues. Likewise, for XWiki SAS and KBC, ensuring our clients have reliable partners for support is a shared priority. This is especially important when addressing complex or critical issues.
From legacy solutions to a flexible, internal knowledge base
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Before choosing XWiki, Amnesty Germany evaluated various systems, including tools they were already familiar with, such as TYPO3. However, they needed a more adaptable solution. They were looking for a platform that could serve a large user base, integrate with an external identity management system, and support organizational workflows linked to the Salesforce CRM.
They also wanted an environment where contributors could easily update their profiles, find other members, access news, and register for events. Therefore, the aim was to choose a platform that encouraged collaboration.
XWiki’s open-source model and extensibility quickly stood out. KBC provided in-depth technical consulting, training, and guidance that helped Amnesty Germany understand how the platform could fit their needs. This mix of flexibility, community support, and expert consulting made XWiki the obvious choice.
XWiki supports Amnesty International Germany with a tailored, scalable platform
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The solution suggested by KBC consists of a dynamic and future-ready intranet built on XWiki and it includes:
- A cloud-hosted XWiki instance fully managed by XWiki SAS
- Seamless integration with the organization’s Single Sign-On solution
- A process-based interface connected to the Salesforce CRM
- User profile editing and community search
- Centralized news, blog updates, and newsletter channels
- Event overviews and custom registration forms
- A dedicated playground subwiki for safe testing and co-development
- Weekly alignment meetings to clarify requirements, review progress, set priorities, and plan next steps
The overall support provided by KBC and XWiki is excellent — both quick and reliable. We especially appreciate that it lets us view our intranet as a continuous development project. This approach brings together our community’s needs, volunteer enthusiasm, and programmers’ expertise to build functionalities tailored to us. Jutta Schnabel, Board member & Tech Lead in Amnesty International Germany
Empowering knowledge sharing and collaboration across the organization
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Since launching their XWiki-based intranet, Amnesty International Germany has seen widespread adoption and growing engagement. The platform has become an essential resource for their users when it comes to sharing knowledge and collaborating. Key results include:
#1 A rapidly expanding and active intranet user base
#2 A solution that evolves with organizational needs
#3 An internal team empowered to extend the platform
#4 A clear framework for knowledge management and community participation
Looking ahead
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Amnesty International Germany now benefits from a dynamic, open, and scalable platform designed to grow with its community and act as a central hub. Thanks to the strong partnership between Amnesty Germany, KBC, and XWiki SAS, the organization can continue evolving its internal knowledge base. Thus, it can remain focused on its mission: protecting human rights worldwide.
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If you'd like to see how XWiki can support your knowledge management and workflow needs, don't hesitate to reach out.