Re: [Wikimedia-l] Resolution about the upcoming Board elections

2021-04-25 Thread Steven Walling 
On Sun, Apr 25, 2021 at 12:47 PM Erik Moeller  wrote:

> On Sun, Apr 25, 2021 at 10:35 AM Steven Walling
>  wrote:
> > So I don’t think your point is the highest priority item compared to
> deciding the
> > election / appointment for all the rest of the seats.
>
> I agree that's the more important question. Regarding the founder
> seat, I do think it would be good governance to eventually find a way
> to solve the problem it solves (preserving long term institutional
> memory & wisdom on the Board) in a manner that generalizes beyond
> Jimmy's involvement. Not only because Jimmy won't be around forever,
> but also to draw from a more diverse set of voices. That could be done
> through non-voting observers (for which there is precedent), advisors,
> the council, or some other mechanism.


Great point. This definitely makes me think about our underutilized
advisory board. There were a lot of smart people who’ve been on that board
who it seems like we never fully leveraged.

Warmly,
> Erik
>
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Resolution about the upcoming Board elections

2021-04-25 Thread Erik Moeller 
On Sun, Apr 25, 2021 at 10:35 AM Steven Walling
 wrote:
> So I don’t think your point is the highest priority item compared to deciding 
> the
> election / appointment for all the rest of the seats.

I agree that's the more important question. Regarding the founder
seat, I do think it would be good governance to eventually find a way
to solve the problem it solves (preserving long term institutional
memory & wisdom on the Board) in a manner that generalizes beyond
Jimmy's involvement. Not only because Jimmy won't be around forever,
but also to draw from a more diverse set of voices. That could be done
through non-voting observers (for which there is precedent), advisors,
the council, or some other mechanism.

Warmly,
Erik

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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Resolution about the upcoming Board elections

2021-04-25 Thread Steven Walling 
On Fri, Apr 23, 2021 at 4:24 PM Luis Villa  wrote:

> This looks like a very thoughtful start on a very thorny problem, well
> done.
>
> Given that we’re trying to diversify the board, and that Jimmy has
> recently criticized FSF for having lifetime board appointments for
> founders,* I was surprised not to see any mention in this document of
> sunsetting Jimmy’s founder seat. Making him a peer of the rest of the
> board, subject to the same terms, selection process, and requalification
> standards, rather than a first-among-equals, would potentially free up an
> additional seat to improve global board diversity and definitely be
> consistent with general best practices for non-profit governance.
>
> Has the board discussed that?
>
> Thanks-
> Luis
>
> P.S. the links on the last page of
> https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/8/83/BGC_Community_Trustee_Selection_Proposal_April_2021.pdf
> are broken.
>
> * well, he criticized them for _secretive_ board appointments, but from a
> governance perspective a lifetime founder seat is problematic regardless of
> whether it is secret/defacto (FSF) or public/de jure (WMF).
>

There’s one huge unspoken difference between the FSF and WMF that needs
acknowledgment. When you’re talking about a seat designated for a single
founder, their character, morals, and personality matters. Jimmy is not
Richard Stallman, whose bizarre behavior is more or less legendary.

I think a lot of editors look at the composition of the board (today and
historically) and are super uncomfortable with the number of expert board
members who have pretty much zero idea how the projects actually operate.
In theory the elected community seats are a check on this, but those people
are often very new to board governance.

Jimmy’s combination of deep trust with the community and his perpetual
tenure are a unique asset that far outweighs the risk he does crazy Richard
Stallman public gaffes like eat his foot cheese or defend rapists on
mailing lists. So I don’t think your point is the highest priority item
compared to deciding the election / appointment for all the rest of the
seats.

On Wed, Apr 21, 2021 at 1:45 PM Jackie Koerner 
> wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees met last week to decide on a
>> plan for the 2021 Board elections. The Board Governance Committee created
>> this proposal, based on the Call for Feedback about Community Board
>> Seats.[1] Please check the related announcement for details.[2]
>>
>> The Board wants to thank the more than 800 volunteers that participated
>> in the Call for Feedback in one way or another.[3] There were almost a
>> hundred conversations in multiple languages and in multiple regions. There
>> was additional discussion on Meta, Telegram, and other channels used by
>> local communities. Three new ideas were presented by volunteers during the
>> Call. It has been very difficult to decide on every open question
>> considering the quantity and diversity of opinions received. We hope this
>> resolution feels sensible to everybody.
>>
>> In the upcoming days, the Board elections facilitation team will share
>> their ideas to support candidates and voters. Let's work together on
>> elections with high and very diverse participation!
>>
>> [1] Call for Feedback Community Board Seats
>>
>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees/Call_for_feedback:_Community_Board_seats/Main_report
>>
>> [2] Announcement of Board Governance Committee proposal
>>
>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/2021-04-15_Resolution_about_the_upcoming_Board_elections
>>
>> [3] Call for Feedback Community Board seats metrics
>>
>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees/Call_for_feedback:_Community_Board_seats/Main_report#Metrics
>>
>>
>> --
>> *Jackie Koerner*
>>
>> *she/her*
>> Board Governance Facilitator
>> *English language and Meta-Wiki*
>> ___
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] COVID-19 second wave and protection of our most valuable movement asset

2021-04-25 Thread Gnangarra 
Our best skill is collecting, collating, and sharing knowledge, we have
connections deep into communities and countries across the globe.

In a small way we have networks and we could get limited support medically
to a handful of volunteers, in some ways that will have made feel as if we
have done some to help then we can go back to our meetings, our events, our
adding a few more articles.

Perhaps its time we took our big stick and put the right knowledge where it
can be found quickly, turn over the main pages to Wikimed get more useful
support information about reducing transmission risks. We can use our
resources to get knowledge about how bad it is to wider audiences,
importantly link our volunteers into other organisations and help this
knowledge with support to wherever ground zero is.  We can put our skill
sets to translations and knowledge distribution so everyone can learn.


On Sun, 25 Apr 2021 at 02:38, Chris Keating 
wrote:

>
>> Personally I feel, insuring individuals against COVID-19 or helping
>> people to get vaccines or sending other supports can be better handled
>> locally by local affiliates (or local committees as proposed by Tito,
>> whichevers seems fit) instead of a central organization like WMF. Local
>> affiliates have better information about the vulnerable section of the
>> community, government orders concerning the available vaccines, local
>> market value of insurance premiums, vaccines, disinfectants etc. Sometimes
>> they even have the money and/or the intention to extend this kind of
>> support too, all they need is just a permission from the donor i.e. WMF
>> Grants team.
>>
>
> The more I think about this, the more I come to think that we should at
> least attempt it.
>
> It might be unusual for a nonprofit to provide this kind of support to its
> volunteers, but this is a truly exceptional situation. And while the entire
> world is struggling with Covid, the nature of the struggle is deeply
> different in most wealthy countries compared to what India is going through
> now. And India will probably not be the last nation to see its healthcare
> system not just threatened but entirely overwhelmed.
>
> Of course the WMF is not going to be able to start airlifting
> Wikimedia-branded vaccines or oxygen supplies, but there must be some form
> practical help that can be given to support Wikimedia volunteers.
>
> Regards,
>
> Chris
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-- 
GN.

*Power of Diverse Collaboration*
*Sharing knowledge brings people together*
Wikimania Bangkok 2022
August
hosted by ESEAP

Wikimania: https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Gnangarra
Noongarpedia: https://incubator.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wp/nys/Main_Page
My print shop: https://www.redbubble.com/people/Gnangarra/shop?asc=u
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] COVID-19 second wave and protection of our most valuable movement asset

2021-04-25 Thread Vi to 
Choosing to help a certain category (moreover likely to be less exposed
than average, moreover scattered across each country) in an overwhelming
emergency is both practical infeasible and unethical.

Money is probably not the top one need (instead of some specific
goods/resources) but we don't have anything better to offer.
WMF is quite full of money which surely cannot be spent on anything more
worth than this.

Moreover lobbying for this:
https://healthpolicy-watch.news/who-welcomes-un-security-council-resolution/
should be considered.

Vito

Il giorno sab 24 apr 2021 alle ore 20:39 Chris Keating <
chriskeatingw...@gmail.com> ha scritto:

>
>> Personally I feel, insuring individuals against COVID-19 or helping
>> people to get vaccines or sending other supports can be better handled
>> locally by local affiliates (or local committees as proposed by Tito,
>> whichevers seems fit) instead of a central organization like WMF. Local
>> affiliates have better information about the vulnerable section of the
>> community, government orders concerning the available vaccines, local
>> market value of insurance premiums, vaccines, disinfectants etc. Sometimes
>> they even have the money and/or the intention to extend this kind of
>> support too, all they need is just a permission from the donor i.e. WMF
>> Grants team.
>>
>
> The more I think about this, the more I come to think that we should at
> least attempt it.
>
> It might be unusual for a nonprofit to provide this kind of support to its
> volunteers, but this is a truly exceptional situation. And while the entire
> world is struggling with Covid, the nature of the struggle is deeply
> different in most wealthy countries compared to what India is going through
> now. And India will probably not be the last nation to see its healthcare
> system not just threatened but entirely overwhelmed.
>
> Of course the WMF is not going to be able to start airlifting
> Wikimedia-branded vaccines or oxygen supplies, but there must be some form
> practical help that can be given to support Wikimedia volunteers.
>
> Regards,
>
> Chris
> ___
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at:
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Resolution about the upcoming Board elections

2021-04-25 Thread Philip Kopetzky 
Hi Luis,

this has been brought up on the talk page of the proposed bylaw changes,
including a statement by Jimmy:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/October_2020_-_Proposed_Bylaws_changes#Founder_seat

Would be interesting to know if the status has changed from "being open for
discussion" in the last 7 months ;-)

Cheers,
Philip

On Sat, 24 Apr 2021 at 00:24, Luis Villa  wrote:

> This looks like a very thoughtful start on a very thorny problem, well
> done.
>
> Given that we’re trying to diversify the board, and that Jimmy has
> recently criticized FSF for having lifetime board appointments for
> founders,* I was surprised not to see any mention in this document of
> sunsetting Jimmy’s founder seat. Making him a peer of the rest of the
> board, subject to the same terms, selection process, and requalification
> standards, rather than a first-among-equals, would potentially free up an
> additional seat to improve global board diversity and definitely be
> consistent with general best practices for non-profit governance.
>
> Has the board discussed that?
>
> Thanks-
> Luis
>
> P.S. the links on the last page of
> https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/8/83/BGC_Community_Trustee_Selection_Proposal_April_2021.pdf
> are broken.
>
> * well, he criticized them for _secretive_ board appointments, but from a
> governance perspective a lifetime founder seat is problematic regardless of
> whether it is secret/defacto (FSF) or public/de jure (WMF).
>
> On Wed, Apr 21, 2021 at 1:45 PM Jackie Koerner 
> wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees met last week to decide on a
>> plan for the 2021 Board elections. The Board Governance Committee created
>> this proposal, based on the Call for Feedback about Community Board
>> Seats.[1] Please check the related announcement for details.[2]
>>
>> The Board wants to thank the more than 800 volunteers that participated
>> in the Call for Feedback in one way or another.[3] There were almost a
>> hundred conversations in multiple languages and in multiple regions. There
>> was additional discussion on Meta, Telegram, and other channels used by
>> local communities. Three new ideas were presented by volunteers during the
>> Call. It has been very difficult to decide on every open question
>> considering the quantity and diversity of opinions received. We hope this
>> resolution feels sensible to everybody.
>>
>> In the upcoming days, the Board elections facilitation team will share
>> their ideas to support candidates and voters. Let's work together on
>> elections with high and very diverse participation!
>>
>> [1] Call for Feedback Community Board Seats
>>
>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees/Call_for_feedback:_Community_Board_seats/Main_report
>>
>> [2] Announcement of Board Governance Committee proposal
>>
>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/2021-04-15_Resolution_about_the_upcoming_Board_elections
>>
>> [3] Call for Feedback Community Board seats metrics
>>
>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees/Call_for_feedback:_Community_Board_seats/Main_report#Metrics
>>
>>
>> --
>> *Jackie Koerner*
>>
>> *she/her*
>> Board Governance Facilitator
>> *English language and Meta-Wiki*
>> ___
>> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at:
>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l
>> New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
>> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
>> 
>>
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Join us for the South Asia regional education meeting

2021-04-25 Thread Oby Ezeilo 
Hello Salish will like to attend the meeting and also translate for my
community
Regards
Oby Ezeilo

On Sat, Apr 24, 2021, 5:04 PM Sailesh Patnaik 
wrote:

> Dear Wikimedians,
>
> I am writing this email to invite you all to the third regional education
> meeting[1]. This month we are meeting with our community members based in
> the South Asia region[2]. You can use these regional office hours as an
> opportunity to learn and share your projects, tools, or ideas with the
> education community from the region.
>
> These regional education meetings are planned by the community specialists
> of the EduWiki Outreach Collaborators (EWOC)[3] and the Education team. We
> are using this as an opportunity to strengthen the EduWiki network, explore
> collaboration opportunities, and identify common practices or challenges
> that are faced by our community members in different regions of the world.
> We are launching these regional office hours as a pilot initiative to
> complement our general monthly office hours[4], we encourage you to
> participate, share your ideas, and help this become a fully community-led
> initiative.
>
> Our first South Asia regional education meeting will take place on *30th
> April 2021 at **9:30 UTC*, (3:00 PM IST, Colombo Time, 3:30 PM Dhaka
> Time, 3:15 PM Kathmandu Time), it will be led by Md. Galib, a member of
> Wikimedia Bangladesh, and EWOC community specialist for the region. *If
> you want to volunteer to interpret this meeting for your community members
> in a local language, please reach out to me.*
>
> At this South Asia regional education meeting, we will hear from:
>
>-
>
>Challenges with education in Covid 19: Is there any way to overcome?,
>Prof. Mostafa Azad, Country representative of CC Bangladesh, Dean, School
>of Business, Bangladesh Open University
>-
>
>Education initiatives by Punjabi Wikimedians UG, Dr. Manavpreet Kaur
>-
>
>State of Education projects by Karavali Wikimedians UG, Dr. U. B.
>Pavanaja
>
>
>
> If you have other ideas, topics, or questions you want to ask, you can add
> them to the agenda here[5]. We will try to answer them during the meeting.
> We are looking forward to seeing you there!
>
> Best!
>
> Md. Galib, EWOC community specialist team, Sailesh, and Education team
>
> [1]
> https://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/Education/About/Office_Hours/Regional_Meeting
>
> [2]
> https://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/Education/About/Office_Hours/Regional_Meeting/South_Asia
>
> [3]
> https://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/Education/EduWiki_Outreach_Collaborators
>
> [4] https://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/Education/About/Office_Hours
>
> [5]
> https://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/Education/About/Office_Hours/Regional_Meeting/South_Asia#Add_your_agenda
> --
>
> Sailesh Patnaik (He/Him)
>
> Program Associate, Education
>
> Wikimedia Foundation 
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