Hi, I'm sorry to read this but it's completely understandable and surely the best decision.
Thanks a lot for taking the time to give us that big amount of information! Best, Mónica Katherine Maher <kma...@wikimedia.org> schrieb am Mi., 18. März 2020, 21:58: > Dear everyone, > > As a part of the Wikimedia movement’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 > pandemic, we are postponing Wikimania Bangkok 2020. This decision was made > with the full support of the ESEAP host team and Wikimania Committee. > Together, we will hold Wikimania in Bangkok in 2021. > > We are filled with sadness to not see you all in Bangkok in August. > However, we are confident that this is the best possible decision for the > well-being of our global community and public health overall. This decision > was proposed by the ESEAP organizers in line with their countries’ response > to the COVID-19 pandemic and is in line with recommendations from the World > Health Organization (WHO). > > You are certain to have many questions. We hope to answer some of your > questions below. We will continue to answer questions on the Wikimania > Meta-Wiki page and on the Wikimania Telegram group chat (more information > below). > > > *== What does “postponing” Wikimania mean? ==* > We will not host an in-person Wikimania in 2020. We are rescheduling > Wikimania Bangkok until 2021. The ESEAP organizing team[2] will continue > their work as a regional collaborative between affiliates in the East, > South East, and Pacific regions to host us in Thailand next year. > > The hotel and venue[3] in Bangkok will remain the same. We have not yet > finalized dates for 2021. We will work with the ESEAP team and Wikimania > Steering Committee to confirm new dates. We will let you know these dates > by the end of 2020. > > The good news is that Wikimania 2021 will coincide with Wikipedia’s 20th > birthday year. We expect this to be a truly memorable Wikimania -- an > opportunity to celebrate reconnection after a year apart, along with the > remarkable accomplishment of two decades of free knowledge. > > *== Will there be an alternative to the in-person event? ==* > > There are no plans by the 2020 Wikimania hosts to organize a virtual, > online event. Hosting Wikimania is a lot of work. The ESEAP team is > committed to hosting the best possible in-person event in Bangkok in 2021. > Therefore, they will not have the capacity to organize a virtual Wikimania > this year. > > However, the Wikimania committee, the ESEAP host team, and the Wikimedia > Foundation all recognize that other members of the community may be > interested in organizing a remote, global Wikimedia event for 2020. > Although the Wikimedia Foundation does not have the capacity at this time > to lead the organizing of a virtual online conference, we recognize others > may have the desire to do so. > > We welcome discussion about online events. Interested parties are welcome > to contact the Wikimania Steering Committee and Wikimania Foundation staff > for advice on the Wikimania Meta-Wiki page[1]. > > We are also considering proposals for improving the capacity of communities > to organize local virtual convenings, and for how we can support > communities in organizing impromptu local and regional Wikimedia events > once the pandemic passes. As the situation has been changing rapidly we are > still working on specifics and will share more information in the coming > weeks. > > *== What does this mean for scholarship applications? ==* > > We are working on a plan for how to process Wikimania 2020 scholarship > applications.[4] We will share more information in the coming weeks. > > *== How was this decision made? ==* > > This recommendation was made by the ESEAP organizers based on what we know > about the current COVID-19 global health pandemic and current WHO > guidelines. The decision was made together with the ESEAP team in > consultation with the Wikimania Steering Committee and Wikimedia > Foundation. Together we are fully and unanimously aligned around this > decision. > > Although we are genuinely sad to not have the opportunity to see you all > this year, we also are fully supportive of this decision in all of our best > interests. It allows our ESEAP community hosts to focus on the immediate > needs of their families, local Wikimedia communities, and local communities > as a whole. It is in line with global public health guidance and aligns the > Wikimedia movement as a responsible actor in support of our common public > good. > > We want to thank all volunteers and affiliates that have been involved with > planning Wikimania. We’re especially appreciative of the ESEAP for their > leadership, flexibility, and compassion, as we have worked together to make > some difficult decisions on this important event. > > *== Where can I learn more about Wikimania 2021? ==* > > There are a number of channels where Wikimania is regularly discussed and > where plans for 2021 will be posted as they develop. We welcome all > interested participants to bring together our collective wisdom and > creativity to discuss what happens next with Wikimania. You can find these > channels here: > > - Wikimania wiki: https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania > - Wikimania mailing list: > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l > - Freenode IRC channel: #wikimania > - Telegram group chat: https://t.me/wikimaniachat > > *== Where can I learn more about COVID-19 and Wikimedia? ==* > > We know the Wikimedia community as generous and altruistic. Unsurprisingly, > many volunteers have started applying their skills and attention to this > current global pandemic. The Foundation created a page on Meta-Wiki where > we can share and document the steps the Foundation and movement members are > taking and ways to participate. We invite you to join us in documenting > more about our collective response: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/COVID-19 > > > *== Thank you ==*Our world, and many of our lives, have changed rapidly > over these past few weeks. Yet we can look to history to take comfort that > crises are also often moments when people put aside differences, prioritize > community and care, and find ways to connect. The sense of community and > purpose within the Wikimedia movement is a powerful rejoinder to these > uncertain times. > > This is a moment in which not only what we do, but how we do it, will make > a meaningful impact on the world. We are so grateful for all that you do as > a movement to continue to rise to the challenges of our moment. > > Please, stay safe and take care. > > Katherine, on behalf of the: > > - ESEAP Core Organizing Team > - Wikimania Steering Committee > - Wikimedia Foundation Events Team > > P.S. You can help translate and share this message via Meta-Wiki: < > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2020> > You can also find additional information about Wikimedia's other actions > regarding COVID-19 on Meta-Wiki: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/COVID-19 > > [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2020 > [2] https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2020:Organizers > [3] https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2020:Venue > [4] https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/Scholarship_Committee > > > > -- > > Katherine Maher (she/her) > > Executive Director > > Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> > _______________________________________________ > 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, > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> _______________________________________________ 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, <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
