With another misleading public statement from Maor regarding the Brazilian situation I would like to publicly ask Affcom to clarify what was inaccurate in my report.
It would also be a good idea to have responses on the page Affcom created over 2 months ago asking for questions and has abandoned without responses. [1] Chico Venancio [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Affiliations_Committee/Brazil_Next_Steps Em dom, 14 de out de 2018 11:44, Maor Malul <mao...@zoho.com> escreveu: > *Hello,* > > > > > > > > * As AffCom, we appreciate the interest in the situation with Wikimedia > Portugal that you have expressed on this thread. Our current focus is on > working to understand and resolve the conflicts and issues related to > Wikimedia Portugal, as well as attend to our other duties. However, we did > want to send a message to this list to clarify some points. First, we would > like to caution readers of this list against making conclusions regarding > this particular situation based solely on the information that has been > shared here. This thread does not present a complete and accurate picture > of the situation in Portugal (or the situation in Brazil, for that matter). > Though not comprehensive, we would like to provide a brief summary of the > situation, based on the information AffCom has received. As has mostly been > outlined previously in this thread, after WMPT’s years of inactivity, > recently, multiple individuals have become involved trying to create > activity and revitalize the chapter. However, those individuals have > conflicted with each other. Things escalated quickly, with various > accusations and threats being made. Earlier this year, AffCom was informed > of the conflict by the parties and began communicating with the individuals > involved. Despite AffCom's efforts to de-escalate the situation, certain > individual actions have kept intensifying it. As the conflict was > preventing the chapter from being able to engage in productive activity, > AffCom took the step of suspension, with clear requirements for the chapter > to meet to lift the suspension and avoid de-recognition. One of the larger > issues that WMPT has had to address is the lack of clear leadership of the > chapter following its two previous general assemblies. As detailed in the > suspension notice, there were issues reported to AffCom related to both IX > General Assembly (held on December 14, 2017) as well as X General Assembly > (held on April 15, 2018). In both cases, the best information available to > AffCom suggests that the meetings did not comply with the relevant portions > of the Chapter's bylaws and may not have complied with applicable local > laws. Wikimedia organizations are expected to fulfill all of their legal > and organizational governance requirements. These issues prompted the > requirement that WMPT convene a new assembly and elections process (held on > September 1, 2018), with the goal of holding an assembly which clearly > follows the relevant procedural requirements. Along with convening the > assembly, WMPT has currently met the requirements based on the timeline set > in the suspension notice from AffCom in July. They submitted their required > materials on time, and now AffCom is reviewing them. However, AffCom has > also received other information relating to the chapter's compliance with > particular governance requirements. AffCom is currently evaluating this > information along with the materials submitted by the chapter. AffCom will > be in touch with the chapter regarding any additional information we need. > We want to emphasize that Wikimedia Portugal is not being held to a > different or higher standard compared to other chapters, but is being held > to the standard expectations for chapter status. While we understand that > monitoring of compliance with those expectations may have been less > consistent in the past, we have been working in recent years to ensure that > all chapters are meeting the same basic standards. When a chapter is not in > compliance, there are several reminders and opportunities for correction in > advance of suspension. We suspend a chapter only if it does not > self-correct in response to the repeated reminders and/or warnings. Once a > chapter is suspended, we strive to provide a reasonable window for > remediation. Wikimedia Portugal has been on the committee’s radar due to > its years of minimal activity. As further conflict issues have surfaced, > concerns over the group’s capacity have grown. The committee however has no > wish to “kill” the community, but to ensure they are able to operate in a > way that upholds Wikimedia movement values and expectations for affiliate > organizations. A community cannot work effectively if its members are > spending all their energy on an internal conflict. Significant internal > conflict can also reflect poorly on the movement as a whole. We have > responded to this thread because we felt we should weigh in. However, we > cannot commit to continuing to participate in this conversation on > wikimedia-l. The committee needs to focus our time and energy on trying to > find and work toward the outcome in Portugal that is best for the Wikimedia > movement. That said, we will do our best to monitor responses on this > thread and take note of the questions, concerns, and criticisms expressed > here. We encourage you also to share your thoughts and ideas relating to > questions of movement governance and organization in the relevant movement > strategy conversations: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategy/Wikimedia_movement/2018-20 > <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategy/Wikimedia_movement/2018-20> > Regards, Maor On Behalf of the Affiliations Committee * > > On 10/10/2018 8:31 p.m., Samuel Klein wrote: > > Gonçalo, Goethe, and all: Thank you for your work, which I appreciate > dearly, and for the public discussion. I can also imagine this was a very > hard letter to write. > > Paulo, to your concerns: > > for a Foundation-run committee[3] that apparently wants to kill us at > all costs. > > Euh... surely not .v_v. > These troubles can come up in good faith, when two groups work intently > and separately on the same issue, ando d not talk openly to one another for > reasons of imagined duty + propriety. Tossing insults back and forth just > makes it easier for people to shut down communication. > > Somehow I suspect that invocations of The Law and the intervention of > legal anxieties (with their preoccupations with secrecy) has led to much of > the trouble here. So Pine, to your point: /more/ legal counsel reporting > to only one of the parties involved might not help. On the other hand, we > as a movement deciding to share more openly our internal discussions around > legal concerns — even if this means taking on slightly more legal risk — > would reduce some of these evident social risks. > > Warmly, > SJ > > On Wed, Oct 10, 2018 at 8:47 AM Paulo Santos Perneta < > paulospern...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Some time ago, a Wikimedian friend told me AffCom is like the physician >> that comes to help with the cure when an Affiliate is ill. But that's >> really what they were in this WMPT case? This is a very bizarre situation, >> of which I'm personally having a lot of difficulties finding rational >> answers to it, let alone any conclusion. All I can offer is a personal >> account of the situation, to those who would be kind enough to have an >> interest on this case. >> >> Last May we at WMPT were really not expecting seeing AffCom bursting >> through the room in an emergency intervention, fixing what didn't need to >> be fixed, and willing to moderate what didn't need any moderation. As in >> the proverbial Monty Phyton scene[1], they quickly became the problem >> themselves. >> >> Many of us at WMPT are long-term Wikimedian volunteers, some of us for >> more >> than a decade already, in perfect good standing in our communities, where >> we hold and held responsibility roles. It includes current and former >> bureaucrats, sysops, ArbCom members, very active contributors to a number >> of Wikimedia projects. Most of us are founding members or directly >> connected to WMPT since its inception in 2009. >> >> Last March, when we took on ourselves this mission of fix and rebuild >> Wikimedia Portugal, who had been dormant for about 5 years, we were not >> expecting to face such a mighty and impenetrable adversary as AffCom has >> proven to be. >> For six months already we have been embroiled by AffCom in this Kafkian >> suspension process, where we are generally not told what the accusations >> are, and much less who is accusing us. It has been extremely painful, >> exhausting, and frustrating for everyone involved. >> >> We reached our limit. A number of us are now seriously considering >> abandoning not only the chapter, but the Wikimedia projects entirely, if >> we >> continue not being treated with the fairness and transparency we deserve. >> It truly begs the existential question of what are we all doing here, >> dedicating countless and very valuable hours of our lives for a Movement >> that lets this happen, for a Foundation-run committee[3] that apparently >> wants to kill us at all costs. >> >> Personally, I'm still confident that we'll successfully pass through this >> probation, and everything will become again the very optimistic scenario >> we >> all had last April, when we successfully elected a working board, and >> started working with great dedication in the many projects we have now >> running here in Portugal. I can only imagine how painful it was and is >> being for Gonçalo, to came here making this situation public and sharing >> it >> with everybody. We all have our dignity, nobody at WMPT likes this at all. >> For many months we tried to cope with this discreet and silently. But >> everything has a limit. >> >> Regards, >> >> Paulo >> >> [1] - >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spanish_Inquisition_(Monty_Python) >> [2] - As AffCom seems to be, despite what is written in their Meta page( >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Affiliations_Committee) >> >> GoEthe.wiki <goethe.w...@gmail.com> escreveu no dia terça, 9/10/2018 à(s) >> 11:13: >> >> > The original message was rejected due to a filter rule match, but you >> can >> > access it here: >> > >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimediapt/2018-October/002698.html >> > I am sending it below without the links. Please access the link above >> for >> > the full version. >> > __________ >> > >> > Sorry in advance for the lengthy email – the tl;dr version is: Wikimedia >> > Portugal has done all it was asked to do, so the suspension that was >> held >> > conditional to performing those steps must be lifted accordingly. For >> the >> > sake of transparency, we are sending this out to not only the AffCom >> > mailing list, but also Wikimedia-l and WikimediaPT-l. >> > _________ >> > >> > Dear members of AffCom, >> > >> > (cc to the Wikimedia Portugal mailing list, Wikimedia mailing list) >> > >> > Last 5th October we were again surprised by the content of your email >> > (quoted below) in response to us completing the roadmap we had agreed >> upon >> > in order to remove the suspension of Wikimedia Portugal. On that >> message, >> > you say you have once more received information whose substantiation is >> not >> > mentioned, from sources that are not disclosed. And still you seem to >> > accept it as the truth without even providing us with the opportunity to >> > get properly acquainted with it, let alone rebate or contradict it. >> While >> > you speak of transparency, that message is unsettlingly opaque, as have >> > been multiple such messages relayed to us in the course of this whole >> > process. >> > >> > As you are well aware, Wikimedia Portugal was faced in March with a >> > situation where the president of the Board, João Vasconcelos, became >> > demissionary without any previous warning [1]. It should be noted that >> when >> > Vasconcelos was elected as president of the Board back in 2015, he >> wasn’t >> > elected based on any background as a Wikimedia editor, as he has no >> history >> > of contribution to any of the Wikimedia projects, but rather on his self >> > proclaimed merits on organisational and conflict management (!). Despite >> > the best efforts of several people from Wikimedia Portugal over the >> years, >> > Vasconcelos sadly never really integrated well neither on Wikimedia >> > Portugal, nor in the Portuguese Wikimedia community. >> > >> > So, in light of what looked like an existential threat for WMPT, I and a >> > number of other WMPT members have publicly and transparently mobilized >> > ourselves to organize an extraordinary General Election to elect the new >> > Board. Vasconcelos was probably expecting/hoping that we would ask him >> to >> > stay. But we have seen this sort of behavior elsewhere [a].We didn't. >> > Instead, we handled the situation cooperatively, as a group, openly. >> > Vasconcelos never voiced any desire to take part on this collective >> > solution-building, as evidenced by his silence from the discussion on >> the >> > Wikimedia Portugal mailing list in March [2] and April [3]. He was >> welcome >> > to do so. His only message to the mailing list was two days (13 April) >> > before the 15 April General Assembly, announcing that he considered the >> > planned General Assembly null [4]. Given the lack of legal standing for >> > that claim, we carried on with the General Assembly (the transparent, >> > inclusive, democratic governing body of associations), summoned >> according >> > to our by-laws. This General Assembly successfully elected new governing >> > bodies, including the Board of Directors. >> > >> > In May we were surprised by a message from AffCom demanding that we stop >> > taking part in a conflict, and "refrain from representing ourselves as >> > representatives of Wikimedia Portugal" (see quoted message in [5] >> > <https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimediapt/2018-May/002621.html >> > >).This >> > was the very first time the Committee contacted Wikimedia Portugal about >> > this case. The message provided no legal precedent or framework for this >> > demand, no indication of what this conflict was, or why AffCom thought >> the >> > Board was a part of it. >> > >> > From what we understood, Vasconcelos went to the Wikimedia Conference in >> > Berlin, where he seems to have convinced AffCom that our General >> Assembly >> > of 15 April was legally void. >> > >> > We have repeatedly provided concrete evidence that t it was not the >> case, >> > including quoting relevant court decisions backing this [6] >> > < >> > >> https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/(https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/private/wikimedia-pt-internal/2018-July/002414.html >> > >. >> > In response, AffCom reported having no time to read through legal texts, >> > and therefore not being able to assess the validity of our declarations, >> > but that is beyond our control. And yet AffCom accepted Vasconcelos’ >> > version without question. It is a legal imperative to be held innocent >> > until proven guilty, and until it is legally proven there was some >> > wrongdoing, General Assemblies are valid and binding. >> > >> > After the April General Assembly we were working, in addition to our >> > activities and programs, to put the association in order in terms of >> > obligations to the Portuguese state and the tax authorities, providing >> > access to WMPT’s bank account to the persons designated on the 15 April >> GA, >> > and so on. Things were getting on track... >> > >> > We were surprised again in July by a message from AffCom temporarily >> > suspending Wikimedia Portugal’s recognition as a Wikimedia chapter [7]. >> In >> > that message for the first time you laid out a concrete roadmap that, if >> > followed (as we understood), would lead to lifting the suspension. The >> > roadmap set out a list of demands from AffCom which we diligently >> > fulfilled, even well ahead of the required deadlines. We organized and >> held >> > a new General Assembly in September, summoned according to the >> > interpretation of the Portuguese Civil Code that AffCom relayed to us >> (with >> > the exception of anything we believed would make the proceeding illegal, >> > which was communicated in due time to AffCom). This General Assembly had >> > the same result as before [8]. The Assembly was normally held, despite >> > severe attempts of sabotage from Vasconcelos, reported in due time to >> > AffCom, Legal and the Safety team. In addition to the minutes [9], an >> audio >> > recording of the assembly is available in Commons [10] ; video >> recording is >> > also available on request. >> > >> > We then submitted our overdue Financial Report [11], demonstrated >> support >> > from the community to the continuation of the chapter [12], and wrote a >> > plan for improved chapter capacity [13]. All should be good now... >> > >> > Having done all this, despite our disagreement that a new Assembly was >> > needed in the first place, we are now again surprised by the reception >> of >> > the opaque message I mention in the beginning, sent by AffCom to my >> email >> > (quoted below) affirming that the Committee had received reports from >> > unstated persons with unspecified concerns about the General Assembly >> and >> > the capacity of Wikimedia Portugal to run as a chapter. The message >> claims >> > that "there were a number of issues with lack of transparency [as well >> as >> > with] providing an opportunity to participate in an open, organizational >> > process" while not specifying these issues at all. Your message >> questions >> > whether we are "prepared as an Affiliate to prevent disruption in [our] >> > organization's collective pursuit of the movement’s mission", even >> though >> > we have so far been able to handle every attempt at disruption from >> > Vasconcelos. >> > >> > If we rolled up our sleeves to activate the scattered energies of a >> stale >> > organization in order to prepare and execute April’s General Assembly, >> it >> > was because we were convinced that Wikimedia Portugal had a viable >> future >> > ahead, and was of value to the Wikimedia movement. At the time, the >> actions >> > of Vasconcelos were so absurd that the reaction to them even spurred >> some >> > founders and (by then) inactive members of WMPT to offer their help in >> > reestablishing a functional organization. Along with the help of a >> number >> > of historic as well as new members who have been steadily returning and >> > joining our ranks, that’s precisely what we are achieving. >> > >> > That’s why we’ve been working on fulfilling the AffCom roadmap requests, >> > even if we didn’t like or agree with some aspects of it. All things >> > considered, it was a clear path to resolving our situation, and we found >> > that parts of it could be useful to the chapter. But AffCom’s >> validation of >> > Vasconcelos’ actions and claims, even if unintentional, have real >> > consequences for the mental state and safety of our members. >> > >> > Back in March, when Vasconcelos claimed he had requested our bank to >> lock >> > the chapter’s bank account, started a process at the Public Prosecution >> > Service, and he had talked with an attorney on that subject, can you >> > imagine what André, our treasurer, felt waiting in line in the bank >> until >> > he found what really happened? In the end, the bank account had not been >> > locked because of any court order or legal reason as Vasconcelos >> implied, >> > but rather because someone had tried to access the bank account without >> the >> > proper credentials, and the system automatically locked the account. >> > >> > Before the General Assembly in September, Vasconcelos sent out legal >> > threats and even menaces of police intervention to anyone >> participating. We >> > still went through with it, but can you imagine how we felt, the >> pressure >> > that was under some of us? It was all a bluff in the end, but this is >> what >> > you put us through. >> > >> > Notwithstanding, WMPT activities were happening in parallel. They are >> > listed on our activities plan for anyone to see [14], and more are >> planned. >> > After several years of inactivity, we are happy to be on a sustainable >> > growth path, gradually building capacity and doing the best we can with >> the >> > resources available to us. We’ve also been using our personal contacts >> with >> > other movements in order to increase our organization’s capacity. Ana, >> > newly appointed to the Board, has just returned from Wiki Takes Zamora, >> > where she was learning from Wikimedia Spain, relaunching the >> collaboration >> > between both chapters. Two of the events we have planned for November >> are >> > using this paradigm. We’ll celebrate Wikidata’s sixth anniversary with a >> > local group of data enthusiasts in Porto, and near Lisbon we’re helping >> > with the organization and will participate in a FOSS event, so in both >> > cases we’ll also acquire event organization skills. This growth path is >> in >> > peril if you continue to undermine our efforts. >> > >> > Over the last half year we’ve been attacked, offended, insulted, >> received >> > multiple threats of judicial action by Vasconcelos, and even an actual >> > intimidatory letter from a lawyer working for him (but purportedly on >> > behalf of WMPT); and during this entire time we’ve tried not to escalate >> > the situation, not to engage with such attempts at direct confrontation, >> > nor make them public. You force us now to disclose this in order to >> clear >> > our name and set the record straight. With the help and support of the >> > legal and security departments of the Wikimedia Foundation, we have >> dealt >> > with the actions of Vasconcelos so far. And we will follow the >> disciplinary >> > procedures foreseen for these situations in our bylaws which may result >> in >> > his removal from the chapter. >> > >> > We’ve repeatedly complied in unusually strict terms with legal >> > requirements, and with AffCom’s roadmap, while dealing with Vasconcelos’ >> > actions as privately as we could in order not to affect the public >> image of >> > the Wikimedia movement, nor its community – but honestly, we’re reaching >> > the point of exhaustion in light of AffCom’s puzzling behavior along >> this >> > process. We understand that AffCom may have reserves regarding our >> future, >> > but the way it is dealing with the situation is clearly >> counterproductive. >> > How can AffCom keep making new accusations without at least asking us >> for >> > information or confirmations? >> > >> > Currently, our major source of disruption, distress and anxiety is each >> new >> > message we receive from AffCom, as they repeatedly defy our >> expectations of >> > a partner claiming to be attempting to help us getting back on our >> feet. We >> > are actually wary that the next address could be an announcement that >> > Wikimedia Portugal has been de-recognized, even after we have passed our >> > “road of trials”, due to the ever moving goalposts. Several of our key >> > people have reported insomnia, including myself, after receiving your >> > communications. We’re reaching our physical, psychological, and >> > motivational limit, in great part due to AffCom’s actions and >> inexplicable >> > lack of support and transparency. >> > >> > It is time to stop this! Despite what we still believe were your best >> > intentions, AffCom has inadvertently caused significant destabilization >> for >> > Wikimedia Portugal. >> > >> > Please honor your part of the compromise, lift this suspension and let >> us >> > proceed in the productive pursuit of our collective mission. >> > >> > Regards, >> > >> > Gonçalo >> > Gonçalo Themudo >> > >> > *Presidente* >> > *Wikimedia Portugal* >> > *Email: *goethe.w...@gmail.com >> > *Website: *http://pt.wikimedia.org < >> https://sites.google.com/view/themudo> >> > *Imagine um mundo onde cada ser humano pode partilhar livremente a soma >> de >> > todo o conhecimento, na sua própria língua.* >> > _______________________________________________ >> > 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> > > > > -- > Samuel Klein @metasj w:user:sj +1 617 529 4266 > > > _______________________________________________ > Affiliations Committee mailing > listAffCom@lists.wikimedia.orghttps://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/affcom > > > -- > *"Jülüjain wane mmakat ein kapülain tü alijunakalirua jee wayuukanairua > junain ekerolaa alümüin supüshuwayale etijaanaka. Ayatashi waya junain."* > Maor Malul > Socio, A.C. Wikimedia Venezuela | RIF J-40129321-2 | www.wikimedia.org.ve > Member, Wikimedia Israel | www.wikimedia.org.il > Member, Wikimedia Foundation Affiliations Committee > Phone: +972-52-4869915 > Twitter: @maor_x > > > <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient> > Libre > de virus. www.avast.com > <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient> > <#m_-7902173747765467380_DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> > _______________________________________________ > Affiliates mailing list > affilia...@lists.wikimedia.org > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/affiliates > _______________________________________________ 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>
