Regarding missing alternatives to the GS _term_.
2013/8/30 John Vandenberg <jay...@gmail.com> > 'Global Strategy countries'? > > I think this aligns with the intention of GS, which is to support > initiatives that help make our movement more global by investing in > areas/languages where editors and/or readers is low but potential is high. > I tend to say that it's not about areas/languages but about the challenges mentioned in Asaf's slides. "Global" -- in my opinion -- is a term that emphasizes _unifying_ aspects of a subject. At its core the GS initiative is about conditions (re: WP, accessing and contributing) that are _different_ between certain areas of the world and others. That's why "global" won't do the trick. The "challenges: factors" section in Asaf's slides suggests that this difference has its roots in * limited access to the internet and to materials, * diglossia and other language issues, * financial, political and cultural limitations. ...all of which are social issues (<-- terribly unscientifc oversimplification alert). In other words: The challenges have nothing to do with latitude (or longitude) but have an inherently social nature. Thus, there may not be a need to find a geographical label at all. What matters is a priority list which determines in which countries support is both highly necessary and most likely to be effective. With the countries listed in the aforementioned slides the WMF has such a list. I guess if Greenland[1] met the priority criteria (showing a huge community potential, having web access issues and specific cultural issues, and so on and so forth), it would probably make the priority list, wouldn't it? My point is: An alternative term for "global south" could be something based on _what_ is addressed instead of _where_ things are addressed. Could be something in the direction of "Social Access Initiative" or the like. (Really, just an example for illustration purposes, I won't defend it :-) Best, Michael Jahn [1] My apologies to Greenland. I know nothing about you, except that you're way up north! It's a shame. Don't mean to insult you. > John Vandenberg. > sent from Galaxy Note > On Aug 30, 2013 11:42 AM, "Balázs Viczián" <balazs.vicz...@wikimedia.hu> > wrote: > > > What about making it simply global...? > > > > Balázs > > 2013.08.30. 2:44, "Asaf Bartov" <abar...@wikimedia.org> ezt írta: > > > > > On Thu, Aug 29, 2013 at 5:30 PM, MZMcBride <z...@mzmcbride.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > The first section was removed? I got excited to see the term "Global > > > > South" with a line through it (in the agenda index), but I think I > > > > initially misunderstood its meaning. > > > > > > > > > No, the strikethrough was a visual cue that the _term_ "Global South" > is > > > emphatically not on the agenda. > > > > > > > > > > The term "Global South" is pretty > > > > awful and deserves a quick death. > > > > > > > > > Agreed... > > > > > > > > > > But based on the title of the > > > > presentation and this e-mail thread... I'm not hopeful that it's dead > > > yet. > > > > > > > > > > ...but what do we replace it with? This has been rehashed quite a bit, > > but > > > no one has come up with a compelling alternative that's reasonably > > concise > > > and is politically acceptable. (Personally I am happy with "developing > > > world" and "developing nations", but of course those terms are > > euphemistic > > > as well, and apparently no longer acceptable in some circles.) > > > > > > I have stated before that the term, for us, is just shorthand for a > list > > of > > > countries, and we make no essentialist assumptions about some > uniformity > > > throughout all these countries. It is my understanding that most of > the > > > consternation (kittens dying etc.) the term causes is due to the > > assumption > > > that we _are_ making an essentialist assumption and treating all GS > > > countries the same. I hope it is by now evident we are not. > > > > > > Once again, I find no point to debating this. All who _are_ interested > > are > > > welcome to hash it out somewhere, and submit a consensual term (or a > > > shortlist) to WMF for consideration. If a superior term arises, I > > promise > > > to make an effort to adopt it across WMF. Until then, let's focus on > the > > > actual work rather than the nomenclature. > > > > > > > > > > I'm a little confused about whether the ongoing programs in Brazil > and > > > > India will continue. There's a note that reads "No WMF contractors on > > the > > > > ground any more", but it's unclear whether this means a > discontinuation > > > of > > > > the current folks. And the final slides focus on future engagements. > > Does > > > > the "no contractors on the ground" line mean only full-time staff > will > > be > > > > working with (engaging with, if you prefer) areas in the future? > > > Full-time > > > > staff and local chapter folks, I guess? And simply no Wikimedia > > > Foundation > > > > contractors? > > > > > > > > > > There are no WMF employees outside the US, so "no contractors on the > > > ground" (in the GS context -- we still have engineers around the > world!) > > > means that (once the Brazil transition is complete -- this is in > > progress), > > > no program work in the GS will be done by WMF contractors, but only by > > > local partners (movement affiliates -- chapters, thematic > organizations, > > > and user groups -- and unaffiliated partners), some of whom would be > WMF > > > grantees. > > > > > > Cheers, > > > > > > A. > > > -- > > > Asaf Bartov > > > Wikimedia Foundation <http://www.wikimediafoundation.org> > > > > > > Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in > the > > > sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! > > > https://donate.wikimedia.org > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list > > > 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 > > 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 > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > -- Öffentlichkeitsarbeit Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. | Obentrautstraße 72 | 10963 Berlin Tel. 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