Thank you, Christophe, for sharing this excellent news. Those of you who were at Wikimania or watching on the livestream had the chance to get acquainted with Esra'a through her keynote. I'm certain that, if you were part of that audience, you'll join me in agreeing that she is an exceptional and accomplished individual who brings a whole host of talents to our movement. I'm personally delighted that she will be lending her perspective and wisdom to our movement and to the governance of the Wikimedia Foundation. There is so much we can learn from her, and I hope she finds her tenure on the Board to be rewarding.
Esra'a, thank you so very much for joining our Board and engaging even more with our movement! It is an honor to have this opportunity to work with you. Yours, Katherine On Fri, Dec 1, 2017 at 1:31 PM, Liam Wyatt <liamwy...@gmail.com> wrote: > Fantastic Wikimania keynote, fascinating addition to the board, fabulous > addition to our community. > > Welcome. > > > On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 at 22:28, Anna Stillwell <astillw...@wikimedia.org> > wrote: > > > Welcome, Esra'a. Thank you for taking the time to serve. I look forward > to > > your contribution. > > /a > > > > On Fri, Dec 1, 2017 at 12:59 PM, Christophe Henner < > chen...@wikimedia.org> > > wrote: > > > > > Hi everyone, > > > > > > With the appointment of Raju to the Board of Trustees a couple of > months > > > ago, we were left with a remaining open vacancy to fill. I am thrilled > to > > > share that after several months of searching and discussions, we have > > made > > > another important appointment. At our November Board Retreat, the Board > > > appointed and welcomed Esra’a Al Shafei to fill our vacant expert seat. > > > > > > Esra'a is a prominent international human rights activist and social > > > entrepreneur. She founded and directs Majal, a nonprofit which utilizes > > > digital media to amplify under-reported and marginalized voices > > throughout > > > the Middle East and North Africa. For those of you that heard her > keynote > > > presentation at this year's Wikimania, I think you will agree she will > > make > > > a very valuable addition to the Board and brings an important > perspective > > > and skillset to the Board's efforts. > > > > > > Below (and on the Wikimedia Blog) you will find the official > announcement > > > about Esra’a Al Shafei. Please join me in warmly welcoming her to the > > > Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees and to the Wikimedia movement! > > > > > > Christophe > > > Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees > > > > > > P.S. Due to the nature of Esra’a’s work, sharing photos or videos of > > Esra’a > > > may endanger her safety or the safety of others. To help ensure the > > privacy > > > and safety of Esra’a and her colleagues, we are not sharing any > > photographs > > > or videos of Esra'a. We ask that you please join us in supporting this > > > important safety consideration. > > > > > > > > > Press release > > > > > > Header: Esra'a Al Shafei joins Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees > > > > > > Subheader: Bahraini human rights activist and social entrepreneur > brings > > to > > > the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees more than a decade of > > experience > > > in applying creative solutions to challenges faced by underserved and > > > underrepresented communities. > > > > > > Image: https://wikimania2017.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Esraa.png[a] > > > <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_ > > > LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt1> > > > [b] > > > <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_ > > > LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt2> > > > [c] > > > <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_ > > > LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt3> > > > [d] > > > <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_ > > > LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt4> > > > > > > San Francisco, California, 1 December 2017 — The Wikimedia Foundation > > today > > > announced the appointment of Esra'a Al Shafei, a prominent human rights > > > activist and a passionate defender of free expression, to the Wikimedia > > > Foundation Board of Trustees. > > > > > > A native of Bahrain, Esra'a’s work aims to increase and protect free > > > speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and > > > improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa. > > She > > > founded and directs Majal, a network of online platforms that > > > amplify under-reported and marginalized voices. > > > > > > “Esra'a shares Wikimedia's foundational belief that shared knowledge > can > > > facilitate shared understanding,” said Wikimedia Foundation Executive > > > Director, Katherine Maher. "Her achievements exemplify how intentional > > > community building can be a powerful tool for positive change, while > > > her passion > > > for beautiful and engaging user experiences will only elevate our work. > > We > > > are so fortunate to have her perspective in support of our global > > Wikimedia > > > communities." > > > > > > Esra'a founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth, at the time a series of > > > blogs bringing a voice to marginalized and underrepresented young > > > people across the Middle East. Today, the organization's team helps > build > > > communities that celebrate, protect, and promote diversity and social > > > justice. Their endeavors include CrowdVoice.org, which curates > > crowdsourced > > > media to contextualize social movements throughout the world; Mideast > > > Tunes, the largest web and mobile app showcasing underground musicians > in > > > the Middle East and North Africa who use music as a tool for social > > change; > > > and Ahwaa.org, an open discussion platform for Arab LGBTQ individuals > > that > > > uses game mechanics to protect and engage its community. > > > > > > > > > “When I first encountered Wikipedia shortly after obtaining an internet > > > connection in the early 2000s, I felt that the true purpose of the > > internet > > > was realized. With Wikipedia, I accessed research regarding persecuted > > > communities in my home country and the wider region: ethnic and > religious > > > minorities whom we were discouraged from learning about, and whose > > > histories and beliefs were dictated to us from a singular government > > > perspective. Wikipedia’s open source and crowdsourcing practices would > > > inspire the platforms I built to advocate for underrepresented > > communities, > > > and the internet would shape my life’s work in advocating for freedom > of > > > expression and identity around the world,” said Esra'a. > > > > > > Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from the > > Berkman > > > Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for > > > "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society." > > The > > > World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World > in > > > 2015." She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press > > > Unlimited, and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative > uses > > > of media for the betterment of humanity. > > > > > > She has been featured in Fast Company as one of the "100 Most Creative > > > People in Business;" in The Daily Beast as one of the 17 bravest > bloggers > > > worldwide; and in Forbes' "30 Under 30" list of social entrepreneurs > > making > > > an impact in the world. > > > > > > Esra'a was a keynote speaker at Wikimania 2017 in Montreal, the annual > > > conference centered on the Wikimedia projects. > > > > > > “Esra'a brings tech expertise and a valuable perspective to the Board - > > > coming from a region where access to information is not taken for > > granted. > > > I was impressed by her talk during Wikimania 2017 on 'Experiences from > > the > > > Middle East: Overcoming Challenges and Serving Communities'. I think > her > > > experience in that region will be important to our efforts around the > > > globe,” said Nataliia Tymkiv, Governance Chair for the Board. > > > > > > Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a > Director’s > > > Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation > > > Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org. > > > > > > Esra'a joins nine other Foundation Trustees > > > <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q% > > > 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees% > > > 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg% > > > 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg= > > > AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A> > > > who > > > collectively bring expertise in the Wikimedia community, financial > > > oversight, governance, and organizational development; and a commitment > > to > > > advancing Wikimedia’s mission of free knowledge for all. > > > > > > She was approved unanimously by the Wikimedia Foundation Board of > > Trustees. > > > Her term is effective December 2017 and will continue for three years. > > > Please see the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees > > > <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q% > > > 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees% > > > 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg% > > > 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg= > > > AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A> > > > for > > > complete biographies. > > > > > > About the Wikimedia Foundation > > > > > > The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that supports > and > > > operates Wikipedia and its sister free knowledge projects. Wikipedia is > > the > > > world’s free knowledge resource, spanning more than 45 million articles > > > across nearly 300 languages. Every month, more than 200,000 people edit > > > Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, collectively creating and > improving > > > knowledge that is accessed by more than 1 billion unique devices every > > > month. This all makes Wikipedia one of the most popular web properties > in > > > the world. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation > > is > > > a 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and > > grants. > > > > > > Esra’a Al Shafei profile > > > > > > Esra'a Al Shafei is a human rights activist and the founder and > director > > of > > > Majal, a nonprofit which helps build communities that celebrate, > protect, > > > and promote diversity, and social justice. > > > > > > A native of Bahrain, Esra'a works avidly to increase and protect free > > > speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and > > > improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa. > > She > > > founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth. The organization has built > online > > > platforms that creatively facilitate the struggle for social change in > > the > > > Middle East and North Africa. > > > > > > Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from Berkman > > > Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for > > > "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society." > > The > > > World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World > in > > > 2015." > > > > > > She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press > Unlimited, > > > and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses of media > > for > > > the betterment of humanity. > > > > > > Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a > Director’s > > > Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation > > > Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org. She lives in the > > Middle > > > East and North Africa region. > > > _______________________________________________ > > > 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> > > -- > wittylama.com > Peace, love & metadata > _______________________________________________ > 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> > -- Katherine Maher Executive Director *We moved! **Our new address:* Wikimedia Foundation 1 Montgomery Street, Suite 1600 San Francisco, CA 94104 +1 (415) 839-6885 ext. 6635 +1 (415) 712 4873 kma...@wikimedia.org https://annual.wikimedia.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>
