This is sad to hear and brings back memories of filling similarly myself. To keep thinks very pragmatic I would advise that IFA.de and/or local Goethe Institute be contacted and invited to both part take and help with this. Both are likely to be willing and interested in support WMDE as they do cultural programming around related topics.
Wikimedia should be a self referential bubble but both give and ask support for its work, even when it is late and no professional is assigned specifically to work on this. Best Z. Blace On Tuesday, August 16, 2022, Mohammed Bachounda <bachou...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hello, > > There is always a country that is accessible for some and difficult for > others, yet I experienced the same situation this year, and I was pushed to > make difficult decisions to cancel with continuous stress. > > I add that some visas are issued with only one entry and a duration of > only one week, if someone plans to return to the same country or the same > space, he has to re-submit another one. and it is also another story and > another galley, which brings up all the fears and doubts every time > Even though the WM summit team has done a very good job and with new > improvements year after year. It is also difficult year after year to get a > Schengen visa. > > I understand the problem between the budget allocated to transport and > accommodation in each country for any conference but only this constraint, > we lose more than we want to gain. > > It is time to establish a list // a guide // a recommendation of a place > where the balance between all the constraints are realized. > Technology + Budget + Free movement + Security etc. > > Best > > Mohammed B <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Bachounda>achounda > > > Le mar. 16 août 2022 à 15:56, Iolanda Pensa <iola...@pensa.it> a écrit : > >> Maybe those documents can be relevant for the discussion: >> >> The learning pattern by Wikimedia Deutschland about the visa process >> written in 2017 - https://meta.wikimedia.org/ >> wiki/Learning_patterns/Timing,_Communication,_Preparation:_ >> How_to_support_your_event_participants_in_the_best_way_ >> to_get_a_Schengen_Visa >> The request to allow 3 months for visa made in 2014 - >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Learning_patterns/ >> International_events%3F_Allow_three_months_for_visa_formalities >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Learning_patterns/International_events?_Allow_three_months_for_visa_formalities> >> >> >> Best regards >> Iolanda >> >> >> Il giorno 16 ago 2022, alle ore 16:40, Gnangarra <gnanga...@gmail.com> >> ha scritto: >> >> Agree with Bodhi here, contact WMDE they have been doing this conference >> for many years and should have the networks to help get your application >> for a visa processed. >> >> On Tue, 16 Aug 2022 at 22:20, Bodhisattwa <bodhisattwa.rg...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> Hi Anass, >>> >>> Regarding the particular incident with Wikimedia Summit, I would suggest >>> your representative to communicate with the conference organizing team >>> directly about not getting any date of appointment before the conference >>> and they will contact with respective embassies and consulates. Like the >>> representative from your affiliate, I know of few others who did not get >>> their visa appointments, so when they contacted the organizing team, they >>> were given the support and respective embassies and consulates contacted >>> them and gave them appointment for submitting visa documents. I know this, >>> because I was one such candidate. >>> >>> Regards, >>> Bodhisattwa >>> >>> On Tue, Aug 16, 2022, 19:09 Eric Luth <eric.l...@wikimedia.se> wrote: >>> >>>> I agree with the others that you are raising a really important point, >>>> Anass. Thanks for that. >>>> >>>> I have tried to support visa applicants to two international Wikimedia >>>> events in Stockholm, the Wikimedia Diversity Conference in 2017 and >>>> Wikimania in 2019. It was frustrating even for me as organizer, and I can't >>>> even imagine how frustrating and disheartening it must be for the visa >>>> applicants. >>>> >>>> After these two occasions, I have made a few simple conclusions. >>>> >>>> - If it is of high priority that visa applications are accepted, >>>> more funding for supporting the applications than one might think is >>>> needed. It is time consuming to support visa applications, but it does >>>> make >>>> a difference. >>>> - One reason why there needs to be plenty of funding for supporting >>>> the applications is that the embassies, at least the Swedish ones, work >>>> independently of each other. We tried to develop one process and >>>> timeline, >>>> but it failed because of all the embassies' own procedures and >>>> timelines. >>>> It is close to impossible to develop one structure or process, but >>>> support >>>> needs to be given to each applicant in their own process. If that is >>>> done, >>>> it does however increase the likelihood that the visa is approved. >>>> - For Wikimania, we were even more actively engaged in the visa >>>> processes as compared to the Diversity Conference – as we seemed to >>>> notice >>>> that it made a difference. We reached out to the embassies informing >>>> them >>>> about the upcoming conference, we were in close communication with the >>>> Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that organized a reception during Wikimania >>>> for WikiGap organizers, and even successfully appealed a rejection. All >>>> this took a lot of time, and not all applications were successful. But a >>>> higher proportion was successful as compared to the Diversity >>>> Conference. >>>> - We are not sure, but WikiGap *seems* to have made a difference in >>>> many embassies. That is, the Swedish embassy in a given country has >>>> after >>>> the WikiGap events a relationship to the Wikimedia movement, and might >>>> even >>>> know about the applicants, which in many cases *seems* to have led >>>> to more approvals. I am not sure if that is possible to repeat in more >>>> instances, but for us it shows at least that building relations might >>>> help. >>>> >>>> I don't think, however, that we will ever reach 100% approvals. I thus >>>> also wholeheartedly agree with the previous message that we need to explore >>>> successful person / remote integration. >>>> >>>> I also want to acknowledge the fact that I write this as a previous >>>> organizer. As the situation is of course much harder for all applicants, >>>> for me it is not about complaining, but trying to rase a few points that >>>> can perhaps increase the probability of approvals in more cases. >>>> >>>> Best, >>>> *Eric Luth* >>>> Projektledare engagemang och påverkan | Project Manager, Involvement >>>> and Advocacy >>>> Wikimedia Sverige >>>> eric.l...@wikimedia.se >>>> +46 (0) 765 55 50 95 >>>> >>>> Stöd fri kunskap, bli medlem i Wikimedia Sverige. >>>> Läs mer på blimedlem.wikimedia.se >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Den tis 16 aug. 2022 kl 14:51 skrev <ehei...@wikimedistas.uy>: >>>> >>>>> Thanks Anass for bringing this up! It's a very frustrating situation >>>>> for community members to deal with visas. It's also worth noting that in >>>>> certain cases there are places that request a visa from certain countries, >>>>> but do not have an Embassy in the country they are requesting the visa >>>>> from >>>>> -- meaning that a community member has to travel to another destination >>>>> (sometimes significantly far away!) in order to get paper processed. That >>>>> takes money and time. >>>>> >>>>> To me, the big elephant in the room is the need to re-imagine how we >>>>> can do better integration of in person / remote events. The challenge here >>>>> is that in the upcoming future it won't make sense from a carbon budget & >>>>> climate perspective to fly people around the world, and we need to start >>>>> designing more real decentralized events, not only to expect that we'll be >>>>> able to plug a video screen somewhere and have in-person meetings while >>>>> people watch from the outside (which doesn't lead to real participation / >>>>> interaction). >>>>> >>>>> Also, flights have gone up significantly -- plane tickets are double >>>>> the amount that they were before the pandemic; this also will represent a >>>>> challenge for conference organizers, because they will be able to fly even >>>>> less people with the money allocated for the event. And also worth noting >>>>> that from anyone outside of the US / Europe, flying to Europe takes *a lot >>>>> of time*. How we are asking community members and volunteers to use their >>>>> time it's a big part of the conversation about equity. >>>>> >>>>> Sorry to hear that the visa issue has prevented a community member to >>>>> bring their perspective fully into the table. >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, >>>>> guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ >>>>> wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/ >>>>> wiki/Wikimedia-l >>>>> Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/ >>>>> hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/ >>>>> X2ZGHJMQ4HZ3LEJTQFZHVDJYX2YO6A7D/ >>>>> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org >>>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, >>>> guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines >>>> and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >>>> Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/ >>>> hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/ >>>> 4DX2ESW4MBLHFOYPNXGDCATNVLRM4LC7/ >>>> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines >>> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >>> Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/ >>> hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/ >>> T5CKLAQM7TMT2ULR2MSM5SKA5EJGV5F3/ >>> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org >> >> >> >> -- >> GN. >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines >> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/ >> hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/ >> FMUYHGRXHYVUAOIVFFQQXAX6NXHJ64DZ/ >> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, guidelines >> at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/ >> hyperkitty/list/wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/ >> K5KVT43NUHDFLOGL3X46LOMGK7DBCMNN/ >> To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-le...@lists.wikimedia.org > >
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