I wonder how many women* would qualify under the new conditions, and am concerned that these proposed restrictions on community members would create a glass ceiling (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_ceiling) for their candidacy.
And while Victoria says she does not have time, I hope there will be some numbers available by Wednesday when the topic is scheduled for a session at Wikimania. Best, Ciell Op ma 20 jul 2026, 12:58 schreef Hannah Clover via Wikimedia-l < [email protected]>: > > Unfortunately, it feels like the board is not aligned with the movement > at large and does not trust the community to pick people who are actually > aligned with the mission, and has thus refused to implement the community's > wishes. As a result, I cannot in good faith support the current changes. > > Same goes for me. > > On Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 10:26 a.m. Sohom Datta via Wikimedia-l < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> I wanted to voice concerns over the proposed changes to candidate >> criteria for the Trustee elections. >> >> The current criteria significantly limit community participation, down >> from "almost anyone can participate" to "only functionaries". I think this >> runs counter to our movement's values, which prioritize openness and >> broader participation. Based on a quick bit of SQL on the replica >> databases, the number of people eligible to stand in the elections and >> represent English Wikipedia (a group of 200K active editors) on the BoT is >> *drum roll, please* 124 users (with an error bar of, say, 10 users?). I, >> for one, refuse to believe that only 124 out of 200K English Wikipedians >> are familiar enough with the movement at large to make governance decisions, >> and I think a comparison with the candidates from previous elections proves >> the point. I don't think Mike Peel (in their volunteer Commons editor >> capacity, not their affiliate capacity), Doc James (when they were >> elected), or Lane Raspberry (whose removal from the elections kicked off >> the community response that culminated in this criteria) would be >> eligible to run. In addition, I know of at least 3 more editors who I >> would consider adequately equipped to run for a board seat but who would >> not fit within the guidelines as currently written. >> >> For what it's worth, this feels like a backsliding. The community has asked >> the board to allow more mission-aligned people to run for the board, so >> that there are more candidates to pick from in the board election. The >> board appears to have responded by digging its heels in, retaining the >> heavily criticized shortlisting process and the equally controversial >> vetting process that eliminated two mission-aligned candidates, but instead >> publishing an extremely restrictive set of criteria that limits who can >> actually run for the election in the first place. >> >> Unfortunately, it feels like the board is not aligned with the movement >> at large and does not trust the community to pick people who are >> actually aligned with the mission, and has thus refused to implement the >> community's wishes. As a result, I cannot in good faith support the current >> changes. >> >> Regards, >> Sohom Datta >> --- >> Open-source contributor @Wikimedia >> >> >> On Sun, Jul 19, 2026 at 11:08 AM Victoria Doronina via Wikimedia-l < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Hello Sam, >>> >>> You say bureaucracy, I say governance. Please forgive me for stating the >>> obvious, but WMF is a very large international organisation. It's much >>> easier to scale up the experience from a smaller Wikimedia organisation >>> than to start from scratch. >>> >>> And people who have Wikimedia governance experience usually have >>> experience with outreach campaigns and education in some form. >>> >>> I also agree that knowing several languages is valuable, but I don't >>> think we should discriminate against "English as a native and only >>> language" speakers - it's our working language. >>> >>> Lastly, while I don't have time to gather the statistics about the >>> current and past candidates, I know that I would've qualified when I first >>> ran - as a former member of the Russian Wikipedia ArbCom and a former >>> member of the Funds Dissemination Committee - note that I've never been on >>> a board of an affiliate. >>> >>> And lastly, I hope that the current criteria will encourage people to >>> serve on the global committees such as AffCom, U4C etc, and people who >>> serve on them to participate in the Board elections as candidates - we need >>> all the talent we can get. >>> >>> >>> >>> On Sat, Jul 18, 2026 at 1:06 PM Samuel Klein via Wikimedia-l < >>> [email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Thanks so much Margo. The base requirements seem good. >>>> >>>> The Categories of Governance or Community Experience seem to trend >>>> mostly towards bureacratic experience, not related to experience with >>>> knowledge work (like education or contribution), or outreach (like >>>> partnerships or campaigns), or multilingualism (including translation and >>>> multinational initiatives). It also singles out incorporated affiliates >>>> with paid staff over all other forms of community organizing and project >>>> work, as demonstration of community experience; can you say more about >>>> that? >>>> >>>> Have you analyzed which current and past trustees / candidates would >>>> have fit these proposed criteria? That might be a useful appendix for the >>>> discussion. >>>> >>>> Sam >>>> >>>> >>>> On Fri, Jul 17, 2026 at 10:40 PM Margo Lee via Wikimedia-l < >>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Hello everyone, >>>>> >>>>> Following the 2025 elections, the Wikimedia Foundation Board of >>>>> Trustees committed >>>>> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/October_2025_update#c-LLosa_(WMF)-20251015213400-Additional_perspectives_on_current_and_future_board_selection_processes> >>>>> to reviewing the selection process of new Trustees, soliciting and >>>>> receiving feedback and suggestions and proposing changes. The Board >>>>> received extensive comments posted on Meta >>>>> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2025/Debrief>, >>>>> which helped inform this approach. >>>>> >>>>> The Board has discussed the following goals for reforms: >>>>> >>>>> - >>>>> >>>>> Clarity and consistency of the electoral process >>>>> - >>>>> >>>>> Clarity of roles and responsibilities >>>>> - >>>>> >>>>> Transparent communications and timeline >>>>> - >>>>> >>>>> A slate of candidates who strengthen the board through the >>>>> experience they bring >>>>> - >>>>> >>>>> Reduced need for shortlisting >>>>> - >>>>> >>>>> Strong voter participation >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> The Board is now ready to publish its draft eligibility requirements >>>>> for feedback from the community. The requirements are more specific and >>>>> detailed than in years past, to both inform the community of what the >>>>> Board >>>>> needs and to create multiple pathways to the Board for Wikimedians. They >>>>> are also presented as requirements for candidates, not desirable >>>>> qualities. >>>>> >>>>> The Board is also emphasising the need for previous governance >>>>> experience, including these key elements of experience: >>>>> >>>>> - >>>>> >>>>> Understanding the role of oversight vs. governance vs. management >>>>> - >>>>> >>>>> Understanding Fiduciary Duties >>>>> >>>>> <https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Legal_and_Fiduciary_Duties_for_Wikimedia_Foundation_Trustees_Public_Version.pdf> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> - >>>>> >>>>> Understanding the "Group Dynamics" of a board or committee (and >>>>> other collective decision-making bodies): working well with others to >>>>> ask >>>>> probing questions, voice different views and contribute to informed >>>>> decisions for the good of the whole, not an individual agenda >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> The Board is now looking for specific feedback on the proposed >>>>> eligibility criteria >>>>> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2027/Proposed_eligibility_criteria> >>>>> . >>>>> >>>>> Regards, >>>>> >>>>> The Board Governance Committee >>>>> >>>>> Margo Lee on behalf of the Governance Committee >>>>> >>>>> *Margo Lee* (she/her) >>>>> Deputy Chief of Staff >>>>> Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], >>>>> 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/[email protected]/message/GS3S74YZFPGACVTOTR7DEL4OHTGCW2JP/ >>>>> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Samuel Klein @metasj w:user:sj +1 617 529 >>>> 4266 >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], >>>> 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/[email protected]/message/WPGOIQJ7OKLX66KRXQHPQRYVLH6PIWNC/ >>>> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Kind regards, Victoria >>> Victoria Doronina >>> <https://wikimediafoundation.org/profile/dr-victoria-doronina/> (she/her), >>> UTC >>> Wikimedia Foundation Trustee >>> Community and Affiliates Liaison >>> Human Rights Liaison >>> >>> Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/> >>> >>> "Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in >>> the sum of all knowledge. Please help us make it a reality." >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], 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/[email protected]/message/RR523SXFWNAVSCOCENZE6WRIICBVUJ6L/ >>> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], 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/[email protected]/message/PAVHVVWAT4YHUYBNKOYKHAG23OH2BSH3/ >> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], 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/[email protected]/message/QHPRDT6QBRNMA6V7ZLGJUOGXO622QUJE/ > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
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