Just to correct an error: please contact me at the following address with your opinions, concerns and vote in the case you cannot make the community meeting: [email protected] (apologies, it's not often I email myself!)
Kind regards, Sophie On Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 6:21 PM Sophie Fitzpatrick <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Wikimedia Community Ireland User Group, > > I am reaching out to offer up the space for you to contribute to our > community’s decision on whether or not to exercise our vote in the upcoming > Board Election. > <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2025/Candidates> > > As you may be aware, there has been much discussion surrounding the > Board’s decision to remove certain candidates from the ballot. Within the > global community, there is currently a movement towards boycotting the > vote, for reasons discussed in this thread > <https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/D5PNHDS6TDRL5AMELGW3BY4UCIJPYBWA/> > and summarised below. > > I am reaching out not to sway your opinion in any way, but rather to equip > you with some helpful information that you can use to make up your own mind > and have your say. Your opinions on this are important, and we will vote on > this as a group to decide the best course of action for Wikimedia Community > Ireland to take. > > So far, we have discerned the following options: > > 1. > > We abstain from voting in this election > 2. > > We vote, with an accompanying comment that raises our concerns and > alignment with the misgivings raised by the boycott > 3. > > We vote as normal > > > We will be discussing and voting on this at our Community Meeting next > week next Tuesday the 21st of October at 6 pm online. > > > - > > Link to join: > https://meet.google.com/mnw-pubq-xyc?authuser=0&hs=122&ijlm=1760458294636 > > > > > I understand that not everyone can make the community meeting, so in this > case, I urge you to reach out to me via email ( > [email protected]) with your opinion and vote on > the course of action (abstain, vote with comment or vote) you think we > should take for the election on October 22nd. > > Before making your decision, please familiarise yourself with the > situation by taking a look through the links offered below and considering > the summary of reasons this boycott effort has come about and the Wikimedia > Foundation’s response. > > Reasoning for the Boycott and Concerns Raised by Community Members > > > - > > Wikimedians have raised concerns about the disqualification of 2 > candidates and the vetting process that occurred (one of whom was the only > female candidate and one who was the only openly queer candidate in the > election) > - > > The lack of credible explanation, public justification and > transparency for these disqualifications amidst misgivings amongst > community members in regards to political bias, thus underemining the > legitimacy of the selection process. > - > > Concerns surrounding these actions being incompatible with the > Foundation's commitment to the values of inclusion and diversity as > outlined in the 2030 Strategy’s guiding principles. > - > > Concerns surrounding the incompatibility of certain viewpoints, > namely, pro-Palestinian and pro-transparency, are incompatible with Board > membership. > - > > Concerns that these actions will set a dangerous precedent for > democracy within Wikimedia governance. > - > > Wikimedians are calling for the investigation or suspension of the > election. > > > The Wikimedia Foundation's Response > > > - > > The Board considers a wide range of criteria in evaluating eligible > candidates and future leaders. That is why the process includes many > inputs, such as background checks, media checks, reference checks, and > interviews with the candidates, as we have done in past years. Consistent > with the values of our movement, the board has always been committed to > free expression, diverse viewpoints, and a range of perspectives, > backgrounds and experiences. The Board has always had members – historic > and current – who have been critics of the Foundation and of the Board > itself. This is the nature of our governance system, and this will not > change. > - > > The criteria for candidate assessment is subjective e.g. a candidate's > judgment, discernment, discretion, and ability to engage in the duties > and requirements of being a Trustee > > <https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Legal_and_Fiduciary_Duties_for_Wikimedia_Foundation_Trustees_Public_Version.pdf>, > some of which can be complex and difficult to measure. > - > > They highlighted that conversations with potential candidates covered > topics like conflicts of interest, fiduciary obligations of Trustees > > <https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Legal_and_Fiduciary_Duties_for_Wikimedia_Foundation_Trustees_Public_Version.pdf>, > a track record of commitment to Wikimedia's core principles and values > (e.g., upholding NPOV, managing COIs, etc.), as well as a candidate's > understanding of the Board's Code of Conduct > > <https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Code_of_Conduct_of_the_Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees> > and other governance policies, and what these policies require of Trustees. > - > > The Chair has also offered the explanation for the disqualification > that after the background checks were completed and the interviews were > conducted, each candidate received a communication from the Board which > outlined the concerns and was given an opportunity to answer and comment > before the Board made the final decision. The candidates have each been > provided a summary and an explanation of the Board’s decision, along with > the reasons for not providing these summaries publicly. The Foundation has > explained that they also communicated that there are no reasons discovered > that would stop the candidates in question from running again (the next > elections are scheduled for 2027 for 4 seats), after they work on the > issues communicated. > > > Further information > > Objections to the 2025 WMF Board election removals, including links to > rejected candidates' statements: > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Objections_to_the_2025_WMF_Board_election_removals > > Q&A issued by the WMF about the Board’s decision on the 2025 final Ballot: > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/October_2025_update#More_answers_on_the_Board's_decision_on_the_2025_final_ballot > > Timeline of Events: > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Learning_from_events_and_reactions_surrounding_the_removal_of_Lane_Rasberry_from_the_2025_Board_Elections_candidate_shortlist > > Mailing list thread where current discussions are taking place: > https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/thread/Q2I6XYSINHJ2CVVXSPWID4LC7O52ZLCE/#Q2I6XYSINHJ2CVVXSPWID4LC7O52ZLCE > > Current Candidates: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2025/Candidates > > Current Board Members: > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation/Board_of_Trustees#Current_members > > Reform Petition Page: > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/D5PNHDS6TDRL5AMELGW3BY4UCIJPYBWA/ > > > Please note that these points are a summary of issues raised by the global > Wikimedia community and are not designed to align with any course of > action, but weigh up both sides. I addition, they rely solely on the > information that is publicly available. All opinions and votes are welcome. > Along with any other suggestions about what our course of action should be. > > *I wholeheartedly invite you to have your say and participate as a member > of Wikimedia Community Ireland. * > > Kind regards, > > Sophie Fitzpatrick - Projects and Communications Manager, Wikimedia > Community Ireland > wikimedia.ie > *Wikimedia **Community Ireland - *is the national affiliate group for the > global Wikimedia open knowledge movement. *Eolas Oscailte, Oideachas agus > Gníomhaíocht Dhigiteach.* > Follow us on Bluesky > <https://bsky.app/profile/wikimediaireland.bsky.social>, > <https://www.facebook.com/WikimediaIreland>Facebook > <https://www.facebook.com/WikimediaIreland>, > <https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?fetchDeterministicClustersOnly=true&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Aorganization%3A11747246&keywords=wikimedia%20community%20ireland&origin=RICH_QUERY_SUGGESTION&position=0&searchId=fd28fb57-4e21-4f7d-93b3-505b1a551788&sid=GO6&spellCorrectionEnabled=false> > LinkedIn > <https://eu-west-1.protection.sophos.com/?d=linkedin.com&u=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubGlua2VkaW4uY29tL2NvbXBhbnkvNDk2MTE5&i=Njc4ODY4NzU1MjIxNzc2NGI0MGMyNzUx&t=WElGeUVLZjhjUHVOc21IVW1sV1RkZmNaN2lEOERxcndyaHFlZG9WNGs4az0=&h=355bb5c8339e463cad4b8650b1f3dd0d&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVbHWJeG47eUEa4cyL61CbXm66L8ziY8ITXWL9dY4Kpf7Q> > , and Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/wikimediaie/>. >
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