Affiliate-selected Board seats/2019/Nominations/Maor Malul

Name:

Maor Malul

Wikimedia username:

Questions for all candidates - Questions for this individual candidate that do not apply to other candidates

Statement

I have been a Wikipedian since 2005. Since then, I have not just witnessed how we have evolved as a movement, I have been part of that evolution, especially in the massive growth in the number of affiliates and realize this growth poses new challenges and questions the movement and the WMF need to answer, such as how to create more opportunities for those whose voice hasn't been heard in our movement, how to prevent the hostility in our online/offline spaces, and how to allocate the resources from our donors in a more efficient and responsible way, without losing not just our focus, mission and vision -when I say "our" not just mean us wikimedians but all of the stakeholders in our movement, because we are all together in this. Also, I think the WMF institutions need to be reformed, made more efficient and be made more inclusive, to ensure all our movement is fairly represented, leaving all our differences out of it. As a Venezuelan citizen, I am not just committed to increase the efforts and assistance to affiliates in less developed countries, but deeply concerned about all our colleagues who are at risk of having their personal safety in danger, as many wikimedians have been targeted by goverment institutions accused of being foreign agents, when they have been simply working hard to ensure knowledge is free and fair.

Résumé

I was born in Venezuela, and lived there the first 37 years of my life, and now I live in Israel -I am a dual citizen. I am one of the founding members and the first Treasurer of Wikimedia Venezuela, an affiliate struggling to grow and spread free knowledge in a country on the verge of social, economic and politic collapse, where personal liberties are at risk. A few years ago, I moved to Israel and joined Wikimedia Israel, a thriving chapter in a technologically advanced country, and later became a member of the Affiliations Committee, where I have served as its Chair and Vice-Chair. I am also participating in the Community Health Working Group for the Strategy 2030 discussions. I mainly edit in the Ladino (admin), Spanish, Portuguese and English Wikipedias, and I was a test-admin at the Incubator for some time and a member of the LangCom. In my recent edits, I have focused on women articles (especially Jewish women) and articles related to minorities, especially Native Americans of my birth country, Venezuela.

In my off-wiki life, I am a Computer Engineer and work as a Tech/DNA Support in a Genetic Genealogy company. I speak Spanish, English, Ladino, Portuguese, Hebrew and can communicate in Wayuunaiki, German and Italian. And recently started to learn Turkish, with the aim to create more content in the Turkish Wikipedia -Türk kardeşlerim, sorunlarınız da bizim sorunlarımız.

Eligibility

I am eligible to serve as a trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation. If I am elected as a member of the Board of the Wikimedia Foundation, I will resign from my position at the Affiliations Committee.

Endorsements

Wikimedia Chile

I, as president of Wikimedia Chile and official representative at this election, hereby confirm that we discussed this topic with the members of board of Wikimedia Chile and we decided to support the nomination of Maor Malul. Rocío Consales (talk) 18:28, 30 April 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Wikimedistas de Colombia

On behalf of Wikimedians of Colombia User Groups, I confirm that the discussion in our group lead to endorse the nomination of Carlos (Maor) because we shared his vision of the Movement and feel included in it. --Sahaquiel9102 (talk) 20:08, 30 April 2019 (UTC)[reply]