Ambassador elections

Proposal edit

One of the results of the Open Questions poll was the general conclusion that there must be greater communications between the various projects. To achieve that, it was proposed that the system of Wiki embassies be reinvigorated and that each project elect ambassadors.

As such, elections for this post are proposed to take place in the various Wikis no later than April 17, 2005.

Each Wikimedia project with over 500 items of information (articles, definitions, etc.) would be entitled to elect one ambassador and one proxy. Special representatives will be appointed as needed to work with the smaller projects until they reach this mark.

What an ambassador is edit

An ambassador would be an elected member of the particular community who would be the point of contact between that community and other communities, and between that community and the meta-community on this meta-wiki. If one community has a problem with another community, their official representatives would be the first recourse to resolving the issue. Other forms of cooperation between the communities would also be encouraged.

Equally important is the responsibility of an ambassador to ensure that certain information is widely available to the community the ambassador represents. If the Wikimedia Foundation board wants to relay a decision or receive input from a community, they will turn to that community's ambassador. Similarly, if a community as a whole wants to relay information or make a request of the Wikimedia Foundation, they would turn to an ambassador to address the Board. (Obviously, any individual can always approach the Board on private matters and initiatives.)

Ambassadors would be expected to join the Foundation mailing list, in order to receive relevant information. Contact information should be posted on the Embassy page, so that they can be easily contacted if necessary.

Ambassadors would also be invited to meet infrequently on IRC to discuss issues pertaining to inter-project cooperation. They will also decide whether regular meetings should be held, at what frequency, and what quorum is required to discuss issues. Their decisions will be taken under serious advisement by the Board.

In order to best represent their constituents, ambassadors would be expected to instigate occasional discussion, polls and votes to determine the wishes of their community.

What an ambassador is not edit

Ambassadors would be trusted members of their community who are able to communicate in one or more of the major Wikipedia languages. They would not be granted extra powers over their community, and the position would carry no special authority over the other members of the respective communities.

There could be multiple ambassadors from a community.

What about the smaller communities? edit

Each community that reaches five hundred articles/pages should be able to find at least one willing and active ambassador. Communities with fewer articles than this should have at most one ambassador, and may share an ambassador with another project. For instance, the Dutch ambassador might represent the Tumbukwa Wikipedia until it reaches five hundred articles.

That said, smaller communities are welcome to appoint ambassadors, to join the mailing list, and to participate in any related meetings

The first ambassadors meeting edit

This would take place as soon after initial elections as is convenient to most of the members. The Board and selected individuals will be invited to attend.

But to what end? What would the meeting cover?

Please list elected ambassadors here.