Community Letter to the LAC Region

The resources of the Wikimedia Foundation exist for the benefit of the movement and its projects. When donating to Wikimedia projects, volunteers from the various communities are expected to oversee how that money is distributed. The process of funding projects should be a process that is appropriate and values the volunteerism of the Wikimedia movement.

Any change to this would imply an absence of importance to the volunteerism that has built this movement over the last 20 years and a lack of accountability to them.

The new funding process promised to be aligned with a strategic direction with an emphasis on building a thriving movement, a process in which communities and the Wikimedia movement are supported. Its only advantage has been that applicants can write proposals in their own language, but at the cost of several irregularities presented below:

Funds Dissemination:

Irregularities reported	Proposed solution
Only those individuals with a degree in project management can have an application for funding approved.	To discuss
The Regional Committees and regional program officers do not have the historical context behind the Wikimedia projects or their operation, considering that they all function the same as Wikipedia in their major languages.	Discussions with volunteers with expertise in such projects to get a clear idea of how their decisions can be most beneficial.
A high percentage of approved requests are related to underrepresented themes rather than prioritizing support for the virtual communities of Wikimedia projects.	Establishment of two subcommittees within the Regional Committee; a "Regional Thematic Committee" and a "Regional Project Committee".
Funding of unfeasible and unsustainable proposals; content creation usually comes from people who have a paid position funded through these proposals.	To discuss

Selection of members

Irregularities reported	Proposed solution
Unequal selection process for Committee members, prioritizing only individuals who are part of underrepresented communities and excluding those with expertise in the Wikimedia movement.	Inclusion of expertise on Wikimedia projects as a criterion for selection of Committee members.

Internal processes

Irregularities reported	Proposed solution
Lack of transparency in the internal decision-making processes of program officers and Regional Committees.	Publicly available applicant information (unless it contains private information). Use of a scoring rubric. Publication of internal processes for public knowledge.
Unilateral decisions without taking into account the opinions of the applicants or the communities supporting such proposals.	Immediate discussions prior to a decision. Opportunity for appeal if necessary.
Numerous unreviewed reports	Internal time management
Failure to comply with times stipulated in the review processes	Compliance with public processes
Lack of timely information	Real-time communication with applicants and/or those with potential interest in applying for funds.

We, the undersigned signatories, in view of these irregularities, ask the Community Resource Team and the Regional Committees to listen to reason and fulfill their objective of supporting the Wikimedia movement instead of hindering it. To accompany and offer opportunities, instead of being driven by subjectivities and prejudices. We offer our genuine interest in making a change and improvement for the benefit of the Wikimedia movement.

We want this letter to be a window for individuals with a long history in the movement and a genuine interest in improving it to be treated as an important gear in these processes.

Signature section

• Who should sign? - Anyone who agrees to this letter, individually or on behalf of an affiliate.
• Format: Name of affiliate if signing on behalf of an affiliate. User, affiliation or project
• E.g.
  • Wikimedia Antarctica - Peng Wynn (User:Penguin), chair of Wikimedia Antarctica
  • I.M. Wikidatan (User:data), founder of Usergroup SPARQL, Wikidata editor
  • User:pagination, es.wikibooks editor

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Add your signature

Individuales

1. Jose Luis Mendoza / Centro Latinoamericano de Investigaciones Sobre Internet
2. Bluerasberry (talk) 18:47, 5 January 2024 (UTC)