Movement Charter/Community Consultations/2023/Tulu Wikimedia Community

Movement Charter

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Content

Community Consultation

Drafting Committee

General Information

• Feedback channels: List of community channels from which the feedback is collected (Karavali Wikimedia monthly meetup, online meeting)
• Number o1f participants: Total: 11 (online meeting:11 )
• Brief Report is here

Feedback

Global Council

Open Questions regarding Fund Dissemination

• What role should the Global Council have in fund dissemination?
  • Oversight or review of WMF decisions
  • Coordination with WMF
  • Other (please elaborate)
• Should there be a committee that reports to the Global Council and handles central/cross-regional fund dissemination?
• What should be the Global Council’s role with regards to the allocation of the funds within the WMF?
  • The Global Council should be consulted on the allocation of the funds within the WMF.
  • The Global Council should have no role in the allocation of the funds within the WMF and only be informed.
  • Other (please elaborate)

• Eighty percent of survey participants express the viewpoint that the principal responsibility of the Global Council in fund dissemination should revolve around overseeing and evaluating decisions made by the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF). Conversely, the remaining 20% advocate for a more collaborative approach, suggesting that the Global Council should concentrate on coordinating with the WMF to refine and optimize the processes associated with fund dissemination.

• There is consensus that a dedicated committee reporting to the Global Council, tasked with managing central and cross-regional fund dissemination, is a necessity. Such a committee is envisioned as a crucial element to uphold transparency, ensure accountability, and enhance the efficiency of fund allocation on both global and cross-regional scales. Importantly, this committee is seen as a conduit for the Wikimedia community to provide valuable input to the Global Council on matters pertaining to fund dissemination.

• The prevailing sentiment among respondents is that the Global Council should play a consultative role in the allocation of funds within the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF). A significant majority supports the idea of seeking input from the Global Council in the decision-making process. In contrast, a minority holds the view that the Global Council should be excluded from fund allocation decisions, asserting that its role should be limited to being informed rather than actively participating in the allocation process.

Open Questions regarding Structure

• Should the Global Council exist only as an executive body or should it exist as an executive body with an advisory board? (See scenarios below)
  • If the Global Council is an executive body with an advisory board, how are the members of both entities (executive body and advisory board) seated?
• With its size, the Global Council must have adequate diversity and clout, but not be so large as to undermine effectiveness. As an executive body, how many members should the Global Council have?
  • Option 1: 9-13 members
  • Option 2: 17-21 members

• The community supports a Global Council as an executive body with an advisory board for efficient decision-making, emphasizing diversity.

• Recommend a compact executive body compared to a diverse advisory board to ensure broad perspectives.

• Suggest forming a diverse body with smaller communities' participation, aiming for a smaller executive body and a larger advisory board for community-specific matters.

Open Questions regarding Membership

With an intention to ensure fair representation, power balance, and promote diversity and inclusivity within the Global Council, we seek your inputs on the following:

1. Should there be some imposed limits to the membership in terms of movement representation?

Please share your opinions about potential criteria of such limits:

1. Should there be a regional cap, e.g. max 3 persons from a single region? If yes, please specify the condition.
2. Should there be a home project or entity cap, e.g. max 2 persons from a single wiki project or affiliate? If yes, please specify the condition.
3. Should there be a specific cap for large language communities, projects, or affiliates, e.g. not more than 5 seats from between the 5 largest projects? If yes, please specify the condition.
4. Should there be any other limits for Global Council membership? If yes, please specify the condition.

• Limits should ensure diverse representation, but careful consideration is needed to avoid overly restricting expertise.

• The community backs a regional cap, aligning with Wikimedia regions for fair representation. No specific maximum limit was suggested, but the consensus favors having at least one candidate from each region.

• The community supports limiting affiliates to a maximum of two representatives for diversity. Numbers may vary based on size, with no strong suggestions for wiki projects.

• The community proposes capping WMF staff representation on the advisory board at one member, aiming to reshape the Global Council primarily for its review function.

Other feedback about the draft chapter:

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Hubs

Community Question: Should there be a limit to how many hubs an affiliate can join? (Please elaborate on your answer.)

The proposed limit is for affiliates to join only two hubs concurrently. This is to avoid unnecessary affiliations. If knowledge exchange requires multiple hubs, the concept's effectiveness is questioned. The proposal also recommends affiliates to vote in only one hub for decision-making if hubs are consulted. Other feedback about the draft chapter:

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Roles & Responsibilities

• Affiliate Organizations:
• Coordinate with local and global entities.
• Support community initiatives and projects.
• Represent the Wikimedia movement in the respective regions.

Glossary

• Movement Charter:

A formal document outlining the principles, values, governance structure, and roles within the Wikimedia Movement, providing a framework for collaboration and decision-making.

• Wikimedia Movement:

The collective network of individuals, groups, and organizations involved in the creation, development, and dissemination of free knowledge through Wikimedia projects.

• Community Consultations:

Inclusive processes where members of the Wikimedia community provide input, feedback, and suggestions on various topics, policies, or initiatives.

• Local Chapters:

Independent organizations that support and promote Wikimedia projects within specific geographic regions, contributing to the global movement.

• User Groups:

Communities focused on specific topics or themes within Wikimedia projects, collaborating on initiatives and events related to their interests.

Miscellaneous feedback

• It is the opinion that we must increase awareness of the new charter.

• Many Wiki contributors lack awareness of the Movement Charter and the Global Council.

• Limited knowledge about contests, elections, and the role of the WMF staff representative exists.

• Legal support for communities in each region is required based on the local law and order.