Movement Strategy/Recommendations/Iteration 1/Advocacy/1

Transparency

community decides on rules of engagement -> information is accessible and streamlined -> legitimacy of conversations and of people increases -> advocates are efficient and confident

R1: A global network of Wikimedia advocates is built on community driven rules of engagement. There are established entry points for those who want to be involved or want to initiate advocacy activities. Processes for decision making are known and comprehensible.

WHY

Today the movement does not have a comprehensive understanding about how advocacy could be structured and organized and there are different models due to various contexts and circumstances. There is advocacy on the grassroot and self-determined level whenever community members start to do advocacy and there are more formal processes when the Wikimedia Foundation or other affiliate organizations are involved.

The contributing community does not always feel represented by active advocates. And for the latter there is no established feedback system.

Sometimes advocacy decisions need more time sensitive decision making that takes into account the need of keeping the community informed and able to participate. Especially decisions which have public resonance like blackouts of Wikipedia projects need a good organization, a known structure of roles and a stable community backing when we want them to be authentic and telling.

WHAT

To increase the legitimacy of decisions and people involved in advocacy, all parts of the movement have to know where and how they can partake in conversations and decisions on local and global levels of advocacy.

There is a system of checks and balances which also includes how the role of a Wikimedia advocate is defined and how it can be given or taken. Advocates who are visible in campaigns and approachable for media should be known by the movement and in the respective communities. There is a process to ensure that the active advocates have the movement’s support.

What that system looks like is created by our communities in collaboration with affiliates and advocates.