Hi Lodewijk,
As shared previously, an update is forthcoming during the month of
September. I struggle a bit with the statement "the last month of silence,"
when Katherine, Chen, and myself have been in active communication with
the community on this topic via either wiki-l or the Conference and Events
Grant Meta page [1], all within the last 30 days.
Nonetheless, as I believe you're specifically seeing a deadline, the
guidance will be sent by the end of this week.
Kind Regards,
Lydia
[1]
--
*Lydia Hamilton* (she/her)
Director of Operations
Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
On Tue, Sep 8, 2020 at 3:31 AM effe iets anders <effeietsanders(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
Hi all,
is there any update on this? Has any progress been made to start a
conversation with the community organizers about this?
As an organizer, the months of silence (and the last month of silence) on
this are a little saddening.
Thanks,
Lodewijk
On Mon, Aug 24, 2020 at 12:24 PM Lydia Hamilton <lhamilton(a)wikimedia.org>
wrote:
> Hi Lodewijk,
>
> Thank you for your feedback. We look forward to the forthcoming September
> release of detailed guidance that will allow Community members to assess
> their ability to safely host events and activities during the current
> pandemic circumstances.
>
> I’d like to respond to some of your comments:
>
> "It looks like your email was written to include a place where you want
> to gather this feedback."
>
> -- Feedback will be gathered on the guidance Meta talk page, which will
> reside in the Grants portal.
>
> "I'm assuming we're talking only about local events of limited size
> (probably a different risk profile applies for larger and/or
> travel-involved activities)."
>
> -- The guidance will address events of all sizes.
>
> "As an organizer, it is nice to have clarity where possible. Crisp
> definitions that translate well, are very helpful."
>
> -- Agreed. The guidance will be reviewed for clarity, ease of use and
> ease of translation.
>
> "I can't imagine an identical set of constraints to apply across
> countries."
>
> -- The guidance will include a host of assessment criteria that will
> allow Community members to evaluate the specific characteristics of their
> proposed event/activity, including location.
>
> "I'm confident that you already reached out to many affiliates to get
> their input ealy on."
>
> -- Yes. We will be evaluating and testing the guidance with selected
> affiliates prior to release on Meta.
>
> Kind Regards,
> Lydia
>
> Lydia Hamilton (she/her)
> Director of Operations
> Wikimedia Foundation
>
> On Mon, Aug 24, 2020 at 2:41 PM Anusha Alikhan <aalikhan(a)wikimedia.org>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *From: *effe iets anders <effeietsanders(a)gmail.com>
>> *Subject: **Re: [Wikimedia-l] [Covid-19] An update on in-person
>> gatherings*
>> *Date: *August 10, 2020 at 8:43:04 PM EDT
>> *To: *Wikimedia Mailing List <wikimedia-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
>> *Reply-To: *effeietsanders(a)gmail.com, Wikimedia Mailing List <
>> wikimedia-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
>>
>> Thank you Katherine for this update,
>>
>> I'm much looking forward to a more nuanced policy. I think it is clear
>> that
>> the standing policy (no in-person activities of any size, around the
>> world)
>> is past its expiration date and can't realistically be maintained any
>> longer in its broad interpretation. With the current policy, we're
>> risking
>> people just ignoring it when they feel no legal obligation to follow it.
>>
>> I hope that we can have an updated policy to provide a little more
>> flexibility sooner than later, even if that means that it is a first
>> phase
>> of making things more nuanced. For example, we could carve out exceptions
>> for countries where there is a clear 'safe' situation (even if we all
>> know
>> this is a very relative thing). Wiki Loves Monuments is about to start,
>> and
>> it would be nice if we could make sure that updates can be considered in
>> the planning as much as possible - especially as this is happening in
>> many
>> different countries, and traditionally mostly outdoors anyway.
>>
>> It looks like your email was written to include a place where you want to
>> gather this feedback. Did a link go missing?
>>
>> For what it's worth, I do have some thoughts about such an updated
>> policy,
>> from the viewpoint as someone who would have to comply. I'm assuming
>> we're
>> talking only about local events of limited size (probably a different
>> risk
>> profile applies for larger and/or travel-involved activities). I'm
>> obviously no epidemiologist or public health policy expert, and I suspect
>> many of these are already front and center in your thinking:
>> - As an organizer, it is nice to have clarity where possible. Crisp
>> definitions that translate well, are very helpful.
>> - Given how different the public health situations are around the world,
>> I
>> can't imagine an identical set of constraints to apply across countries.
>> - Acceptance is important. For example, I know there are a large number
>> of
>> countries where the wearing of masks is considered an accepted good
>> practice, while there are other countries where this is seen as counter
>> productive (with a heavier reliance on distance, for example). I know
>> this
>> is a touchy subject in the US
>> - I wouldn't expect the WMF to interpret each country's public health
>> policy, at the risk of being always behind. Carving out exceptions for
>> countries that are notorious for not developing responsible policy, seems
>> fair though (although that seems an interesting problem for the
>> communications department...).
>> - Reduce bureaucracy to a minimum. Some may be needed to help people
>> through the thinking process, but it's also a deterrent to actually
>> follow
>> the policy.
>>
>> The balance between simplicity and nuance seems a hard one to strike. A
>> bright line would be great, but that most likely conflicts with the
>> realism.
>> As so many governments are experiencing, it must be terribly complex to
>> strike a right balance between requiring all recommendations to be
>> followed
>> and actually get people to endorse and support such requirements. The WMF
>> only has limited leverage, and I would hate it to see people actively
>> looking for loopholes. Because we both know that if anyone can find them,
>> it's a Wikimedian. I would strongly recommend that the policy is such,
>> that
>> people will want to follow it, even if they don't have to.
>>
>> I can appreciate the underlying thought pattern that seems to underpin
>> your
>> mentioned focus: help people assess, inform about best practices and
>> suggest alternatives. Those feel like helpful building blocks. I hope
>> that
>> the various communities will share many responsible ways as they get
>> creative with organizing within those guidelines. I'm confident that you
>> already reached out to many affiliates to get their input ealy on.
>>
>> Warmly,
>> Lodewijk
>> (member of the Wiki Loves Monuments international team, but responding
>> in a
>> personal capacity)
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 7, 2020 at 2:31 PM Katherine Maher <kmaher(a)wikimedia.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> If this were a more predictable year, Wikimedians from around the world
>> would be together this weekend at Wikimania Bangkok 2020, in the warm
>> hospitality of our remarkable Wikimedia ESEAP hosts. We’d be preparing
>> for
>> a weekend of inspiring presentations, serendipitous meetings, and
>> fascinating conversations with Wikimedians from dozens of projects,
>> languages, and communities.
>>
>> I miss these moments of togetherness, and seeing people in person. Even
>> though we’re mostly known as an online community, in-person events have
>> always been part of the fabric of the Wikimedia movement. They are how we
>> have built working partnerships, friendships, and the skills that support
>> these remarkable projects over the years.
>>
>> In March, I sent messages out to the movement, asking grantees to
>> postpone
>> or cancel their in-person events until the World Health Organization
>> declares the COVID-19 pandemic over. Today, that seems wistfully
>> optimistic
>> -- that we’d have this all wrapped up in six months! As we enter August
>> the
>> COVID-19 pandemic is still with us and seems likely to be part of our
>> lives
>> for some time to come.
>>
>> *== Safer events guidance ==*
>> As we all learn to adapt and live with this new reality, we at the
>> Foundation want to offer more adaptable support for Wikimedia convenings.
>>
>> We're already improving support for online events, but as different
>> countries and regions start to offer more flexible guidance for in-person
>> gatherings and travel, we expect to see more community interest for
>> resuming in-person meetings (with appropriate precautions). We want to
>> respond to this interest with tools and resources to help you assess your
>> options, including whether your community can more safely host an
>> in-person
>> Wikimedia event.
>>
>> We are developing some tools to support your decision-making process,
>> including a risk assessment calculator, to help you evaluate your own
>> situation. *Importantly, this will also include guidance on when not to
>> hold an event.* This tool is developed in a way that should be flexible
>> to
>> use for all community members, regardless of your country and the size of
>> your event.
>>
>> We’re also creating a checklist of precautions, including resources with
>> tips and suggestions for how to prepare, evaluate, and follow up on any
>> event. Finally, we’re working to create a list of suggested types of
>> events, such as walking tours, photo hunts, and community picnics, all of
>> which can help meet the demand for safer in-person gatherings.
>>
>> *== Your feedback ==*
>> Living through a global pandemic of this scale is new for all of us --
>> and
>> the best way to navigate this change is with the support of your
>> community.
>> In that spirit, the events team will start reaching out to affiliate
>> leaders and potential grantees next week for their feedback and advice on
>> these proposed resources. We’re asking for your help shaping these tools
>> to
>> make them as useful as possible for our diverse global community, with
>> all
>> the varied contexts our movement works in.
>>
>> I look forward to sharing more about these tools, as well as additional
>> information about event support and grants toward the end of August.
>>
>> Until then, please stay safe and take care -- I look forward to the next
>> time we see each other again.
>>
>> Katherine
>>
>> --
>>
>> Katherine Maher (she/her)
>>
>> CEO
>>
>> Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
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