Hi all,
(with apologies for the delay in sending this announcement)
This email discusses a sensitive topic of armed conflict, and may contain
triggers for some of our community members. While we appreciate your input,
please prioritize your own mental wellbeing and don't feel obligated to
respond or participate. I have tried to frame this as sensitively as
possible, but welcome constructive suggestions on how to do this better
off-list.
Summary: On Sunday 21 January (08:00 PST, 16:00 UTC), the international
team of Wiki Loves Monuments will organize an office hour/community
conversation on: How should an international federated photo competition
like WLM handle national teams, international finalists and communication
in the case of geopolitical armed conflict. We will announce the link
later, and you can register here:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Monuments_2023/Office…
Topic: In the past years, our communities have been confronted with the
question how to deal with a number of geopolitical armed conflicts. This
question came up in the past years in a few different ways: whether photos
of heritage from certain countries should be allowed to be represented or
compete in international competitions like Wiki Loves Monuments, whether
and how photos of heritage in disputed areas can participate (especially
when that dispute becomes an armed conflict) and there are probably more
ways ahead that various armed conflicts can make an international
competition and communication about the competition complex. There is no
question whether human and cultural destruction is desirable, and every war
is likely one too many.
Why now: It is particularly hard to discuss these sensitive topics when
they are current: it is a painful conversation for everyone to have,
especially because the people who are living through the real-life
consequences are given an additional burden of engaging in these
discussions, under the pressure of time.
For this reason I believe it would be helpful to discuss this topic without
focusing on a specific conflict - but rather to discuss principles. How
would we, generally speaking, international competitions such as Wiki Loves
Monuments like to be influenced by armed conflict? Are there guidelines
that they could maintain? At this point, we don't know who the winners of
Wiki Loves Monuments are, and we can still have an abstract conversation. I
don't expect this conversation to conclude right away, but hope that we can
continue it in a few months after the dust of the winning images has
settled.
While this is already very soon, we have settled on Sunday 21 January,
16:00 UTC to avoid getting too close to the announcement of international
winners.
Framing: Some questions that come to mind as useful conversation starters
would include:
* Under what conditions could or should a national team be disqualified
from participating in an international federated activity such as WLM?
* If yes, who should make the decision whether to disqualify, and using
what criteria? Who should they consult?
* Under what conditions could or should the national submissions be
disqualified, if a national competition already has taken place?
* Should the international team make efforts to not appear to support an
armed conflict when communicating about the competition, or even previous
events? What are some guidelines that they could follow?
I would invite others to contribute in framing a constructive conversation
(publicly or privately - when in doubt, just email me privately).
Conversation timeline: We want this to be the start of a constructive
community conversation with national organizers, international organizers
and other community members who feel they can constructively contribute. We
welcome contributions from organizers of other similar international
competitions/activities. The conversation will be in English but if there
is sufficient interest, we can see if we can organize translation resources
in future conversations. You can sign up here:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Monuments_2023/Office…
. Please do sign up, in case we have to share the link privately.
As mentioned, I don't expect this conversation to be "one and done".
It's a
first step, and I expect to follow up with a next conversation in a few
months, and again around Wikimania - if there is sufficient interest.
I will guide this conversation as a former WLM international team member
and a current advisor.
Warmly,
Lodewijk