Dear all,
I am writing to remind you that the deadline to submit applications to join the Case Review Committee and Ombuds commission is coming soon. Submit your application or encourage someone you know to do so [1] by 31 December 2023.
1. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Leg…
Regards,
Keegan Peterzell
Committee Support
Wikimedia Foundation
Dear Fellow Wikimedians,
Hope this email finds you well.
I am writing to announce the launching of the annual report of Wikimedia
Community User Group Hong Kong ("WMHKG"). Please kindly visit
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2022-2023_WMHKG_Annual_Report.pdf
to access such a report.
Thank you for your attention.
Best Regards,
User:だ＊ぜ (Dasze)
Director,
Wikimedia Community User Group Hong Kong (WMHKG)
Hi all,
On December 6, 2023, the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees will meet
virtually for its quarterly meeting. The agenda for the meeting has been
published on Foundation Wiki:
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Agenda:2023-12-06
We will share more information afterwards.
Best,
Chuck
==
Charles M. Roslof
Lead Counsel
Wikimedia Foundation
Pronouns: they / he
_______________________________________________
Please note: all replies sent to this mailing list will be immediately directed to Wikimedia-l, the public mailing list of the Wikimedia community. For more information about Wikimedia-l:
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Hi Everyone,
I hope this message finds you well. We would like to inform you about an
important update regarding the Coolest Tool Awards. The Award[0] was
originally scheduled to be held virtually in December 2023 but we have made
the decision to move the award back to where it started - Wikimania.[1]
We are thrilled to announce that the 2023/2024 Coolest Tool Award will be
held as a physical and virtual gathering at Wikimania in Poland!!🎉[2]
Wikimania scholarships just opened, so apply now for a full or partial
scholarship![3]
This change was made to provide a more engaging and interactive experience
for the winners and all participants, and to ensure that we can celebrate
the accomplishments of our community members in a more memorable way. We
understand that this adjustment may impact your plans and schedules, and we
apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, we are confident
that this change will enhance the overall event and allow for more
meaningful interactions among the participants, including live
demonstrations.
We will be communicating more details about the event in the coming months,
including, call for nominations, event format, and any other pertinent
information. We welcome any suggestions or feedback you may have in making
our return to an in-person award ceremony a better experience. Please do
not hesitate to reach out to Onyinyechi Onifade at oonifade(a)wikimedia.org or
Seyram Komla Sapaty at ssapaty(a)wikimedia.org
We look forward to celebrating our successes together in July 2024. Stay
tuned for further updates.
Best regards,
Coolest Tool Award Organizing Team
[0]: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Coolest_Tool_Award
[1]:
https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2019:Technology_outreach_%26_innovatio…
[2]:
https://diff.wikimedia.org/2023/03/20/announcing-the-host-of-wikimania-in-2…
[3]: https://wikimediafoundation.limesurvey.net/654573
--
Hi Everyone,
On behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation's Hackathon Organizing team, I am
thrilled to share the exciting news that the 2024 Wikimedia Hackathon is
scheduled to unfold in the captivating city of Tallinn, Estonia
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallinn>, from May 3rd - 5th 2024!
The Wikimedia Hackathon is an annual event, uniting the global technical
community in a dynamic gathering focused on connection, innovation, and
building really cool projects. At this event, technical contributors
hailing from all corners of the globe converge with a shared mission: to
enhance the technological infrastructure and software that underpins and
empowers Wikimedia projects. For this exceptional 2024 edition, the
Wikimedia Foundation is joining forces with WMEE, the official local
chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation in Estonia
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Eesti>, to bring you an
unforgettable experience.
The theme for this edition aligns with last year's, emphasizing the
gathering of individuals who have a track record of contributing to the
technical aspects of Wikimedia projects. We're looking for those who are
versed in navigating the technical ecosystem and are adept at working
autonomously or collaborating effectively on projects.
While the majority of our event will unfold onsite, we're excited to share
that certain parts of the program will be broadcasted online, ensuring
accessibility to a wider audience. We warmly encourage local communities to
host pre-hackathon events or meetups. In the coming months, these pages
<https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Hackathon_2024> will be your
go-to resource for comprehensive details on attendance procedures, venue
specifics, travel recommendations, accommodation options, and scholarship
opportunities. Stay tuned!
The next milestone on our journey is just around the corner. Registration
and scholarship applications are set to open Monday November 27th (see
timeline <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Hackathon_2024#Timeline>).
Be sure to keep an eye on the talk page, mediawiki page
<https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Hackathon_2024>and your inbox
for consistent updates.
Should you have any inquiries or wish to get in touch with the coordination
team, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at hackathon(a)wikimedia.org,
or share your thoughts on the talk page
<https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Hackathon_2024/Discussions> of
the hackathon.
We are really looking forward to welcoming you again at the Hackathon, and
we hope that you are also excited to join and hack together!
On Behalf of the Hackathon Organizing Team,
Onyinyechi Onifade
--
*Onyinyechi Onifade *
Technical Community Program Manager
Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
Join us for WikiIndaba 2024: Celebrating a Decade of African Wikimedians
4-6 October 2024
Johannesburg, South Africa
Mark your calendars for WikiIndaba 2024, a special gathering of African
Wikimedians to celebrate 10 years of collaboration, growth, and impact.
This landmark conference will bring together Wikimedians from across the
continent and beyond to share their experiences, learn from each other, and
explore new opportunities to advance the Wikimedia movement in Africa.
What to Expect:
-
Inspiring keynote speakers and panel discussions
-
Workshops and training sessions on a variety of Wikimedia topics
-
Networking opportunities with fellow Wikimedians
-
A celebration of African Wikimedia history and achievements
-
We invite all Wikimedians, whether you are a seasoned contributor or a
newcomer to the movement, to join us for this exciting event. Together, we
will shape the future of Wikimedia in Africa!
Read more here
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Save_the_Date_for_WikiIndaba_Conference_2024!>
and
stay tuned for more updates!
#WikiIndaba2024Johannesburg
=====================================
*Rejoignez-nous pour WikiIndaba 2024 : Célébration d'une décennie de
Wikimédiens africains4-6 octobre 2024Johannesburg, Afrique du Sud*
Marquez vos calendriers pour WikiIndaba 2024, un rassemblement spécial des
Wikimédiens africains pour célébrer les 10 ans de collaboration, de
croissance et d'impact positif. Cette conférence historique réunira des
Wikimédiens de tout le continent et au-delà pour partager leurs
expériences, apprendre les uns auprès des autres et explorer de nouvelles
opportunités pour faire avancer le mouvement Wikimedia à travers le
continent africain.
*À quoi s'attendre :*
- Des orateurs clés et des discussions inspirants
- Des ateliers et des sessions de formation sur divers sujets liés à
Wikimedia
- Des opportunités de réseautage avec d'autres Wikimédiens
- Une célébration de l'histoire et des réalisations de Wikimedia en Afrique
- Nous invitons tous les Wikimédiens, qu'il s'agisse de contributeurs
chevronnés ou ceux qui débutent dans le mouvement, à nous joindre pour cet
événement passionnant. Ensemble, nous façonnerons l'avenir de Wikimedia en
Afrique !
Pour en savoir plus, veuillez cliquez ici
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Save_the_Date_for_WikiIndaba_Conference_202…>
et
restez à l'écoute pour de nouvelles mises à jour !
#WikiIndaba2024Johannesburg
=====================================
*انضموا إلينا في ويكي اندابا 2024 : الاحتفال بعقد من ويكيميديا الأفارقة*
* 6-4أكتوبر 2024*
*جوهانسبرج، جنوب أفريقيا*
سجلوا تاريخ هذا الحدث الرائع في جداولكم لويكي اندابا 2024، وهو تجمع خاص
للويكيميديين الأفارقة للاحتفال بعقد من التعاون والتقدم والتأثير الإيجابي.
سيجمع هذا المؤتمر التاريخي ويكيميديين من جميع أنحاء القارة وخارجها، وذلك
لمشاركة تجاربهم والتعلم من بعضهم البعض، واستكشاف فرص جديدة لتعزيز حركة
ويكيميديا في أفريقيا.
* ماذا نتوقع :*
- متحدثون ملهمون وجلسات نقاش ثرية
- ورشات عمل وجلسات تدريب حول مواضيع ويكيميديا المتنوعة
- فرص للتواصل مع الزملاء وإثراء العلاقات
- الاحتفال بتاريخ وإنجازات ويكيميديا في افريقيا
- الدعوة موجهة لجميع الويكيميديين، سواء كنتم مساهمين ذوي خبرة أو حديثي
الانضمام إلى الحركة، للانضمام إلينا في هذا الحدث المثير. سنصنع معًا مستقبلا
مبهرًا لويكيميديا في إفريقيا
اقرأ المزيد هنا
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Save_the_Date_for_WikiIndaba_Conference_202…>،
وترقبوا المزيد من الأخبار قريبا !
#ويكي_إندابا_2024_جوهانسبرج
Hi all,
I'm excited to share this blog post
<https://diff.wikimedia.org/2023/11/20/3000-new-medical-illustrations-on-wik…>
[1]
about the first larger project that the Helpdesk
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Content_Partnerships_Hub/Helpdesk> of the
Content Partnerships Hub initiative has carried out, in close collaboration
with Netha Hussain:
“In receiving help for doing this project, I will be able to acquire the
skill sets required for batch uploading similar images from medical
repositories. I maintain a list of open access medical repositories here
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Netha_Hussain/Medical_Images?wprov=wppw2>,
and the skills I learn from doing the SMART SERVIER project will eventually
be helpful for other content partnership programs, particularly those of
which I have named in the repository.”
In this project, 3,000 medical illustrations from the laboratory Smart
Servier have been uploaded to Wikimedia Commons. The blog post explains how
you can make use of the images.
Netha explains that the value of these illustrations is that they can help
illustrate complex biological processes and concepts in a better way,
especially where actual photographs would be hard/impossible to create
(such as things happening on the molecular level), where actual photographs
would be disturbing or offensive (genital organs or obesity, e.g.), of
where simple representations are preferred rather than complex
diagrams/photos, such as on Simple Wikipedia or Wiktionary.
If you want to help add these images to Wikipedia pages, the illustrations
have been added to galleries, which makes them easier to browse
<https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:SMART-Servier_Medical_Art/Galle…>.
You can also help improve the metadata of the images, to add more
structured data! All files in the category that have a depict statement can
be accessed at this link: https://w.wiki/7eZ4 And all files in the category
without a depict statement can be found at this link: https://w.wiki/7eY$
Best,
*Eric Luth*
Projektledare engagemang och påverkan | Project Manager, Involvement and
Advocacy
Wikimedia Sverige
eric.luth(a)wikimedia.se
+46 (0) 765 55 50 95
Stöd fri kunskap, bli medlem i Wikimedia Sverige.
Läs mer på blimedlem.wikimedia.se
[1]
https://diff.wikimedia.org/2023/11/20/3000-new-medical-illustrations-on-wik…
Dear all,
Greetings!
We are glad to announce and share our annual activities for 2022-2023.
We thank everyone who has supported us directly and indirectly in achieving
our goals for the year under review.
The report is here
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_User_Group_Nigeria/Reports/2022-2…>
for you to look over, and feel free to contact us for further
clarifications.
And a big gratitude goes to WMF and our members for their unwavering
support.
Yours sincerely
ISO
Dear Jayantilal,
The organizers of WikiConference India have already shared
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiConference_India_2023/Discussions_and_F…>
more details about the event including staff engagement. Others invited you
<https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedi…>
to follow up on the talk page.
CIS also responded to your question
<https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedi…>
on the list. For your thoughts on their proposal, you can follow up on
the grant
page
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Programs/Wikimedia_Community_Fund/Ce…>.
Please note decisions about funding are made by the regional funding
committee
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Regions/South_Asia#Regional_Committee>
of volunteers and not by Wikimedia Foundation staff.
For your questions about hiring practices, you can read more here
<https://diff.wikimedia.org/2023/05/03/building-a-global-staff-community-at-…>.
If you have a question about existing projects, do feel free to contact
that project's leads.
Your latest question about scholarships combines affiliate staff and
contractors with Foundation staff and contractors. To clarify, staff and
contractors of the Foundation are not eligible for scholarships based on
their paid work.
Often though, staff and contractors of the Foundation come from the
community itself and actively contribute to community initiatives as
volunteers, and represent that work during different conferences.
Best regards,
*Belinda Mbambo*
Senior Manager: Global Movement Communications
Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Jayantilal Kothari <jayantilalkkd(a)gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Jun 13, 2023 at 3:58 PM
Subject: [Wikimediaindia-l] Request for Transparency Regarding WMF Staff in
India
Dear Maryana Iskander and Wikimedia Foundation,
I hope I am not disturbing you or have asked you to be in some place which
I should not have. Please note that my concerns are only in good faith and
not anything more. Earlier also WMF staff have asked community members to
respond on the mailing list and I have not done anything new. Why can't you
reply ? If you cannot reply then why you cannot atleast acknowledge.
Staff continues to take over community work. Some staff are on scholarship
to the Education Conference in Europe as volunteers, some for Wiki Loves
Monuments Team discussion, some CIS staff in Universal Code Committee etc.
Everything cannot be like they are doing in their individual capacity.
Please note WMF contractors also take salaries which are higher than the
average Indian salary. It is high time that a policy needs to come up on
this with community discussion. Many people have said the same on this
mailing list. Even if they are allowed, let there be a clear cut policy.
Everything cannot be done by saying what they are doing in their individual
capacity. If you cannot have volunteers who are only volunteers and not any
full time or contractor or with CIS then what is the point.
One more person who was a volunteer at Wiki Conference has now become CIS
staff. Job announcement came on 31st July 2022 and recruitment in May 2023.
So late but they do not care to reply back. I also wanted to ask them if
they will do hardware support in their grant but they did not reply. They
have a budget of 1 Crore, 75 Lakhs, 82 Thousand and 4 Hundred. This is too
much. If they do not want to give hardware then they should atleast talk to
the community and share a plan.
I will repeat from what I had said before, "This message is a reminder
about the necessity of listening when the community needs to be heard, not
just when it's convenient. It's a plea for transparency and
accountability—cornerstones of our community and the Wikimedia movement.”
On Thu, 18 May 2023 at 2:51 AM, effe iets anders <effeietsanders(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
> Hi Jayantilal,
>
> as I'm reading this, mostly as an outsider from a different community who
> has great appreciation for everything that has been accomplished in various
> communities in India, I can feel the tension. This is unfortunately nothing
> new, and it's an ongoing balance that has to be struck between helping out
> as a staff member on one hand, and not undercutting the community to
> organize itself on the other. This is a challenge, even with the best of
> intentions. This only gets harder when there is a (real or perceived)
> struggle for influence/power. I have come to understand that India is an
> even more complex situation, due to the influence of CIS.
>
> I noticed that the WCI organizers have put forward
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiConference_India_2023/Discussions_and_F… in
> response to this thread. It might be beneficial for the conversation to try
> and follow up with this attempt to conversation, and see how far you get
> with regards to the transparency that you seek. If you can achieve this
> without the intervention of Maryana, this is probably more advantageous for
> everyone involved. That does not mean you have to agree with what is
> desirable, but at least you would be able to work from a common base of
> facts/information.
>
> If there are aspects on that page that are possibly misleading from your
> point of view, or simply information that is missing, you might be
> interested in bringing this up on the talkpage.
>
> Just a thought,
>
> Lodewijk
>
> On Wed, May 17, 2023 at 2:04 PM Jayantilal Kothari <
> jayantilalkkd(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Dear Maryana,
>>
>> Your Listening Tour has been a commendable initiative to understand the
>> voice of the community. However, the essence of listening lies in its
>> responsiveness.
>>
>> Over ten days ago, we raised concerns that unfortunately remain
>> unaddressed. This isn't a single person sentiment but a collective voice
>> from the Indian Wikimedia community, a voice that has grown stronger since
>> the recent Wiki Conference India.
>>
>> We're concerned about the WMF India staff's involvement in community-led
>> events, notably the Wiki Conference India. While their participation is
>> welcome, there's a growing perception of encroachment on community-led
>> initiatives. The community's autonomy is being compromised, and several
>> experienced community members have voiced this concern on the public
>> mailing list.
>>
>> Furthermore, we've observed that the WMF India Staff is assisting
>> community members in crafting emails and guiding them on how to handle this
>> mailing list situation. As a community, we believe in the ability of our
>> members to speak for themselves. Currently, it appears that only those on
>> the WMF payroll—either through grant salary/contract or through WMF-funded
>> CIS salary—are speaking on behalf of Wiki Conference India, seemingly under
>> the guidance of WMF Staff India. We urge WMF India Staff to step back and
>> allow the community to voice their concerns independently. Check the Wiki
>> Conference India Team on Meta. Most of them are drawing salaries from WMF
>> or CIS or have been previous employees in the last 5 years. Very few are
>> people who have always been volunteers. Many of them have also not written
>> WMF against their name because they say they did this conference as
>> volunteers. Was there no volunteer to come forward and organize? This means
>> WMF staff have not been able to grow the community.
>>
>> We wish to understand the roles, responsibilities, and contributions of
>> the WMF India staff who actively participated in the Wiki Conference India.
>> Being paid by funds raised through volunteer-built platforms like
>> Wikipedia, their active participation in community spaces calls for higher
>> accountability.
>>
>> WMF has spent so much money on Strategy 2030 but the India Conference had
>> no session on it why? India is not important or what? Sunday there was a
>> session on Strategy 2030 but it was removed without telling participants.
>> Why?
>>
>> We would like to clarify that this is not a request for personal
>> information—since the identities of these staff members are already
>> publicly known—but a call for professional transparency, as we seek to
>> understand their specific roles and contributions. If these staff members
>> were comfortable taking to the stage and receiving credit at the
>> conference, they should be equally comfortable sharing the scope and impact
>> of their work with the community that they serve. Their willingness to be
>> in the public eye during the conference should extend to their professional
>> commitments and achievements. We're keen to know about the partnerships
>> they've formed over the past few years that have benefited Indian
>> communities, the initiatives the communications team has launched beyond
>> financial incentives for Instagram users, the community projects undertaken
>> by other staff members, negative response on fundraising and the hiring
>> practices aimed at empowering local user groups.
>>
>> Considering the nature of these questions, we're interested in
>> understanding your strategy for obtaining an unbiased picture of the
>> situation. If the primary sources of feedback are the WMF India staff or
>> their superiors, it might be influenced by the very concern we raise.
>>
>> This message is a reminder about the necessity of listening when the
>> community needs to be heard, not just when it's convenient. It's a plea for
>> transparency and accountability—cornerstones of our community and the
>> Wikimedia movement.
>>
>> We understand that you might be busy, but we would appreciate at least an
>> acknowledgment of this email, assuring us that our concerns have been heard
>> and will be addressed.
>>
>> We look forward to your acknowledgment and response.
>>
>> On Sun, 14 May 2023 at 3:52 AM, Shyamal Bagchi <discard.media3(a)gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> My emails are also being censored.
>>> Why is this happening and who is doing it ?
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, 9 May 2023 at 00:51, Wiki Prasad <wiki_prasad(a)mail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> i say same thing, my email not posted. it is censored.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *Sent:* Monday, May 08, 2023 at 4:48 AM
>>>> *From:* "Jayantilal Kothari" <jayantilalkkd(a)gmail.com>
>>>> *To:* "Wikimedia India Community list" <
>>>> wikimediaindia-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>, miskander(a)wikimedia.org
>>>> *Subject:* [Wikimediaindia-l] Request for Transparency Regarding WMF
>>>> Staff in India
>>>> Hello WCI 2023 Organizing team,
>>>>
>>>> First of all, thank you for hosting the event. I appreciate your
>>>> willingness to engage in discussions and provide clarifications on concerns
>>>> related to the conference. However, I would like to remind you that this
>>>> email thread is specifically addressed to the Wikimedia Foundation and
>>>> Maryana Iskander.
>>>>
>>>> I am curious if the Maryana/WMF has requested your team or given
>>>> authorization for you to justify or defend their actions in this matter. As
>>>> this thread focuses on WMF's actions and decisions in relation to the
>>>> Indian community, it is crucial to maintain separate discussions for
>>>> separate issues to ensure productive and organized conversations. I kindly
>>>> request that you start a separate email thread or Meta-Wiki discussion for
>>>> addressing concerns related to the conference itself.
>>>>
>>>> Let's give the WMF the opportunity to address the concerns raised here
>>>> directly. Thank you for your understanding, and once again, congratulations
>>>> on organizing a successful event.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, 7 May 2023 at 10:59 PM, Andreas Kolbe <jayen466(a)gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Dear Bodhisattwa,
>>>>>
>>>>> Thank you for your reply.
>>>>>
>>>>> While Wiki[p/m]edia started out as a pure volunteer project, it has
>>>>> long occupied a sometimes uneasy position between some of the biggest and
>>>>> most valuable companies on earth, who use our free content to make money,
>>>>> and volunteers working for love. This makes culture clashes of some sort or
>>>>> another inevitable. I don't have a solution.
>>>>>
>>>>> I also suspect that you have a point with the "white guilt". What this
>>>>> means, of course, is that people are still not "seen".
>>>>>
>>>>> If you ever feel like writing an op-ed or report about these matters
>>>>> for the Wikipedia Signpost
>>>>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost>, please
>>>>> feel free to send me a mail or just drop into our Newsroom
>>>>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Wikipedia_Signpost/Newsroom>.
>>>>> The Signpost hardly ever has content about India, let alone content written
>>>>> by Indian contributors. (The issue due to be published in a few hours' time
>>>>> is a rare exception.) It would be great to see that change.
>>>>>
>>>>> Best,
>>>>> Andreas
>>>>> (User:Jayen466)
>>>>>
>>>>> On Thu, May 4, 2023 at 6:55 PM Bodhisattwa <
>>>>> bodhisattwa.rgkmc(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi Andreas,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> There is no denial that money is needed in our region to run programs
>>>>>> but there should always be a critical debate, if we are asking too much
>>>>>> amount and for the right cause. I can't talk about others but I come from a
>>>>>> cross-border language community which has always shown high regards to the
>>>>>> value of donation money and expressed concerns in the past, whenever it has
>>>>>> felt that money asked in a grant proposal is out of proportionate. So,
>>>>>> whenever a grant proposal comes from my language community or from the two
>>>>>> affiliates of the region, we brainstorm for days, if not months, to
>>>>>> understand if there remains any small chance to waste the valuable
>>>>>> resources which are to be entrusted upon us. For example, questions
>>>>>> naturally arises in our community that if we really need to or have the
>>>>>> luxury to spend this huge amount of around 10 million INR just for a 3-days
>>>>>> conference to meet and greet each other after a long time or could that
>>>>>> amount of money be invested on local affiliates and communities so that
>>>>>> they can sustain themselves and provide quality output for the next decade.
>>>>>> There has always been this debate and the people who talked about the
>>>>>> second option are quietly moving away from the movement as they were not
>>>>>> heard properly or were targeted for their critical analysis. We strongly
>>>>>> feel that throwing unnecessary amount of money to whatever proposal comes
>>>>>> over from the region is detrimental to the community dynamics as these
>>>>>> money spoils people in the communities, brings more mistrusts and
>>>>>> corruption and changes the motivation to contribute to the open knowledge
>>>>>> movement. Also, huge amount of money does not necessarily translate to
>>>>>> delivery of high quality output all the time, good results can come from
>>>>>> limited resources too, even with zero budget, if they are planned properly;
>>>>>> there are numerous success stories in our movement of those, which are
>>>>>> rarely acknowledged or celebrated.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> What we feel that there might be some 'white guilt' working in the
>>>>>> background to reverse colonial sins from the past in the regions which
>>>>>> might drive people from the west to approve more money in Africa and Asia
>>>>>> without consideration of local inputs. Any voices against these western
>>>>>> perspectives to flood local communities with huge amount of unnecessary
>>>>>> money are marked as counter-productive, ignored, silenced and bypassed with
>>>>>> different regulatory measures imposed upon the community until people stop
>>>>>> criticising and get fed up of being ignored. For example, personally, I
>>>>>> have developed apathy nowadays regarding whatever is happening around grant
>>>>>> process western to our state border of West Bengal until they directly
>>>>>> affects us and prefer to remain silent during their community review
>>>>>> process.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> By the way, I have no objection hiring WMF staffs from the region. In
>>>>>> fact, a number of staffs and contractors from the region are and were
>>>>>> highly respected for their support and understanding of the local
>>>>>> communities. But all are not beds of roses. There are multiple evidences of
>>>>>> opacities, ignorance, agenda pushing, bossing around, corporate mentality,
>>>>>> hijacking of community plans and projects etc. among staffs, which builds
>>>>>> walls of mistrusts separating them with the volunteers rather than breaking
>>>>>> them. I can't disagree to what Jayantilal implied in his statement. So, to
>>>>>> me, staffs are always welcome, but if they have no intention to listen and
>>>>>> support for community needs, then we frankly don't need them around our
>>>>>> communities to push their own agenda, we can manage ourselves.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>> Bodhisattwa
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Thu, May 4, 2023, 18:30 Andreas Kolbe <jayen466(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi Bodhisattwa and all,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> You raise an interesting point – that the influx of money appears to
>>>>>>> have a demotivating effect on Indian volunteers. This has also come up in
>>>>>>> discussion elsewhere.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Now I have been one of those who have urged the WMF to spend more
>>>>>>> money in India. I have always felt that actual spending on the ground has
>>>>>>> not matched the Foundation's fundraising messages about how money is
>>>>>>> urgently needed to build capacity in Indian and African languages. And I
>>>>>>> have argued that hiring staff in India, e.g., makes more sense than hiring
>>>>>>> staff in the US, where salary expectations may run to hundreds of thousands
>>>>>>> of dollars per year.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> How would you resolve these competing considerations?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>> Andreas (Jayen466)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Thu, May 4, 2023 at 3:21 AM Bodhisattwa <
>>>>>>> bodhisattwa.rgkmc(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Coincidentally, just yesterday afternoon, when we were having a
>>>>>>>> meeting in Kolkata with volunteers from West Bengal and Bangladesh, these
>>>>>>>> concerns came up among other things. We were wondering about the visible
>>>>>>>> impact of the increasing number of WMF staffs in India to improve our
>>>>>>>> editing and reading experiences, significant partnership development or
>>>>>>>> strengthening the communities in the last few years and if they have any
>>>>>>>> impact at all in our language community to make our life easier as
>>>>>>>> volunteers.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Anyway, if the volunteer communities or team of organizers are not
>>>>>>>> strong and vigilant enough, there is always a chance to get something
>>>>>>>> hijacked by staffs. This is not new; it has happened before a number of
>>>>>>>> times and it will happen a lot more in the future. This could not be
>>>>>>>> avoided as I feel the spirit of volunteerism in the Indian communities is
>>>>>>>> much much weaker than the past and dying, if not already dead in some of
>>>>>>>> the cases. In the last few years, I have seen long term trusted community
>>>>>>>> members from all over the country leave the movement frustrated, heart
>>>>>>>> broken and exhausted, including from my language community. Increasing flow
>>>>>>>> of unnecessary money are rapidly changing the motivation of volunteers with
>>>>>>>> a strange notion prevailing nowadays that money is the solution of all
>>>>>>>> problems in the region. Community oversight and long discussions on meta
>>>>>>>> talk pages about any huge amount of grant proposals are now a thing of the
>>>>>>>> past. But who cares?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Unlike the previous wiki conferences, the wider Indian community
>>>>>>>> did not get the invitation and space to actively take part in the decision
>>>>>>>> making process from the very start of planning this conference which led to
>>>>>>>> giving room to WMF staffs, who took over. Without community vigilance, a 3
>>>>>>>> days conference asked and spent 3 times more donation money than the last
>>>>>>>> one and has set up precedences of many unwanted things which would burden
>>>>>>>> future community programs and events in India. It's not at all surprising
>>>>>>>> that even though no one was stopped, but a very few number of volunteers
>>>>>>>> from my language community actually applied and participated in the
>>>>>>>> conference, even being one of the most active community in the region.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>> Bodhisattwa
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Thu, May 4, 2023, 00:53 Subhashish <psubhashish(a)gmail.com>
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I find this email better worded than the other one in this list a
>>>>>>>>> few days back which was also about different issues.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Some of these issues, though I'm not personally aware of,
>>>>>>>>> certainly need to be addressed by WMF.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Thank you for upholding the importance of the community by saying
>>>>>>>>> -- "I am okay with WMF staff being paid, but it should not undermine unpaid
>>>>>>>>> volunteers and the movement's ethos." Can't agree more.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> While I see public listing of WMF staff and contractors both
>>>>>>>>> on-wiki [1] and the Foundation's official site, WMF staff in India might
>>>>>>>>> mean staff and contractors who are hired both for long-term and short-term
>>>>>>>>> and part-time roles. It could also mean those who play global roles (say,
>>>>>>>>> engineering staffers) but reside in India and don't necessarily interface
>>>>>>>>> only with the India-based community. Their participation in a national
>>>>>>>>> level event could be an one-off thing.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> But those nuances apart, the volunteer and staff dynamics
>>>>>>>>> certainly is a topic worth discussing.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> A worse social phenomenon in India is a foreigner being treated
>>>>>>>>> with more dignity than a local. The intersectionality of caste, gender,
>>>>>>>>> fluency in English, intergenerational privilege and many other social
>>>>>>>>> factors play a role. I still think this is not a standalone issue and
>>>>>>>>> should be discussed (and investigated if needed) keeping in mind the
>>>>>>>>> intersectionality.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> 1.
>>>>>>>>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Wikimedia_Foundation_staff
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Subha
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Wed, May 3, 2023, 11:09 PM Jayantilal Kothari <
>>>>>>>>> jayantilalkkd(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Dear Maryana Iskander and Wikimedia Foundation,
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to request more
>>>>>>>>>> transparency about the roles and responsibilities of WMF staff in India. I
>>>>>>>>>> am assuming good faith and believe that any issues arising are
>>>>>>>>>> unintentional; however, these occurrences seem to be negatively impacting
>>>>>>>>>> the overall movement.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> It has come to my attention that WMF allocates a relatively small
>>>>>>>>>> amount of funds to the Indian community. This implies that a significant
>>>>>>>>>> portion of donor money is spent on staff, making it crucial to ensure that
>>>>>>>>>> donors and the Wiki community are aware of how the funds are being utilized
>>>>>>>>>> and the impact generated.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Firstly, I have noticed that WMF hires non-community staff
>>>>>>>>>> members who may be initially unfamiliar with the Wikimedia community and
>>>>>>>>>> movement in general. This is not an issue as long as newly recruited staff
>>>>>>>>>> members are willing to work collaboratively with the community, rather than
>>>>>>>>>> competing with them. Unfortunately, there have been instances where this
>>>>>>>>>> has not been the case, such as WMF India staff paying Instagram users
>>>>>>>>>> without consulting the community, and the recent WikiConference India,
>>>>>>>>>> where WMF staff overshadowed volunteer committees and took over volunteer
>>>>>>>>>> roles during conference planning.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Initially, I thought that privacy concerns might be the reason
>>>>>>>>>> behind the lack of transparency. However, during the recent conference, I
>>>>>>>>>> observed that such staff members were comfortable being on stage and being
>>>>>>>>>> identified as WMF Staff amongst friends from the industry whom they invited
>>>>>>>>>> to the conference. It appears that more people from the industry are aware
>>>>>>>>>> of WMF India staff's existence than the community itself. Some staff
>>>>>>>>>> members were keen to take credit for the entire movement and even
>>>>>>>>>> conference planning in front of the volunteer community and friends from
>>>>>>>>>> the industry. It might help and advance the careers of WMF India staff by
>>>>>>>>>> showcasing WikiConference India on their resumes, but the main purpose of
>>>>>>>>>> such community events is to give a chance to community leadership and to
>>>>>>>>>> celebrate unpaid community members. I am okay with WMF staff being paid,
>>>>>>>>>> but it should not undermine unpaid volunteers and the movement's ethos.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> The Wiki community looks up to WMF staff for support, but now
>>>>>>>>>> there is a fear that WMF staff may hijack community programs and stages,
>>>>>>>>>> with WikiConference India being a recent example.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> There seems to be a lot of mystery surrounding the roles and
>>>>>>>>>> responsibilities of WMF India staff members and their interactions with
>>>>>>>>>> volunteer communities. The Wiki community is dedicated to the mission and
>>>>>>>>>> will continue to thrive even without WMF staff. I believe it is crucial for
>>>>>>>>>> WMF to publicly share the roles, responsibilities, and outcomes of the WMF
>>>>>>>>>> India staff over the last few years. This transparency will enable
>>>>>>>>>> community members and donors to appreciate the efforts of WMF India staff,
>>>>>>>>>> as currently, the impact of their work remains unknown.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I kindly request that WMF provides a list of all WMF India staff
>>>>>>>>>> members and their achievements, so we can celebrate their accomplishments
>>>>>>>>>> and collaborate with them more effectively.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Looking forward to your response.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> With Regards,
>>>>>>>>>> Jayantilal
>>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Jayantilal
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>>>>
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>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Regards,
>>>>
>>>> Jayantilal
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>> _______________________________________________ Wikimediaindia-l
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>>
>> --
>> Regards,
>>
>> Jayantilal
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
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--
Regards,
Jayantilal
Sent from my iPhone
*Belinda Mbambo*
Senior Manager: Global Movement Communications
Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>