Re: [Wikimedia-l] Open Letter to Affiliations Committee : Wikimedia India's Demand For A Fair And Transparent Hearing

Dear Wikimedia-l readers, AffCom understands the complexity and sensitivity of the circumstances surrounding the decision to de-recognize Wikimedia India as a chapter, and we would like to share more information around it. This decision was not taken lightly, and only came after consistent warnings, including suspensions of the chapter, and continued attempts by AffCom to bring the chapter’s activities in line with the requirements for chapter status. We understand that volunteers would like more information about this decision and past actions that influenced its outcome. We will attempt to provide an overview of the factors and history that led to this decision. Wikimedia India has been given ample time to address their lack of compliance with minimum chapter expectations since their initial signs of non-compliance in 2015 and concerns presented to them during their 2015 site visits, initial 2016 suspension, and most recent 2018 suspension last November. The Wikimedia India Executive Committee (EC) has repeatedly failed to respond in a timely and complete manner to call requests, annual reporting timelines, and remediation deadlines for demonstrating compliance. It is worth noting that there may be issues related to incomplete information regarding the current relationship between WMIN and AffCom. Abhinav is a current WMIN representative, but he was recently appointed to the EC on June 14, 2019 [1] following the EC’s receipt of the final revocation notice sent on June 13, 2019. He was not informed of, nor did he participate in, our communications regarding the current suspension process before that time, so he has had to rely on second-hand knowledge of the situation. The remaining four members of the EC appear to have fully abdicated their responsibility for communications leadership and as such further confirm the chapter’s lack of capacity at this time. Suspension notices give explicit requirements for what and how to communicate with respect to a chapter’s capacity and provide a timeline for addressing gaps to meet requirements. We’re providing a table reflecting the most recent suspension notice, the requirements included, and the date they were to be delivered below for the community’s context: According to the suspension notice, Wikimedia India was to: Status Submit an Action Plan. By January 15, 2019, the chapter was to submit an updated Action Plan including a timeline with dates for completing the tasks outlined. Submitted past deadline. Received on March 4, 2019. Insufficient response; awaiting new action plan for potential reorganization as outlined in April call. Complete and submit the required overdue chapter activities and financial reporting. The chapter was to submit the reporting by December 1, 2018. Submitted past deadline. Received Activities Report on December 3, 2018 and Financial Report on December 22, 2018. Develop a strategy and timeline for addressing the following potential gaps in meeting the basic criteria for chapter status in terms of Legal Structure, Open Governance, Active Contributor Involvement, and Capacity. By January 15, 2019, the chapter was to submit a plan, via email or posted online, demonstrating how the chapter meets the specific chapter requirements outlined. If the chapter does not currently meet the requirements, they were to provide a plan and timeline for how to address these issues before June. Submitted past deadline. Received on March 4, 2019. Insufficient response as detailed in April call. Resolve concerns related to organizational best practices. By May 1, 2019, the chapter should be able to demonstrate that it is following the Wikimedia Foundation Board’s recommendations for organizational best practices < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMF_Resolutions/Organizational_best_practic… . Submitted past deadline. Received on June 4, 2019. More information on chapter requirements is also available on Meta: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_chapters/Requirements Although the Affiliations Committee has decided not to renew this chapter agreement, this does not reduce the importance of the Republic of India to the Wikimedia movement. We regret that this action has become necessary due to the chapter’s failure to meet the requirements of continued recognition, as outlined in the table above. We would also like to reaffirm the committee’s deep and continued commitment to support affiliates in India across geographies and languages. As we have previously indicated, all rights and permissions granted by the Wikimedia Foundation to Wikimedia India in the Chapter Agreement will be revoked as of the termination of the agreement on September 14, 2019. In the meantime, we will continue to engage with Abhinav and the executive committee of Wikimedia India privately until we can align on a public communication plan and process to transition the chapter from its current recognition status. We will continue to discuss whether and how we can share the outcomes of these discussions on Meta once we have agreement between the executive committee and the AffCom on the best way to do this. Regards, Kirill Lokshin Chair, Affiliations Committee [1] https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimediaindia-l/2019-June/014128.html On Sun, Jul 7, 2019 at 4:50 AM Abhinav srivastava &lt;abhinav619(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote: > Dear Friends From Affcom, > I am posting an open public request for your notice of Suspension moved at repeatedly remain > a Chapter after 14th September and be transformed into a User Group. > Republic of India happens to be one of the only few countries where besides WMF’s less like members > to support any Chapter activity. They remain self-financed. We received > your notice last year when Wikimedia India was contesting a dispute with > CIS-A2K over attribution grabbing for our self-financed projects and > ignoring Chapter at important National level initiaves [4]. While working > with virtually no source of funds and struggles with WMF’s Allied > Organisation, your notice of suspension was the least bad we could have > had. > We continue to contest your suspension notice. It was Suo Moto (on its own) there to been > subsequently found by both parties on there being gaps in communication. > However, even after clarity during call, Affcom has not taken any action > over them. > The basis of your suspension notice has been shared here for the wider > audience. > 1. > Legal Structure : Affcom asked Wikimedia India to resolve and obtain its Organisations that problem said > crisis cannot be dusted in few words. A Government restrictive policy > which > has an impact on 13,000 NGOs and Affcom finding flaws in WMIN Board > Members > capability. WMIN would leave it for public interpretation. > Why not a capability audit for hosting zero-budget activities? While most > of the time are being spent on resolving the said crisis, WMIN continues to forward > remains a commitment for the Chapter irrespective of whatsoever political > climate may remain. Affcom was asked two questions respectively in this > regard however no response has been attained. The questions are > 1. > Would zero-budget activities, those self-financed not meet sufficiency ? > Please elaborate for us to stand better and to improve upon. > 2. > Would resolving Legal Structure and being able to receive WMF Grants be > a necessary criteria for WMIN to meet sufficiency or continued > activities > not meet the fulfilment criteria? > (2) Open Governance : Affcom informed Chapter that a member needs to be in and bylaws > were approved by the then Chapter’s Council. No evidence has been brought > to notice on WMIN violating the Clause 7.2 of the Chapter’s Agreement, > “The Wikimedia Chapter shall be required to advise the Foundation of any > planned or actual change in the bylaws or status of the Chapter which might > affect the Foundation or the continued existence or effectiveness of this > Agreement.” > (3) Active Contributor Involvement :The November 10 email carried the > statement, “The chapter lacks broad and diverse membership, community > representation, as well as buy-in and involvement “ and “Membership seems > to be sourced through university leadership rather than through open > community participation and representation.” Chapter till date received no Later communication > gap. Chapter further floated the idea of sharing the Member’s data base > after discussing privacy policy over them. > (4) Capacity : WMIN was able to submit its annual reports on 21st December, shared > it with the wider Indian community via India Mailing List and also other > channels [6], [7], [8],[9]. Annual activity report is a compilation from > the quarterly reports. > Affcom claimed via Cloud document that no high level response submitted and > repeated delay is not accepted. WMIN informed Affcom that previous delay > needs to be looked at independently from earlier financial period and > suspension notice (WMIN then had a grant), but we received no response. > (5) Organizational Best Practices : Affcom asked us to ‘Resolve’ issues > relating to Organizational Best Practices, however, no information had been than > 15 days. To this Affcom responded that you are late with your submission > hence we are terminating your contract. They never shared an evidence and > when WMIN took its time placed it in-front of the community and then > submitted, they said delayed and instead of sending their response in > writing over mail they again invited us for a call. We continue to insist > on providing a written response via Mail but no action. > (6) Action Plan : Affcom asked us to submit an Action Plan and we kept > asking what deliverable are needed. We cannot commit on resolving > Government restrictions within a said timeline as more than 13,000 NGOs > struggle with the similar crisis. We emphasised again and again we have > been running zero-budget activities and working for the movement. We asked > them to review Organizational Best Practices, based on gaps we could have > taken things into consideration. They rather said, you have missed the > deadline, so WMIN has to be closed now. > To sum up, Affcom friends, you made up your own decision, you made up you > own hearing and you made up your own decision. It was a monologue masked in > the name of a dialogue. > I encourage you all to be in our boots someday, hosting activities on > zero-budget, fighting with the Government bureaucracy to attain some > funding as a help, the challenge of having a staff-based organisation in > parallel, struggle with self-financing activities and most importantly > working with Affcom to save yourself from their de-recognition threats. > If you believe you are correct, please abide to the request made under > Annexure [A] and put everything in public domain. Let community read for > themselves and decide. If Affcom is more transparent about its > investigation and actions then community would be able to better understand > the work and provide an opinion. > Regards, > Abhinav ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CIS-A2K > [2] https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimediaindia-l/2019-April/013994.ht… > \ > [3] Foreign Currency (Regulation) Act, 1960 compliance do not permit India > Chapter to receive money from its primary fiscal sponsor, Wikimedia > Foundation. > [4] Board of Directors at CIS, acknowledged in March, 2019 for a compliant > made in August, 2018 for CIS-A2K Staff not doing their duty to the order. > [5] https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/06/07/democracies-need-a-little-help-from-th… > [6] https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimediaindia-l/2017-July/013030.html > [7] https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimediaindia-l/2017-October/013089.… > [8] https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimediaindia-l/2018-January/013188.… > [9] https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimediaindia-l/2018-April/013295.ht… --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Annexure > [A] Reallocating the Affcom - WMIN Communication To Meta : No > communications over email, video call, social media, instant messaging, or > anywhere but wiki! While this would not just be aligned with the editing > spirit, it would promote greater transparency and also helpful for us to > communicate the message to our community members. While, we understand > Affcom had been advocating the same, however, taking care of privacy > concerns, do let us. Once we hear from Affcom on having no privacy > concerns, we may reallocate the discussions. > If there a consent to this, would request a green light also for > 1. > Archiving the entire email conversation over a cloud document and > linking it to the relevant Meta page. > 2. > Documenting Internet Calls in an attempt to resolve communication gaps > and linking them to Meta page for greater transparency. > 3. > Based on Principal of Free Speech, allowing anybody to use the > discussion page for expression of their views. > 4. > Any Volunteer is free to translate the text into the language of their > choice. > 5. > Upload All PDF sent via Mails to Commons and link them to the Meta Page. > 6. > All relevant customs and procedures which exist for any Meta page to be _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l New messages to: Wikimedia-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:wikimedia-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>