Hi all,
I want to express my concerns regarding this proposal to amend the WMF
bylaws at this moment.
It is a clear attempt to change the structure of our movement, and it seems
to be a logic step after the endorsement of the Movement Direction
(“Structure follows strategy”). However this proposal interferes with our
common commitment to the second step of the Movement Strategy.
After the endorsement of the Movement Direction 9 working groups have been
installed. Their basic assignment is: “[...] map the present situation of
their respective Thematic Areas, including the obstacles and opportunities,
as well as changes needed for the movement to advance in our Strategic
Direction. They will identify possible strategies for making these changes
and develop concrete recommendations for the movement on how to *ratify and
implement* [italics mine] them.
This wording is in accordance with the email of Maria Sefidari of July 19,
2018 in which she expressed the commitment of the Board of Trustees to this
process. I quote from her email: “Now our task as a movement is to apply
the Strategic Direction to our own work. We need to answer questions that
define our path forward: What kind of *structures* [again, the italics are
mine] are ideal for achieving our strategic direction?”
Issuing a proposal to change the bylaws clearly trespasses the work of all
those involved in the Wikimedia 2030 Movement Strategy Process. I urge the
Board of Trustees to postpone a decision about this matter and I suggest to
hand over the recommendations of the Affcom to the appropriate working
groups.
Finally: Of course I do not want the Board of Trustees to act passively
during the Movement Strategy Process. But this proposal is only a part of
the bigger problem that we have to solve: the organization of the
affiliates (chapters, user groups, new forms of affiliation) and the whole
decision making process that goes with this, and as such it concerns the
very heart of the international community. It needs a more careful
consideration than the one-time consultation that has now been started.
Let's not undermine this process, let's stick to the process that we have
committed ourselves to.
Frans Grijzenhout (chair WMNL, moderator Affiliate Chairpersons meetings)
*Frans Grijzenhout*, voorzitter / chair
+31 6 5333 9499
--
*Vereniging Wikimedia Nederland*
Mariaplaats 3 - 3511 LH Utrecht
Kamer van Koophandel 17189036
http://www.wikimedia.nl/
Op zo 9 dec. 2018 om 00:13 schreef Pine W <wiki.pine(a)gmail.com>om>:
I think that the proposals are worth considering,
although my wish list for
reforming the WMF Board has other priorities at this time (especially
regarding transparency, and the changing of the Founder's seat to a
community-selected seat). I think that these proposals should wait until
after the Strategy process is further along.
I note the concerns that people have expressed about both proposals, both
here and on the talk page. I encourage the Board and staff to avoid
becoming locked into defending the proposals and pushing them through in
their current forms.
However, I think that the Board should be encouraged to make proposals to
the community like this, and I thank the Board for making these proposals
open for public discussion.
Pine
(
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
_______________________________________________
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>