I agree - few complicated problems can be solved once and for all - but it is possible to move in a better direction. "Better" in this context means to improve the existing lack of diversity and WWV (world wide view) of things.
I´m fine with outsourcing the search for candidates for the board to ensure that it holds the knowledge and talent required. But the decision should rest with the house of representatives - which then could be also take care of those other things needed.
Regards, Thyge
2016-02-23 15:47 GMT+01:00 Yaroslav M. Blanter putevod@mccme.ru:
On 2016-02-23 14:54, Thyge wrote:
We should not have direct elections to the board. We should have a "house of representatives" with X members from each part of the world and charged with electing the board and decide major issues like location of the WMF, changed of bylaws etc.
Regards, Thyge
I do not think it could solve the diversity issue.
To appoint the number of individuals with a set of skills and needed diversity, one needs candidates which will have needed skills and desired diversity to start with.
Our experience as a movement (and also of people in other organizations in different contexts) that these people do not always queue at the doors of the WMF office to wait for being elected. They need to be scouted, negotiated with, and convinced to be willing to sit at the board. This is what currently various companies are paid to do, and this seems to be a reasonable arrangement to me.
As far as the candidates are there, I do not see much of a difference whether the community, a selected group (like house of representatives), or the Board votes for them. And as soon as there is no difference there is also no need to make the structure more complicated. I thus conclude that this House of representatives is not needed for the Board elections.
(It might be needed for other things, which are outside the scope of this discussion).
Cheers Yaroslav
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