Hi wikimedians, especially functionaries of affiliations!
If nothing substantial will change, in about 2 weeks I am going to start a formal investigation of possible AffCom's violations of Wikimedia Foundation Guiding Principles [1].
During last months and especially weeks I have noticed several issues about AffCom which showed up to hinder work and development of Wikimedia affiliations. While I have originally considered them to be exceptions, they have shown a consistent pattern through time indicating possible structural weakness. I have already asked AffCom non-publicly about some elements of them and AffCom's answers (respectively lack of them) for now show it to be higher probable that the issues are real and structural.
In order to make the investigation more efficient and productive I need your help! If you during last year experienced non-trivial issues with AffCom, especially if they hindered your affiliation (holding up your recognition with lack of reasonable communication, non-action to prevent violations of agreements, very slow work, communication of false information etc etc etc), please let me know personally (non-publicly, outside of the list) by email (possibly by sending email using Meta [2]). I much prefer if you are willing to accept that in case of investigation I could identify you and your affiliation. But as I understand that such identification could possibly make AffCom more prone to target its issues towards you and your affiliation, I accept to receive your evidence and make a reasonable effort to anonymize it (paraphrasing your words, getting the essence of the experience without specifics - or to not use it if it would be unreasonable to anonymize it). Please, write "AffCom investigation" (without parenthesis) in the title, so I can find it more easily! Many thanks!
Last, but urgent related affair:
As AffCom's Staff Liaison Manavpreet Kaur is currently a candidate for the very responsible role of Movement Charter Drafting Committee member, I have asked her about her involvement in AffCom's issues and the possibility for her to "import" the AffCom-like issues to the Movement Charter Drafting Committee [3] [4]. I am sorry for not starting this conversation publicly sooner! (I have checked the candidates too lately and also needed some time to prepare the message, as it must be very precise) I know that such information would be very interesting for many of you and would help you in your voting decision. (In a similar way I wanted to challenge Rosie Stephenson-Goodknight during her candidacy for community elected Board of Trustees seat several months ago, as she in that time was the AffCom's Chair. Unfortunately, I have too lately considered her possible role in AffCom's issues to be potentially significant. Sorry again!)
Best regards!
KuboF Hromoslav (Michal Matúšov)