Hello Jack,
It is always good to hear from you. But why is this note coming from you and not from one of the AffCom members? This feels like a moment where we need the committee's core skill: clear, consistent cross-cultural communication.
To limit the sense of discouragement that DerHexer expressed, it might help to take this moment to highlight that there is more than one way to do things. E.g. (off the cuff, please edit for precision):
* Local initiatives can always be supported via i. direct support to individuals, ii. bilateral support from other affiliates, and iii. regional hubs where they exist. * For would-be affiliates: it often took 6 months to apply and get recognition under the previous process; while there is no guarantee of how affiliation processes will change, any group not yet formed would be well advised to spend a few months doing what any active WikiProject does: signing up interest, organizing themselves, and summarizing recent collective work and ongoing projects in an initial report.
Cordially, SJ
On Wed, Aug 20, 2025 at 2:41 PM Jack Glover xeno@wikimedia.org wrote:
Dear all,
I am writing to share an update regarding the process for the recognition of new Wikimedia affiliates. My name is Jack Glover and I am on the Committee Support team that helps facilitate the collaborative work between the Wikimedia Foundation and Affiliations Committee.
Today I am sharing that as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen movement governance and improve affiliate support, the Wikimedia Foundation recommended, and the Affiliations Committee (AffCom), after careful evaluation and discussions, have agreed to pause the recognition of new User Groups, Chapters, and Thematic Organizations until March 31, 2026.
This pause is intended to ensure AffCom can confidently recommend new affiliates in alignment with the evolving strategy to strengthen the ecosystem of movement organizations. It also allows time to incorporate planned conversations and feedback from Towards a Healthy Ecosystem of Wikimedia Organizations https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Towards_a_Healthy_Ecosystem_of_Wikimedia_Organizations, which recommends reviewing whether current affiliate recognition criteria https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_user_groups/Requirements reflect the movement’s present needs. This pause will create space to establish clearer and more consistent processes, criteria, and expectations for recognition, helping avoid decisions that might need to be revisited once future recognition approaches are finalized.
Until March 31, 2026:
The Wikimedia Foundation will pause the signing of new affiliate agreements.
The affiliate recognition applications currently in progress will be put on hold pending necessary updates.
Existing agreements or those already in the process of being signed are not affected by this pause.
New applications will not be reviewed until the recognition pause is lifted.
We understand that this news may impact the long-term planning of some groups planning to seek recognition as a Wikimedia affiliate. It is not intended to diminish the importance of the work or the value they bring to the Wikimedia ecosystem. We encourage these groups to continue their activities and to engage in shaping the future of the movement. Over the past year, AffCom has been working on three strategic priorities https://diff.wikimedia.org/2025/02/10/shaping-the-future-insights-from-the-affiliations-committee-strategy-retreat-2024/: capacity building, conflict management, and the affiliate model. For more information, AffCom recently published a Diff post https://diff.wikimedia.org/2025/08/06/wikimania-2025-brings-affiliate-strategy-recommendations-into-focus/ and hosted a session at Wikimania https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/talk/wikimania2025/talk/89VPJJ/ (YouTube recording https://www.youtube.com/live/-kU4brAaXO8?t=23173s) where the committee shared updates on the strategic work underway. Groups may also request a meeting with AffCom https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Affiliations_Committee#contact-us to discuss their work and aspirations.
All the best,
Jack Glover / User:Xeno (WMF)
Senior Committee Support Manager
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