Dear Wikimedians of Sri Lanka,
As you may already know, the 2021 Board of Trustees elections are from 4
August 2021 to 17 August 2021. Members of the Wikimedia community have the
opportunity to elect four candidates to a three-year term.
After a three-week-long Call for Candidates, there are 20 candidates for
the 2021 election
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:WMF_elections_candidate/2021/candi…>.
This event is for community members of South Asian and ESEAP communities to
know the candidates and interact with them.
The event will be on 31 July 2021 (Saturday) from 4 pm to 6:30 pm (Sri
Lankan time).
For registration and other details, please visit the event page at
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2021/Meeting…
Let me know if you have any questions. Please share this in your
communities.
--
Krishna Chaitanya Velaga (he/him)
Movement Strategy and Governance, Wikimedia Foundation
Dear Wikimedians of Sri Lanka,
The 2021 Board of Trustees election opens on 4 August 2021. Candidates from
the community were asked to submit their candidacy. After a three-week-long
Call for Candidates, there are 20 candidates for the 2021 election
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_ele…>
.
The Wikimedia movement has the opportunity to vote for the selection of
community and affiliate trustees. The Board is expected to afterwards
select the four most-voted candidates to serve as trustees, starting in
September, for a term of three years.
How can you get involved?
*Learn more about the candidates*
Candidates from across the movement have submitted their candidatures
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_ele…>.
Learn about each candidate to inform your vote. The community submitted
questions for the candidates to answer during the campaign. Candidates will
answer the list of community questions
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_ele…>
collated
by the Elections Committee on Meta. In the coming weeks, candidates will
have the opportunity to submit videos of themselves speaking about their
candidacies.
*Participate in campaign activities*
The team of facilitators supporting this Board election has planned some
activities for the campaign period. These activities can be found on the Board
election page on Meta
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_ele…>.
Community members are encouraged to organize activities in their own
communities. We do ask that any activities intended to involve candidates
remain respectful of their time since candidacy can be very time-consuming.
Please list activities you organize on the Board election page
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_ele…>
on
Meta so that more people can find them. Facilitators
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_ele…>
and Election Volunteers
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_ele…>
are
available if you need support.
- There is a meetup being planned for community members from or
associated with South Asia, to interact with the candidates, on 30 July and
1 August. More details on that will be shared next week.
Please spread the word so that more people can support finding the best
candidates to help guide the Wikimedia Foundation and support the needs of
the movement over the next few years.
--
Krishna Chaitanya Velaga (he/him)
Board Governance Facilitator, Wikimedia Foundation
Dear Wikimedians of Sri Lanka,
As you may already know, *Movement Charter* is a key priority of Movement
Strategy. The Movement Charter will be a document defining roles and
responsibilities for all the members and entities of the Wikimedia
Movement, including laying out a new Global Council for movement
governance. A broad ratification process is expected for its adoption. One
of the first steps in the process is to constitute a *Movement Charter
drafting committee*.
To gather inputs from community members regarding forming this
committee, a *regional
event* is being organized on *25 June 2021 (Friday) from 6:30 pm to 8 pm
(Sri Lankan time)*. This event is a part of several regional conversations
that will lead up to the global conversations.
The discussion will mainly be focused on the following questions:
- What composition should the committee have in terms of movement roles,
gender, regions, affiliations and other diversity factors?
- What is the best process to select the committee members to form a
competent and diverse team?
- How much dedication is it reasonable to expect from committee members,
in terms of hours per week and months of work?
You can join the meeting at: https://meet.google.com/sef-gwes-imx
Note: You may also send in your responses to the above questions via email
if you prefer it that way.
Thank you
--
Krishna Chaitanya Velaga (he/him)
Board Governance Facilitator, Wikimedia Foundation
Dear Wikimedians of Sri Lanka,
As you may be aware, the Wikimedia Foundation has started elections[1] for
community seats on the Board of Trustees. While previously there were three
community seats on the Board, with the expansion of the Board to sixteen
seats last year, community seats have been increased to eight, four of
which are up for election this year.
In the last fifteen years of the Board's history, there were only a few
candidates from the South Asian region who participated in the elections,
and hardly anyone from the community had a chance to serve on the Board.
While there are several reasons for this, this time, the Board and WMF are
very keen on encouraging and providing support to potential candidates from
historically underrepresented regions. This is a good chance to change the
historical problem of representation from the South Asian region in
high-level governance structures.
Ten days after the call for candidates began, there aren't any candidates
from South Asia yet[1], there are still 10 days left! I would like to ask
community members to encourage other community members, whom you think
would be potential candidates for the Board. While the final decision is
completely up to the person, it can be helpful to make sure that they are
aware of the election and the call for candidates.
Let me know if you need any information or support.
Best
--
Krishna Chaitanya Velaga (he/him)
Board Governance Facilitator, Wikimedia Foundation
[1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2021
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2021/Candida…>
[2]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2021/Candida…
Hello all,
The 2021 Board of Trustees election[1] is coming soon. Candidates from the
community are needed to fill the available seats.
The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees oversees the Wikimedia
Foundation's operations. Community trustees and appointed trustees make up
the Board of Trustees. Each trustee serves a three-year term. The Wikimedia
community has the opportunity to vote for community trustees.
Wikimedia contributors will vote to fill four seats on the Board in 2021.
This is an opportunity to improve the Board's representation, diversity,
and expertise as a team.
For potential candidates:
- *Traits:* Wikimedia is a global movement and seeks candidates from the
broader community. Candidates should think about what experiences and
perspectives they will bring to the Board. Ideal candidates align with the
Wikimedia mission and are thoughtful, respectful, and community-oriented.
The Board would like to find perspectives and voices that are
under-represented and essential for our movement. They should bring what
Wikimedia needs from a new Trustee.
- *Commitment: *Trustees serve a three-year term and can serve up to
three consecutive terms. The time commitment is about 150 hours per year,
excluding travel. This time is not evenly spread throughout the year. The
time is concentrated around meetings. The expectation is that Trustees
serve on at least one of the Board’s committees.
- *Requirements*[2]: English is the language of business for the Board.
Candidates need a basic understanding of English, but support and training
are part of onboarding. Candidate applications will be translated into
several languages to reach a broad audience of voters.
- *Apply*[3]: Candidates from all projects and communities who meet the
needs of Wikimedia Trustee are welcome. If you know someone who could be a
good trustee, encourage them to run for election. Candidates can find
information and submit their nomination on the Apply to be a Candidate page.
- *Resources*[4]: A toolkit has been developed for community members who
are considering submitting their candidacy for the Wikimedia Foundation
Board of Trustees, and who want to better understand what to expect and how
to prepare for the role.
Thank you for your support,
The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_ele…
[2]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_ele…
[3]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2021/Apply_t…
[4]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/Candidate_Re…
--
Krishna Chaitanya Velaga (he/him)
Board Governance Facilitator, Wikimedia Foundation
Hello all,
The 2021 Board of Trustees election[1] is coming soon. Candidates from the
community are needed to fill the available seats.
The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees oversees the Wikimedia
Foundation's operations. Community trustees and appointed trustees make up
the Board of Trustees. Each trustee serves a three-year term. The Wikimedia
community has the opportunity to vote for community trustees.
Wikimedia contributors will vote to fill four seats on the Board in 2021.
This is an opportunity to improve the representation, diversity, and
expertise of the Board as a team.
For potential candidates:
- *Traits:* Wikimedia is a global movement and seeks candidates from the
broader community. Candidates should think about what experiences and
perspectives they will bring to the Board. Ideal candidates align with the
Wikimedia mission and are thoughtful, respectful, and community-oriented.
The Board would like to find perspectives and voices that are
under-represented and essential for our movement. They should bring what
Wikimedia needs from a new Trustee.
- *Commitment: *Trustees serve a three-year term and can serve up to
three consecutive terms. The time commitment is about 150 hours per year,
excluding travel. This time is not evenly spread throughout the year. The
time is concentrated around meetings. The expectation is that Trustees
serve on at least one of the Board’s committees.
- *Requirements*[2]: English is the language of business for the Board.
Candidates need a basic understanding of English, but support and training
are part of onboarding. Candidate applications will be translated into
several languages to reach a broad audience of voters.
- *Apply*[3]: Candidates from all projects and communities who meet the
needs of Wikimedia Trustee are welcome. If you know someone who could be a
good trustee, encourage them to run for election. Candidates can find
information and submit their nomination on the Apply to be a Candidate page.
- *Resources*[4]: A toolkit has been developed for community members who
are considering submitting their candidacy for the Wikimedia Foundation
Board of Trustees, and who want to better understand what to expect and how
to prepare for the role.
Thank you for your support,
The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_ele…
[2]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_ele…
[3]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2021/Apply_t…
[4]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/Candidate_Re…
--
Krishna Chaitanya Velaga (he/him)
Board Governance Facilitator, Wikimedia Foundation
Dear Rehman (User:Rehman),
We are inviting the Wikimedia Community User Group Sri Lanka to participate
in *Wikipedia Pages Wanting Photos 2021
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_Pages_Wanting_Photos_2021>*, a
global contest scheduled to run from July first through August 31, 2021:
Participants will choose among Wikipedia pages without photo images, then
add a suitable file from among the many thousands of photos in the
Wikimedia Commons, especially those uploaded from thematic contests (Wiki
Loves Africa, Wiki Loves Earth, Wiki Loves Folklore, etc.) over the years.
In its first year (2020), 36 Wikimedia communities in 27 countries joined
the campaign. Events relating to the campaign included training organized
by at least 18 Wikimedia communities in 14 countries.
The campaign resulted in the addition of media files (photos, audios and
videos) to more than 90,000 Wikipedia articles in 272 languages.
Wikipedia Pages Wanting Photos (WPWP) offers an ideal task for recruiting
and guiding new editors through the steps of adding content to existing
pages. Besides individual participation, the WPWP campaign can be used by
user groups and chapters to organize editing workshops and edit-a-thons.
The organizing team is looking for a contact person to coordinate WPWP
participation at the Wikimedia user group or chapter level (geographically
or thematically) or for a language WP. We’d be glad for you to reply to
this email, or sign up directly at WPWP Participating Communities
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_Pages_Wanting_Photos_2021/Partici…>
.
Thank you,
Deborah Schwartz Jacobs (User:Deborahjay / debjay.wpwp(a)gmail.com)
Communities liaison coordinator
Wikipedia Pages Wanting Photos campaign
<http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…>
Virus-free.
www.avg.com
<http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…>
Hello, everyone.
TLDR:
The Board of Trustees’ Community Affairs Committee
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Comm…>
(CAC) is hosting its first office hour on May 13, 2021, at 19:00 UTC (check
for your local time <https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1620928828>)!
Now in more details:
What are we announcing?
The CAC is a new Board of Trustees
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees>
committee established to assess, explore and address current and future
community-related efforts. The Committee's Charter
<https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Community_Affairs_Committee_Charter>
lists its full responsibilities, with the first 3 being a priority for this
coming year.
As part of our commitment to foster better communications with the
Wikimedia Movement Community, and based on feedback received from community
members requesting more availability from the Board of Trustees, the CAC
will be hosting its first Office hours.
When & Where?
The Office hours will be held on May 13 2021, at 19:00 UTC (check for your
local time <https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1620928828>) via Zoom. At least
3 Trustees, as well as relevant WMF staff, will be in attendance. The
session will be streamed live and recorded, so those who cannot participate
live will be able to watch later.
How will it work?
The meeting will last for 60 minutes and an additional 30 minutes of an
“open room”. The first 60 minutes will be divided into 45 minutes of
structured Q & A (based on either update from the CAC and questions sent by
the community in advance). The final 15 minutes will be in the “ask us
anything” format, with live participation. We will be monitoring live
YouTube, Wikipedia Weekly Facebook group
<https://www.facebook.com/groups/553393111375191> and the Wikimedia General
Chat Telegram group <https://t.me/WikimediaGeneral> and the talk page on
Meta
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Comm…>.
The structure is meant to enable the CAC to not only update the community
on current matters the Board is working on, but also hear directly from the
community, which will help inform the Committee’s future work.
Setting the agenda with your Questions
In order to be as efficient as possible, and since we anticipate that some
questions will require answers from WMF Staff, we are encouraging community
members to send questions in advance. Please send all questions to
askcac(a)wikimedia.org, by Friday, May 7th (midnight, whatever time zone you
may be in). The office hour agenda will be based on the main topics related
to the questions received. We will share this agenda on Meta
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Community_Affairs_Comm…>
on May 12, including the final names of Trustees in attendance.
How to register?
For security reasons and specifically to avoid Zoombombing
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoombombing>, we will be sending the Zoom
link only to people who have registered in advance close to the meeting. In
order to register, please send an email to askcac(a)wikimedia.org, indicating
your name, username, affiliation if you have any. The title should be:
“Registration for the May 13th CAC Office Hours”.
Please note --
-
This is the first time that the Board is attempting something of the
sort. This is an experiment. We’ll see how it goes - how many people are
interested in attending, timing, translation needs etc -- and make
decisions about future meetings / changes to format accordingly.
-
The session will be moderated based on the Universal Code of Conduct
<https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct>
-
Universally blocked users will not be allowed in the room, but can still
participate by watching live and sending questions in real-time.
Please help us spread the word by sharing this message with your
local/online communities.
Hoping to see as many of you as possible,
Krishna Chaitanya
Dear Wikimedians of Sri Lanka,
The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees met last week to decide on a
plan for the 2021 Board elections. The Board Governance Committee created a
proposal based on the report of Call for Feedback about Community Board
Seats
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Boa…>[1].
The
full proposal
<https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/8/83/BGC_Community_Truste…>[2]
is available on Foundation Wiki. The Board wants to thank the more than 800
volunteers that participated in the Call for Feedback in one way or
another. It has been very difficult to decide on every open question
considering the quantity and diversity of opinions received. We hope this
resolution feels sensible to everybody.
The summary of the proposal is as follows:
1. The Board drafts a call for candidates that includes details about
the skills and experience that are currently represented on the Board
(excluding trustees whose terms are expiring) and that the Board would like
the selected trustees to have.
2. The Foundation devotes resources to informing communities of the
trustee selection process and encouraging people from emerging and
underrepresented communities to run as candidates.
3. As part of their self-nomination process, candidates fill out the
trustee evaluation form.
4. The Foundation continues to devote resources to invite communities to
participate in the selection process by engaging candidates during the
campaign period and by voting.
5. Community members vote and their votes are counted using a *proportional
voting system* chosen by the Elections Committee.
6. The Foundation conducts the usual vetting of the selected candidates
(background check and communications review).
7. The Board appoints the selected candidates for whom the vetting
process did not reveal any significant issues.
This proposal does not suggest implementing quotas or hard requirements for
candidate skills or experience for the 2021 round of community trustee
selection. Instead, it relies on the more detailed information from the
Board in the call for feedback, the community outreach efforts, and the
proportional voting system to meet the Board’s needs in terms of skills and
diversity. However, it also contemplates potentially adding or changing
elements to the process for future rounds of trustee selection, based on an
assessment of the effectiveness this first time.
The draft timeline is as follows:
1. April 15: Board meets to consider and approve this proposal
2. April - May: Elections Committee and staff plan the details of the
selection process
3. June 1-2: Board meets and approves the call for candidates
4. June 8 - 29: Call for candidates; candidate outreach
5. June 29 - July 20: Candidates campaign and answer questions;
community outreach
6. July 20 - August 3: Voting; community outreach
7. August 3 - 10: Vote counting and processing
8. August 10 - 24: Foundation vetting of selected candidates
9. August / September: Board appoints selected candidates
Please go through the full proposal[2] for further details, and let me know
if you have any questions. In the upcoming days, the Board elections
facilitation team will share their ideas to support candidates and voters.
Best,
Krishna Chaitanya
[1] Call for Feedback report:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Foundation_Boa…
[2] Full proposal:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/8/83/BGC_Community_Truste…
Dear Wikimedians,
The Community Resilience & Sustainability
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Community_Resilience_and_Sustainability>
team at the Wikimedia Foundation is hosting a new office hour led by its
Vice President Maggie Dennis
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Mdennis_(WMF)>. Topics within scope
for this call include Movement Strategy coordination (recently transferred
to CR&S), Trust and Safety (and the Universal Code of Conduct), Community
Development, and Human Rights. Come with your questions or feedback, and
let’s talk! You can also send us your questions in advance in any language.
The meeting will be on April 17 (Saturday) at 15:00 UTC (check your local
time <https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1618671635>).
You can check all the details on Meta
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/IRC_office_hours/Office_hours_2020-04-17>. If
you want to participate verbally from the Zoom call, please ask for the
link at answers(a)wikimedia.org, at least an hour in advance of the meeting's
start (please use "Office hour" as the subject line).
Regards,
Krishna Chaitanya