Dear Telugu Wikimedians,
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,
We hope that you are doing well. We wanted to inform you that A2K has started an internet support program for the Wikimedians in India from 1 June 2021. This will continue till 31 August 2021. It is a part of Project Tiger, this time we have begun with the internet support, writing contest and other things that will follow afterwards.
You can visit the event page ink: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Internet_support_for_Wikimedians_in_India
You may also see the FAQ section: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Internet_support_for_Wikimedians_in_India#F…
For reviewing the applications, there is a committee that will make decisions for the applications. After the committee's response, support will be provided. For more information please visit the event page (linked above). Before applying, please read the criteria and the application procedure. Please go through the page and apply if you find you are eligible for applying. Please also share this information with others as well.
Stay safe, stay connected,
Thanks & Regards,
Jayanta
Dear Wikimedians,
As part of its ongoing program to support Wikimedians in India during the
COVID-19 pandemic, CIS-A2K will provide support with access to counselling
services to community members, in order to address mental health concerns
resulting from the stress and anxiety of coping with the pandemic The A2K
team has collaborated with the Institute of Psychological Health
<https://www.healthymind.org/> to provide the counselling support.
A2K would endeavour to provide support under this component of the
programme as follows :
1) Awareness/Orientation Session on Mental Health and the Pandemic
This session will be organised online and will be open to all Wikimedians
in India looking to understand more about mental health concerns that are
prevalent at the present time, due to pandemic-related anxiety, stress and
trauma. The details of the session will be announced here shortly, with a
link to a separate event page.
2) *Individual *Counselling Sessions
Interested Wikimedians who wish to apply for this support may fill out
this application
form. <https://forms.gle/WXLj2cR4jie6r1pc6>
For more details of this programme, please visit this meta page -
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_support_for_Wikimedians/India/COVI…
With best wishes,
Jayanta
On behalf of A2K team,
Centre for Internet & Society - Access to Knowledge Programme
Hello,
The second session of Stay Safe Stay connected, a lightweight interaction
zone for the Wikimedians in India, will take place on Saturday 5 June 2021
at 5 pm to 6:30 pm IST (11:30 am to 1:00 pm UTC). Please see the event page
here: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Stay_safe,_stay_connected#Session_II
This will be a Wikisource community fraternity meeting where Wikisource
editors can meet and talk to each other. We may speak about the ongoing and
upcoming Wikisource projects, share interesting news and updates around
Wikisource.
Wikisource editors from all around India are expected to be attending the
call. User:VIGNERON, French Wikisource editor, and User:Samwilson, from
English Wikisource, will be attending. If you are a Wikisource editor or
enthusiast, please join this Wikisource community call.
Please fill this short form, if you are interested to attend:
https://forms.gle/e85k84tX4oroKkjx7
For any query, please email wmwm(a)cis-india.org
Stay safe, stay connected.
Regards,
Jayanta
Note:
1) The session will be hosted on Zoom and this session will be recorded.
2) Please feel free to speak in your native language during the call.
That's cool. We'll try to translate.
3) In the open session or during the discussion, you may speak about
your/your community's Wikisource work. If you want to show any page/project
keep the link handy.
Hello,
Hope this email finds you safe in this difficult time. Many people and
Wikimedians have been affected or have suffered a loss. In an effort to
ensure community solidarity where Wikimedians can meet and talk to each
other, we are starting a lightweight interaction zone for the Wikimedians
in India. This interaction zone is named "Stay Safe Stay Connected".
Please see the event page here:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Stay_safe,_stay_connected
The first talk will be on Saturday, 22 May 2021, 7 pm to 8 pm IST (1:30 pm
to 2:30 pm UTC). Asaf Bartov will be the guest of the session. Asaf is a
familiar name and he has been a mentor to many Wikimedians in India. This
will be a lightweight discussion on general Wiki-topic (note the exact
agenda will be updated on the event page before the event)
We invite you to join the first talk. The session will be hosted on Zoom.
Please fill this short form, if you are interested to attend the first
interactive talk on 22 May 2021
https://forms.gle/e85k84tX4oroKkjx7
Please follow the event page for updates. Stay safe, stay connected!
Regards,
Jayanta
Hello Wikimedians,
We are all passing through a very difficult time as the second wave of
COVID-19 has hit hard throughout the country. It is a bitter and hard truth
that many of us have lost our loved ones, close friends, relatives,
neighbours already. Some of us have faced economic difficulties due to loss
of jobs, losses in businesses, huge hospitalization expenses etc.
In the midst of this crisis, a support program has been initiated to
provide some reliefs to our Wikimedia volunteers residing in India. The
program will support the following -
1. Reimbursement of vaccination costs
2. Sending of COVID-19 protection kits
3. Counseling by experts
The support will be provided by CIS-A2K. The vaccination expenses will be
reimbursed as early as April 30, 2021. The COVID-19 protection kits will
get couriered within a week or more, depending on various logistical
factors. The team will try to support the more vulnerable section of the
community first.
Volunteers are requested to fill up this Google Form to request support -
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYcjEeuT7vUxP3NJg7KfIiZaude9IXLyC…
If you do not need this kind of support but you know some volunteers from
your community who are in dire need, you can nominate them too through this
form or mail the support team directly. Affiliate contacts and community
leaders are also kindly requested to help identify the volunteers who need
the support the most.
You can find more details about the support program here -
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_support_for_Wikimedians/India
Please read the FAQ subpage too -
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_support_for_Wikimedians/India/FAQ
The support team would also like to emphasise that,
a) there might be some delay in sending support as there are lockdowns in
different parts of the country and there is scarcity or non-availability of
different items in the market,
b) there might be some unintentional or unexpected errors from the team, as
this is the first time, this kind of support is being set up for Indian
Wikimedia volunteers and the team does not have prior experience to deal
with this kind of global health situation before.
c) the team members are also facing the same critical situation like
everyone else; there are possibilities that they can become sick sooner or
later, which might hamper the support to some extent.
That's why the team would like to request you to understand the limitations
and assume good faith that any failure to serve sometimes would be due to
situations beyond control.
If you want to contact us directly for any questions, concerns,
suggestions, help etc. you can mail us directly at wmwm(a)cis-india.org .
Let's join hands to overcome this situation.
Regards,
Jayanta
On behalf of the COVID-19 support team
Dear Wikimedians,
CIS-A2K is in a process of writing 2021–2022 work-plan. To design the
programs based on the needs of the community and volunteers, we invite your
valuable suggestions and thoughts. We would like to improve our working
continuously taking into consideration the responses/feedback about the
events conducted previously. We request you to go through the various
sections in the form and respond.
Google form link - https://forms.gle/WQ73j4AbjCgwCdEs5
Please write in detail. We would like to discuss over phone/email also if
needed. Contact tito+2020(a)cis-india.org if you have a question(s) or for
further details or detailed comment.
With best wishes,
Jayanta Nath
On behalf -
Centre for Internet & Society's Access to Knowledge Programme (CIS-A2K)
నమస్కారం,
వికీమీడియా ఫౌండేషన్ బోర్డ్ అఫ్ ట్రస్టీస్ వారు ఫిబ్రవరి 1 నుండి మర్చి 14
వరకు, కమ్యూనిటీ ద్వారా ఎన్నుకోబడే బోర్డు స్థానాల కోసం సంప్రదింపులు
జరుపుతున్నారు
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees/Call…>.
దీనికి కారణం; గత పది సంవత్సరాలలో వికీమీడియా ఫౌండేషన్, ప్రాజెక్టులు ఐదు
రెట్లు పెరగగా, బోర్డ్ పనితీరు, ఏర్పాట్లు, ఏమి మారలేదు. ఇప్పుడు ఉన్న విధానాల
ప్రకారం, బోర్డుకు తగినంత సామర్థ్యం, ప్రాతినిధ్యం లేవు. మామూలుగా జరిగే
ఎన్నికలు, బహిర్ముఖులుగా ఉంటూ ఇంగ్లీష్ వికీపీడియా వంటి పెద్ద ప్రాజెక్టులు
లేదా అమెరికా వంటి పాశ్చాత్య దేశాలు నుండి వచ్చేవారికి తోడ్పడుతున్నాయి.
మిగిలిన వారికీ ఎన్ని శక్తిసామర్ధ్యాలు ఉన్నా తగినంత ప్రచారం లేనందు వలన
వారికి ఓటు వేసే వారు తక్కువ మంది. ఉదాహరణకి, వికీమీడియా ఫౌండేషన్ పదిహేను
సంవత్సరాల చరిత్రలో, భారత ఉపఖండం నుండి కేవలం ఒక్కళ్ళు మాత్రమే బోర్డు లో
సేవలు అందించారు. వారు కూడా నిర్దిష్ట నైపుణ్యం కోసం నేరుగా నియమించబడ్డవారే
గాని, ఎన్నుకోబడలేదు.
రానున్న నెలలో, మొత్తం ఆరు కమ్యూనిటీ బోర్డు స్థానాల కోసం ఎన్నికలు జరగాల్సి
ఉంది. ఇప్పుడు జరుగుతున్న సంప్రదింపుల ద్వారా బోర్డు వారు కమ్యూనిటీల నుండి
వారి పద్ధతుల మీద అభిప్రాయం సేకరిస్తున్నారు. ఈ నిమిత్తం తెలుగు కమ్యూనిటీలో
తో మాట్లాడేందుకు ఒక ఆన్లైన్ సమావేశం ఏర్పాటు చేయబడింది. ఇది *ఫిబ్రవరి 6
(శనివారం), 6:00 pm నుండి 7:30 pm వరకు* జరుగుతుంది; పాల్గొనడానికి *గూగుల్
మీట్ లింకు* ఇది https://meet.google.com/oki-espq-kog. దయచేసి సభ్యులందరు
రావాల్సినదిగా కోరుతున్నాను.
- కృష్ణ చైతన్య