[Foundation-l] Serbia and Montenegro

[Austin Hair]

On 5/25/06, Robin Shannon <robin.shannon at gmail.com> wrote:
> Well since our projects are language and not country based it surely
> makes some sense to base our bureaucracy on a language basis no?

Chapters exist to facilitate Wikimedia efforts in geographically local
areas, and have nothing at all to do with projects in languages their
members may happen to speak.  They're independent entities with no
place in the "bureaucracy" of actually running the Wikimedia projects.

The organization of a chapter is closely tied to its legal status in
its respective country—its ability to raise funds, organize events,
and generally act as an incorporated entity is based wholly on that
status.  There's no way a transnational organization could operate as
efficiently (if at all) in in carrying out the duties that define a
"local chapter"; that's why they exist in the first place.

Austin