[Foundation-l] Concern for the safety of Wikimedians at Wikimania in Alex...

[Gerard Meijssen]

Hoi,
Safety as an absolute does not exist. Consequently safety is never
guaranteed. It is nice that you want all the Wikimedians to be safe but the
best you can do both as an organisation and as an individual is do an risk
analysis and then risk mitigation. Consequently the notion of the bubble and
the security in numbers is of relevance because it explains how risk
mitigation is likely to happen. When a terrorist blows himself to heaven the
bubble is burst. This however is a risk that can happen everywhere.

I have been trained to do particular types of risk assessment. The
observation of the behaviour of people at Wikimanias past leads me to
conclude that the risk to individual participants is limited relative to the
similar people being on their own in the same environment.

There are always people who are of the opinion that a particular place
should not be considered for whatever is their interest. The notion to
exclude fortress USA or fortress Europe because of the problems with visa
for Wikimedians from many countries is certainly as genuine as the notion to
exclude Egypt because of one Israeli homosexual who was thrown into jail
because he was looking for sexual contacts on the Internet while in Egypt.

In the end the WMF has a mission, it is bringing information to all people
everywhere. Wikimania is a tool in this endeavour. Wikimania cannot be
experienced safely from behind your PC at home. It means that you have to
fly abroad and meet people in person from different countries and cultures.
It is the only way. When you think this is a hazard, you should wear your
tin hat, stay home and wonder why some brave Wikimedians have the courage
that you do not.

You could not be more wrong then to think that I take this issue not
serious. Many of the arguments used basically say "do not go to Alexandria"
and the counter arguments are dismissed as not enough. The WMF has an
obligation to Alexandria. In my opinion there is no way the WMF can
gracefully not have a Wikimania this year. When this years Wikimania does
not happen, it can be safely said that WMF is not the global organisation
then it seems to be.
Thanks,
     GerardM

On Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 8:12 PM, Andrew Whitworth <wknight8111 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> On Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 1:56 PM, Gerard Meijssen
> <gerard.meijssen at gmail.com> wrote:
> >  The notion of me talking about "special interests" is something I
> dismiss.
>
> You said, and I'm quoting:
>
> "My point is not that we should not consider South Africa for next year,
> my
> point is that all places have their issues and once you start to exclude
> countries for what is problematic to some there are few places where we
> can
> have our Wikimania. In pandering to special interests we exclude many
> people
> and countries and that is both a travesty and a tragedy given what we aim
> to
> do."
>
> My interpretation of this is that taking into account things that are
> "problematic to some" involves "pandering to special interests".
> Correct me if my interpretation of this is wrong, and maybe consider
> correcting yourself if you misspoke.
>
> >  I wonder about the ease in which you come to the conclusion that the
> >  organisers do not consider the safety for the people who come to
> Wikimania.
> >  I find this rather disappointing and you are likely to be wrong.
>
> It is with no great ease. I've been patiently watching this thread,
> and many like it, for several days now. Many concerns have been
> brought up by many people, and all of them have been quickly
> dismissed. Florence said that she would bring the issue up at the next
> board meeting, but a plan to try and address it is not the same as
> actually addressing the issue. My primary concern is for the safety my
> fellow Wikimedians, and I want to make damn certain that people are
> taking this issue seriously. A "we can never be completely safe, so
> why bother trying" attitude, and vague warnings about staying with the
> group hardly constitute proper consideration. If you find this concern
> of mine to be "disappointing", then I have nothing further to say to
> you about it.
>
> --Andrew Whitworth
>
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