[Foundation-l] Partecipation in Wikimania 2011

[Keegan Peterzell]

On Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 9:49 PM, Nathan <nawrich at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 9:18 PM, Osama Khalid <osamak at gnu.org> wrote:
> > My opinion is simple. Israel is not a good place to have such an
> > international event as Wikimania. I wouldn't vote for Israel, Saudi
> > Arabia, Iran, UAE and other countries that are hard for many people to
> > get into. Having such a conversation isn't the point of Wikimania. The
> > fact that a team is amazingly active shouldn't be a reason to make
> > this annual, exciting and useful meeting so complicated and dangerous
> > for so many people.
> >
>
> Several countries have had successful Wikimanias despite fraught
> circumstances, like travel restrictions or geopolitical controversies.
> Countries like Egypt, Taiwan, the United States, Israel, etc.
> shouldn't be banned from hosting the Wikimedia movement because it may
> be difficult for some Wikimedians to attend. No matter where it goes,
> some people will have a hard time getting there. It's just an
> inescapable fact. We shouldn't let "social considerations" (i.e. the
> decision to not recognize Israel as a nation) prevent us from locating
> Wikimania in the country of an active chapter with committed
> organizers.
>
> Nathan
>
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Hm, Nathan, this is a vast mis-characterization and comparison of other
countries' political circumstances and Israel/Muslim issues.  Taiwan might
come slightly close but its political/socio-economic ramifications are
different.  I would hardly characterize the predicament both Jews and
Muslims are in as a "social consideration".  That's like comparing gay
marriage to wearing a hat indoors :)

-- 
~Keegan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Keegan