[Foundation-l] What 'movement role' for Esperanto?

[Ziko van Dijk]

Dear all,

Here a little contribution to the discussion about new organizations
for the Wikimedia movement. As far as I know, at this point there are
not many groups who consider seriously about becoming such a new
organization. Sometimes people mention the Esperanto Wikipedians
because they cannot form a territorial chapter.

I have thought through how the new organizations of the Wikimedia
movement could translate to the Esperanto movement. The Esperanto
Wikipedia is not one of the smallest. For about 50-100 speakers of
Esperanto contribute to Esperanto Wikipedia on a fairly regular basis.

== Esperanto associations ==
For speakers of Esperanto, also called Esperantists, it is not unusual
to be a member of an Esperanto association. The [[World Esperanto
Association]] has individual members but is also a federation of the
national Esperanto organizations.

Besides that, there are specialist organizations; eight of them are
politically and religiously neutral and well organized, they are
affiliated to the Word Esperanto Association in more or less the same
way as the national organizations. Other specialist organizations are
not affiliated because they are not neutral or find it too much work
to join. They have signed a contract of collaboration with the World
Esperanto Association.

== Esperanto associations and Wikipedia ==

There is a („other“) specialist organization of Esperantists occupied
with the internet and education, called [[E at I]] (pronunciation: Eh –
cheh – Ee). When an Esperantist-Wikipedian wants to do something about
Wikipedia it is natural to approach E at I. But also the national
associations and the World Esperanto Association are sympathetic to
Wikipedia and like to have Wikipedia lessons at an convention, for
example.

In 2008 the Esperanto Wikipedians wanted to have a flyer for the
promotion of Wikipedia among Esperantists. I then approached the
Wikimedia Foundation directly for the use of the logos, and collected
some money from the World Esperanto Association and the European
Esperanto Association. At the World Congress of Esperanto in that
year, all of the 2000 participants had that flyer in their goodie bag,
and we were given a room for a lecture on Wikipedia.

In 2011, the Czech Esperanto Association hosted a Wikipedia convention
in the Czech Republic, with an international character as usual in the
Esperanto movement. It would have been better visited, possibly, if
travel expenses could have been reimbursed. This is actually less
usual in the Esperanto movement but would be very welcome. Esperanto
speakers are often multiplicators (like teachers, artists, socially
active people). So supporting them is well invested energy.

== What movement role for Esperanto? ==

So what can the new kinds of Wikimedia organizations, discussed about
under the expression „movement roles“, mean for Esperanto? Actually
the Esperantists could become an affiliated in all of the three new
kinds:

* A thematic organization: E at I, or a newly founded organization, could
become a thematic organization of Wikimedia with similar rights and
duties as the territorial chapters.

* A Wikimedia group: E at I or even just a number of Esperantists listed
on Esperanto Wikipedia could form a Wikimedia group. It could get the
right to use the logo without especially asking WMF for permission,
and ask some money from WMF for a flyer or similar expenses.

* An Official Partner of Wikimedia: E at I or the World Esperanto
Association could become a partner.

I have talked to some Esperanto Wikipedians, some are enthusiast about
a thematic organization, others not. One important question is how
much (extra) work being a Wikimedia affiliate would cost.

Kind regards
Ziko