[Foundation-l] Draft charter of the Wikimedia Chapters Association

[Nathan]

So a group of chapters, reacting against a perceived effort to centralize
the movement, create a brand new central body with an extensive (and
apparently, expensive) bureaucracy? Are there really a lot of people that
think this is a good idea?


On Sun, Mar 18, 2012 at 3:30 PM, Ziko van Dijk <vandijk at wmnederland.nl>wrote:

> Dear friends,
>
> After weeks of full work, this is the draft charter that has been
> worked on. I copy for you here the introduction and the link to meta.
>
> If you have questions about it, you may put them on the talk page or
> send them to me.
>
> Kind regards
> Ziko
>
>
> In February 2012, in Paris, Chapter representants agreed on creating a
> new organization. As there was no person or group assigned to write a
> draft charter, finally, after having talked to some people on general
> questions, I took the task on me. Subsequently I presented this page
> (March 7th) which was very much altered in the meanwhile.
>
> I have tried to integrate Paris texts, parts from the models B and
> KISS, and I have contacted a lot of the people who are going to Berlin
> (end of March; alas I did not find all e-mails but I believed I
> contacted every participating chapter). There were some phone calls
> and chats e.g. with Sebastian Moleski. There is also another draft, by
> Tango, which I (and others) have read carefully.
>
> Now we nearly arrived March 18th, on which, according to the timeline,
> a draft charter is supposed to be ready. Whatever that means, I would
> like to call the draft provisorily ready (there will be certainly
> changes, especially for the final incorporation) and invite people
> again to read.
> ...
>
> The idea is to have an organization with a kind of parliament
> (Council) and a kind of government (Secretariat). A Judicial Board has
> the task to arbitrate in severe cases of conflict; this could have
> been a simple Council committee, but for general reasons a seperate
> organ is better: the Council or Council members could be part of a
> conflict. We hope that the Judicial Board will have nothing to do.
>
> Normally, the members of the organs are elected for a certain term.
> This is important to give them a certain independence. There must be a
> relationship between work, responsibility and the right to make
> decisions. But if there is a severe problem, then the Council can
> dismiss people (by a 2/3 majority).
>
> There was a lenghy discussion on several levels about the position of
> the Council members, the Representatives. Now, according to the
> general principle, the Representative has a fixed term and can be
> dismissed in certain cases. But the Representative can have a position
> in a chapter (in contrary to a former model).
>
> Maybe the most important question to be answered: If a chapter joins,
> what are the consequences and obligations? First of all: A chapter
> joins only if it wants to, it does not become a member automatically.
> A chapter agrees to elect a Representative and pay an annual
> contribution. Later in the year 2012, there will be a budget.
> Possibly, the chapters will have to pay some % of their annual chapter
> budget. Of course the Wikimedia Chapters Association will consider the
> financial possibilities of the chapters.
>
> Why is it good for a chapter to join? The Association will support the
> chapters and represent their interests. A lot of international
> coordination work, that now has to be done by chapter boards, will be
> done (or supported by) the organs of the Association. Even if a
> chapter is already big and mature - it is good for every chapter to
> belong to a big family of well organized chapters.
>
>
> http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Chapters_Council/Draft_charter_of_the_Wikimedia_Chapters_Association
> --
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> Vereniging Wikimedia Nederland
> dr. Ziko van Dijk, voorzitter
> http://wmnederland.nl/
>
> Wikimedia Nederland
> Postbus 167
> 3500 AD Utrecht
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>
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