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

[Michael Peel]

Think of this more as the hub of a bicycle wheel with many spokes, rather than a centralised body. A device that makes for quicker progress than walking alone, but isn't a burdensome stone wheel.

Having a lightweight central organisation that can keep an eye on what is going on, that can provide advice, and can fix things when they go wrong is vital. Having a single organisation that everything's centralised into is monolithic, bureaucratic and ineffective in the long run.

Thanks,
Mike

On 18 Mar 2012, at 19:47, Nathan wrote:

> 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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