ESEAP Hub Charter

Bylaws

Chapter 1 General Provisions

Article 1.1

Preamble

1. ESEAP is a hub structure to foster the endeavors of Wikimedia chapters, user groups, thematic organizations and active contributors in East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Region (ESEAP).
2. As a sum greater than its parts, ESEAP serves as a platform to share knowledge and resources both material and human; to create opportunities for cooperation in the region; and collectively empowered, to reach out and collaborate with hubs in other regions.

Article 1.2

The mission of ESEAP:

1. To support the projects and relevant business of its constituents.
2. To connect its stakeholders, and help align their values with the values of Wikimedia’s movement strategy.
3. To bring impact and hasten the skills, abilities, and resources of its constituents.
4. To represent the region in the Global Movement.

Article 1.3

Regional scope:

1. The service scope of ESEAP as a hub includes Wikimedia affiliates and informal communities of Wikimedians from Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Fiji, FS of Micronesia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Korea, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam,
2. and other countries so identified by its Council.

Article 1.4

The governance bodies of the ESEAP Hub, its Congress and Council, are responsible for implementing the Hub's mission. Henceforth its composition should remain diverse, open and equitable, representative of all ethnicities within its regional scope.

Chapter 2 Stakeholders

Article 2.1

Stakeholders are units that act on behalf of the entire ESEAP Hub in exercising fundamental rights.

Article 2.2

"ESEAP Stakeholders" are organizations and individuals from the ESEAP region:

1. Affiliates: Wikimedia chapters, user groups and thematic organizations recognized by Wikimedia’s Affiliations Committee.
2. Wikimedia core free-knowledge projects: Recognized administrators, subjected to Article 2.3, of Wikimedia core free-knowledge projects.
3. Unaffiliated thematic communities with its own unduplicated tangible programs and recommended by an affiliate within the most recent calendar year.
4. Outstanding individual ESEAP contributors: Any other individuals, subjected to Article 2.3, who are recognized for their outstanding contributions to the ESEAP Hub and the Wikimedia Movement at large; and/or do not belong to the above three categories.

Article 2.3

"Individuals from the ESEAP region" are any individuals who have been attested by at least two ESEAP Congress members in relation to their connection the ESEAP region.

Article 2.4

Nominations of stakeholders representing language projects and validated thematic communities should be acknowledged by the Council at least 3 months prior to the ESEAP Congress election. The Council should confirm and publish the list of stakeholders one month prior to the election on Meta-Wiki. The registration process is formulated by the Council.

Chapter 3 Organization, Function and Authority

Article 3.1

Functions and authority of the Congress:

1. To elect and recall council members.
2. To author and amend the Articles of the Bylaws.
3. To decide the resignation of Council members.
4. To decide the annual project plan, report, budget, and final audit proposed by the Council.
5. To decide the dissolution of ESEAP Hub.
6. To decide on such other matters as deemed important for the ESEAP Hub.

Article 3.2

Members of the ESEAP Congress are composed of affiliates seats and open Individual seats.

"Affiliates seats" are appointed by recognized affiliates, wherein each affiliate has 1 seat.

"Eligible affiliates" are those recognized by the Wikimedia Affiliations Committee.

"Open individual seats" are elected by the stakeholders at large with the number of seats being equal to the number of affiliates seats minus 1 at the time of Congress elections.

Article 3.3

Term of the ESEAP Congress members is 2 years. Beginning on the 1st of the month following the open seat election.

The Congress members shall be accountable to the ESEAP community at large.

Article 3.4

ESEAP affiliates should publish and announce their representative 15 days prior to their nomination to the ESEAP Congress.

Individuals not currently an officer, representative or organizer of an ESEAP affiliate in the preceding year, may self-nominate for an Open individual seat in the ESEAP Congress.

The election process for seats in the ESEAP Congress shall be published and announced by the ESEAP Council.

Article 3.5

An ESEAP Congress member shall be discharged from its position in the event of one of the following:

1. Self-resign.
2. The affiliate it represents changes their representative.
3. Disqualification by Wikimedia’s Trust and Safety Committee or an equivalent decision arbitrated by the Foundation.
4. Declared missing, deceased, or incapacitated by any sovereign government.

Article 3.6

The ESEAP Council

1. The Council shall consist of 9 seats.
2. Its members shall consist of Open individual seats no less than 1/3 of its composition and Affiliate seats no less than 1/3 of its composition. The remaining seats may be drawn freely from the Congress.
3. Members of the Council are elected from among the ESEAP Congress members; and shall remain members of the Congress.

Article 3.7

Roles and responsibilities of the ESEAP Council:

1. To author the hub’s annual plan, to budget, and to report subject to audit by the Foundation. All proposals, plans and reports made by the Council should be approved by the ESEAP Congress before submission to the Wikimedia Foundation.
2. To manage its cooperation with other Wikimedia hubs, affiliates, communities, and authorized proxy organizations.
3. To set the direction of the Hub thru crafting policies and guidelines for its stakeholders.
4. To elect and recall the Chairperson.
5. To consider the resignation of the Chairperson.
6. To invite and discharge advisors

Article 3.8

The term of Council members is equal to Congress members.

Article 3.9

Rules of the election of Council members shall be formulated by the Congress.

Article 3.10

A Council member shall be discharged from its position in the event of one of the following:

1. Self-resignation.
2. Affiliates change their representative.
3. Global ban by Wikimedia, or indefinite block by two Wikimedia projects (Indefinite block requested by oneself is not included).
4. Absent from more than 3 Council meetings without an approved leave of absence.
5. Be recalled by Congress.
6. Declared missing, deceased, or incapacitated by any sovereign government.

Chapter 4 Meetings

Article 4.1

The Regular Congress Meeting shall be convened during the annual ESEAP conference.

If a scheduled ESEAP Conference is canceled or to be held later than June 1st, a Regular Congress Meeting can be convened on any date between February 1 and May 31, as decided by the Congress.

The ESEAP Congress shall decide the date of the ESEAP conference.

Article 4.2

The special meetings shall be promptly called and convened if and when:

1. considered necessary by the Council;
2. requested by more than 1/3 (one-third, 33%) of the total numbers of Congress;
3. requested by more than 1/2 (one-half, 50%) of the total representatives of affiliates;
4. requested by the Board of Trustees of Wikimedia Foundation.

Article 4.3

Resolutions enacted by the ESEAP Congress shall require a quorum of no less than 1/2 of the total members;

and shall be adopted upon approval by the majority of the members present.

Decisions and amendments of the Articles herein, discharge of a Council member, the disposition of property, the dissolution of the ESEAP Hub itself, and other such as matters as deemed vital and critical shall be adopted with the approval of 2/3 of the total Congress members.

Article 4.4

Regular ESEAP Council meetings shall be convened monthly.

Article 4.5

Special Council Meetings shall be promptly called and convened when

1. requested by more than 1/3 of the total number of Council members;
2. requested by the Chairperson;

Article 4.6

The ESEAP Council can invite a maximum of 3 unpaid advisors into their meetings, including 1 from the Wikimedia Foundation.

The Council shall declare the advisors attending their meetings to the public in an appropriate venue.

Chapter 5 Financial

Article 5.1

The fiscal year of ESEAP Hub is set according to the calendar year, from January 1 to December 31.

Article 5.2

The following constitute the funding sources of

1. Grants from Wikimedia Foundation;
2. Donations from Wikimedia affiliates in ESEAP region;
3. Operating income;
4. Savings, reserve, sinking or any other long-term funds and their interest;
5. Other incomes.

Donations from sources external to the Wikimedia Foundation shall be vetted by the Council and the Foundation shall be notified. The review guidelines are to be determined by the Council.

Article 5.3

The following financial statements should be submitted 1 month after the end of the fiscal year:

1. Fiscal expenses and receipts;
2. Balance Sheet;
3. Statement of Cash Flows
4. Asset catelog;

All financial statements should be certified by an accountant and approved by the Congress.

Article 5.4

If the ESEAP Hub should be dissolved for any reason, the residual assets shall be returned to the Wikimedia Foundation in principle. However, local regulations may take precedence on the disbursement of residual funds and assets.

Chapter 6 Appendix

Article 6.1

The Articles herein shall take effect after being adopted by the Congress. Subsequent amendment to these Articles shall be effected in the same manner.

Article 6.2

The Articles herein will need to be approved by the ESEAP Hub First Congress Meeting.

Signed off by the ESEAP Preparatory Council

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