Movement Charter Ambassadors Program/Karavali Wikimedians Feedback

General Information[edit]

Feedback channels: List of community channels from which the feedback is collected (wikis, social media, live meetings, etc.)
Number of participants: In case known

Inclusivity : Cultural Sensitivity : Recognize the cultural diversity within the Wikimedia Movement and tailor support systems to respect and accommodate the specific needs and challenges faced by volunteers in different regions. Cultural norms and legal frameworks vary widely, so it's important to adapt support mechanisms accordingly.

Safety : Legal Framework : Highlighting the legal framework that supports volunteers in different regions is essential. This could include laws related to privacy, harassment protect volunteers engaging in Wikimedia activities.

In the volunteer section draft, MCDC mentioned only responsibilities without addressing rights. Therefore, it's essential to incorporate the rights of volunteers rights and ensure the safeguarding of these rights.
Volunteer support systems should emphasize the availability and accessibility of support systems for volunteers in regional contexts, including legal assistance, counseling services, and mechanisms for reporting harassment or misconduct. In some regions, legal aid organizations or pro bono legal services might be necessary to assist volunteers facing legal issues related to their Wikimedia activities, whether they arise within or outside the community.
While the draft covers a wide range of topics, some sections could benefit from further clarification, particularly regarding the practical implementation of certain principles. The definition of "voluntary" in regional contexts is essential. Additionally, most of the content references lack live English references, which are necessary for regional contest administration to ensure broader Wikipedia participation.

Affiliates and Hubs: Collaborations enable the sharing of resources, expertise, and best practices, which can strengthen the effectiveness of individual affiliates and hubs. By pooling their knowledge and resources, they can tackle common challenges more effectively and achieve greater impact in advancing the Wikimedia mission, especially in regional contexts, particularly within SAARC.

This collaboration also promotes synergy and innovation within the Wikimedia movement. Through joint projects and initiatives, they can explore new ideas, experiment with different approaches, and develop innovative solutions to address emerging issues. This collaborative spirit fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the community.

Capacity building is another key aspect of Affiliates and Hubs collaborations. By providing training, mentorship, knowledge exchange, and other forms of support, especially in areas like trust safety, legal matters, financial management, and legal support, they help empower community members to take on leadership roles, develop new skills, and contribute more effectively to the Wikimedia projects.

The Global Council (GC) is the representative strategic body of the Wikimedia Movement, empowering community participation in decision-making to guide a coherent and visionary approach to advance free knowledge. However, the structures of GCA and GCB may be more complex and could pose challenges in reaching consensus decisions in a short period. Our community opinion is that for GCB, active representatives nominated by affiliates are required in the short term (1 year), with a maximum of 50 representatives.

The provided glossary is thorough and helpful. However, translating the entire draft into specific regional languages poses a significant challenge. Translation must be carried out word by word, making the task exceedingly difficult, particularly without the aid of translation tools. Despite the mention of technical support for translation, it is unavailable in this instance due to the absence of suitable tools, especially within our community and including in the Tulu language.
We require additional clarification, particularly concerning the identification of external partners. Are they government bodies, NGOs, or local government entities? Additionally, the status of bylaws, MOUs, and fund sharing remains unclear.

It is very challenging to provide references in certain WikiProjects, particularly within English Wikipedia, for regional and cultural content in English. This difficulty may result in volunteers facing blocks, thus demotivating them from further editing and sharing free knowledge with the world. Therefore, it is essential to establish proper mechanisms for resolving issues within the Wikimedia Movement. Regional and cultural content should undergo review by native Wikimedians to ensure compliance with global policies.
A fiscal sponsor is an organization that manages a grant on behalf of a grantee and must be regional to the contest, adhering to the laws of the specific country. Otherwise, if the fiscal sponsor is from another country, it may not be beneficial, and the grantee could face legal hurdles. So please clarify the fiscal sponser in regional contest.