Talk:Movement Charter/Affiliates by Region/Thematic Affiliates

How do we decide?

Pinging @Nattes à chat: here as the only other person who has edited the page but others feel free to chime in!

I just added a link to the information on how the Western and Northern Europe group is deciding. This generally seems fair to me although their deadline for people self-nominating is today, so we might want to extend that by a day or two in case others want to be involved -- although we also need to get groups to vote, and we are coming right up on the deadline. Any thoughts? --LiAnna (Wiki Ed) (talk) 20:02, 30 September 2021 (UTC)

Desire for group decision

As I understand this process, we are seeking an "elector" who will cast a vote which represents group consensus. There is no reason for this decision to be only the electors', right? Could the person in this role organization a group decision then cast the group's vote?

I like the idea of having an online video meeting, perhaps 2, and also watching for online comments. Based on those meeting results the person casts the vote publicly, disclosing how they voted so that it matches what the group wants.

I am an active member in several thematic affiliates, including Wikimedia LGBT+, Wikimedia Medicine, and the Wikimedians in Residence Exchange Network. I know both LiAnna and Natacha, who are the current self nominees. If we could do a public vote based on group discussion then the ballot cast would be the same, and either are suitable for this role. I would support either or both in taking and publishing notes of the group discussion and decision making process.

If I am misunderstanding this role and it is necessarily more personal and requires ongoing detailed decision making, then of course 1-2 one-hour group discussions are not sufficient to support this election, and we actually need to choose a representative. Thoughts from others? What will the selector do? Blue Rasberry (talk) 21:34, 5 October 2021 (UTC)

@Bluerasberry: I understand that these questions are intended for other affiliate members, but feel free to look at my thread below, in case you think that a meeting or other discussion channels may help move this forward --Abbad (WMF) (talk) 12:19, 6 October 2021 (UTC).

Thank you for getting the conversation going, Bluerasberry! I think we need to select one representative who then discusses with the selectors from other regions. But I like the idea of that one selector engaging with others from the Thematic Affiliates who are interested in this process so their voice in the discussions with the other affiliate selectors is one of a group decision making process. Any other thoughts? I am still willing to be that selector from our region, but I'm also happy to participate in a intra-Thematic Affiliates discussion as long as our selector is committed to representing our group's views. --LiAnna (Wiki Ed) (talk) 16:57, 6 October 2021 (UTC)

Foundation not community in design of the selector process

I do not need a response to my comments here.

The Wikimedia Foundation has designed this current Movement Charter drafter selector process to move very quickly with little community notice, and also, the Wikimedia Foundation seems to have spent US$100,000+ in preparing its own staff for this process but so far as I know has not granted any resources to any communities to self-organize discussion on this issue. Resources exist in the Wikimedia Movement to be inclusive of diversity, but for the thematic affiliates part in this election and process, those resources are not available. Consequently, this is likely to be an election and vote which proceeds with whatever mercy the Wikimedia Foundation provides to underrepresented communities.

Communities of volunteers would not have designed the process this way, and the designers of the election have neither sought nor accepted community opinions or feedback in designing this process.

I am grateful to the self-nominated selectors whom I know to be big-hearted Wikimedia community advocates, but I do regret that for such an important election and discussion the participants are necessarily going to be those who already highly active volunteers, along with those whom the Wikimedia Foundation decides to invite without community consultation. Blue Rasberry (talk) 21:36, 5 October 2021 (UTC)

Telegram group + potential meeting

I've just sent a reminder email to the contacts persons of thematic affiliates, with the notice that a decision should be made by 10 October. I included in the email two suggestions that I'd like to cross-share here:

1. Telegram group: There's now a Telegram group for quicker and casual communication between the members of thematic affiliates. Feel free to join if you feel it's helpful in discussing this.
2. Meeting: If there is an interest in a meeting, I'd be happy to set up one, or perhaps two, to co-facilitate them and/or to document them.

Kindly let me know if such a meeting would be helpful, or if there is any alternative support that you think I can provide --Abbad (WMF) (talk) 12:17, 6 October 2021 (UTC).

Choosing candidates

As you might be aware, the selector from the thematic affiliates (like other regions) needs to be selected by 10 October. Unfortunately, there's still no clear method in place to decide who the selector is. As LiAnna mentioned above, one possible approach is the Western and Northern European Affiliates process, where: 1. candidates self nominate until 8 October, 2. after 8 October, each affiliate votes on one candidate that they think is appropriate. Do you think the same approach can or should be implemented here? --Abbad (WMF) (talk) 09:06, 7 October 2021 (UTC).

@LiAnna (Wiki Ed) and Bluerasberry: Just notifying you, because you've commented on this page before, that per the above endorsements are now open. In my opinion, it remains an open question (because this has not been much discussed) whether endorsements can come from individuals or only on behalf of an affiliate --Abbad (WMF) (talk) 13:05, 8 October 2021 (UTC).

Selector decision

Congratulations to Nattes à chat! I am confident she will do a great job of representing our Thematic Affiliates as a selector. For those of you who have specific things you'd like to see among the Movement Charter Drafting Committee, I'd encourage you to add them to that section of the page so our selector can represent our collective interests in the forthcoming group discussions.

I'm also thrilled to see several Thematic Affiliates get involved in the Movement Charter process. I know a lot of things are happening right now in the movement, but I think the Movement Charter is one of the most critical for structuring what our future is as a movement. Please continue being involved in discussions as we collectively craft this foundational document! --LiAnna (Wiki Ed) (talk) 17:37, 11 October 2021 (UTC)