Universal Code of Conduct/Coordinating Committee/Election/2025/Candidates/Shushugah
| User account | Shushugah (talk • meta edits • global user summary • CA) |
|---|---|
| Summary |
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| Selected home wiki | English Wikipedia |
| Type of seat (regional; community-at-large; or both) (division of regional seats) | Community |
| Introduction and expectations (max. 600 words for both questions) | |
| Tell us who you are, why you are applying, and your relevant experience. | Since its announcement in 2020, I have followed the development of U4C with great interest. I am now putting forward my candidacy because I believe there is still a shortage of qualified candidates and confusion surrounding U4C's role.
I don't hold any formal roles within the Wikimedia movement. I have been an active editor since 2018. I mention my career/educational experience because it highlights relevant skills for this position. Professionally, I am a software developer and a volunteer labor organizer. I graduated from Labour Policies and Globalisation, where we examined labor regulations (codes of conducts, OECD Guidelines, global framework agreements, national collective agreements) and the jurisdictional/economic challenges, along with questions of volunteer organisation. I am the Central Works Council Chair of a software car-sharing entity in Germany and a substitute European Works Council member for the parent automotive group Stellantis, which employs 300,000 people in Europe. The complex pyramid of regulations (binding and non-binding), organizational differences, and responsibilities mirrors much of what I have experienced within the Wikimedia movement. I have hands-on experience implementing and enforcing codes of conduct in various settings, from community events and parties to large online groups. Each context has its own unique complexities regarding resources, accountability, and community response. U4C has the most knowledge and expertise when it looks beyond the largest (and self-sufficient) Wikis. I am offering my candidacy but am asking community voters to strongly consider other candidates who can offer more relevant perspectives. I am a cisgender man from the Global North who speaks a limited number of languages. Nevertheless, I bring my lived experience as a deaf queer activist. I considered running after hearing horror stories within Wikimedia LGBT+, an affiliate group that transcends individual wikis, where challenges are vast and complex. I hope all U4C members share this commitment to listening, learning, and contributing with humility and purpose. |
| Please describe what do you hope to do if elected. | In my view, U4C is a coordinating committee, not a global arbitration committee. I can envision a scenario in which such a body would be useful, but not today. It would require more serious reflection on cultural competencies, linguistic diversity, and capacity building.
I expect existing Wikimedia Foundation affiliated Trust and Safety processes, reporting mechanisms to have significant gaps and certainly, local community enforcement mechanisms. There are many scenarios where the U4C is ill-equipped to respond to credible complaints. At the very least, however, some of the more structural and egregious issues within the Wikimedia movement will receive more visibility. More optimistically, it will identify roadmaps to confidently address these. Realistically, I expect to contribute my vast experience supporting workers and activists in different risk profiles and national contexts, as well as my ability to keep cool, listen, and make suggestions for constructive steps forward. |