Wikimedia Chapters Association/Statements/2012-11 Wikimedia Foundation narrowing its Focus

A statement of the Wikimedia Chapters Association in response to the resolution of the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees to "Narrow the Focus" of the Wikimedia Foundation. wmf:Vote:Narrowing_Focus Statement In the name of its Members, the Wikimedia Chapters Association wishes to express acceptance of the Wikimedia Foundation plans for narrowing its focus. In addition, we acknowledge the great work the Wikimedia Foundation has delivered in recent years, to further free public access to open knowledge all over the world. Foundation staff have spent tremendous effort and covered a huge range of successful projects. This said, we feel that focussing on the core competencies of the Wikimedia Foundation is necessary, and will enable a broader group of organisations to pick up projects and works world-wide to further spread free and open knowledge. Misconceptions on the tasks of the Wikimedia Foundation and conflicting activities with local chapters have led to difficult discussions in the past. We are convinced that we will have a sufficient number of mature and well managed chapters in the future, to keep up the good work the Wikimedia Foundation has started. This is a result of the Wikimedia Foundation's efforts to support chapters with resources and let them develop into professional organisations. The new focus reduces support and coordination for chapters, this naturally puts additional responsibility on the chapters and equivalent organizations themselves, who will have the umbrella of the Wikimedia Chapters Association available for all wishing to benefit from assured best practice, experience and sharing our common vision. In the light of the changing Wikimedia world, the WCA appreciates the urgency for us to become a legal and acting body. WCA Council remains fully committed and will ramp up its efforts to establish the organization and do everything possible to meet expectations and our collective duty to support our global community.

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