Wikimedia Europe/Advocacy/History
Public Policy Team: Historytl;dr
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The current EU Policy team is a core part of Wikimedia Europe. It aims to coordinate the European Wikimedia affiliates and communities so they can have a unified, clear position on major legislative and political changes affecting the vision, mission and values of the Wikimedia movement.
Its predecessor is the semi-formalised Free Knowledge Advocacy Group EU, which was alternatively hosted by Wikimedia Deutschland and Wikimedia Netherlands. It involved closely monitoring EU processes, raising red flags on crucial issues, and discussing possible actions as needed.
It was established by drafting and endorsing a Statement of Intent. This document laid out the first policy goals of our movement in Europe.
History
[edit]The question of lobbying for free knowledge is far from being new in the Wikimedia movement. During the Wikimania 2009 in Buenos Aires, a group of activists suggested core issues to be monitored regularly.
During the Wikimania 2011 in Haifa and the Wikimania 2012 in Washington D.C., Lodewijk Gelauff from WMNL presented a variety of Chapters' projects, which clearly indicated a consistent level of advocacy work.
Furthermore, one of the strategic goals of the Wikimedia movement is to stabilise infrastructure, which explicitly includes building "increased capacity to safeguard the movement's reputation and support the advancement of legal conditions that enable unimpeded access to information online, worldwide." Another list of stated mid- to long-term priorities of the movement that this initiative seeks to pursue is its Advocacy agenda.
EU Policy Meeting in April 2013
[edit]A call for participation was sent out in February, asking interested wikimedians to meet for a weekend in Brussels to constitute an EU Policy Advocacy group. 12 interested participants agreed on meeting on the 6th and 7th April in Brussels.
The agenda included setting up tools, agreeing on communication methods, and formulating organisational, infrastructural, and policy goals. Read the minutes of the EU-Policy-Meeting.
Statement of Intent
[edit]Following the meeting in Brussels, the group met in London to draft a document outlining the three major priorities: Freedom of Panorama, Orphan Works, and Government Works.
See the short Statement of Intent.
EU Policy Meeting in April 2014
[edit]At a second Big Fat Brussels Meeting, participants came together to refine our strategy, develop projects, and define working packages. The second meeting also ensures that the process is a long-term, continuous effort. Read the minutes.
Founding of Wikimedia Europe in 2022
[edit]After nearly 10 years of coherent and steady policy work in Brussels, it was time to organise more sustainably.
On 20 July 2022, at the meeting of incorporated Wikimedia affiliates, representatives of 21 affiliates seated in Europe confirmed their organisations' commitment to founding Wikimedia Europe. In 2023, the association was officially incorporated under Belgian law, seated in Brussels.
Although newly established, Wikimedia Europe built upon the legacy of the Free Knowledge Advocacy Group EU and leveraged a 10-year history of public policy design and digital-rights advocacy, paired with extensive tech expertise.
Mission
[edit]The mission of the Free Knowledge Advocacy Group EU is to build and create the infrastructure necessary to monitor EU policy proceedings and initiatives, inform the participant chapters and community in an understandable way, stage discussions about what is desirable or dangerous and take action, mainly by making ourselves heard.
Commons
[edit]Mascot
[edit]Wendy the Weasel has been appointed as the official mascot of the Free Knowledge Advocacy Group EU at the Big Fat Brussels Meeting Vol. 2.
Members of the Free Knowledge Advocacy Group EU are referred to as WEASELS. This is an acronym for Wikimedia European Action System for Enthusiastic Lobbying.
Wendy likes networking, but she might get a bit snippy on a bad day. She loves participating in events, especially when discussing licensing and copyright limitations. In the evening, she enjoys a beer or two around Place de Londres. Place de Luxembourg, she considers to be "too mainstream". Wendy is a go-getter. She doesn't like to "talk things to death" but prefers a "just go for it" approach. She is diligent and rarely gets discouraged when things don't work out at first.
Wendy is a full member of the Wikimedia Cuteness Association. Apart from working on increasing cuteness participation, she would like to tackle the cute gender gap within the cuteness family. Wendy has her own photo book on Wikimedia Commons where she collects her selfies and photos of her with others at activities and events throughout Europe: Wendy on Wikimedia Commons.