Wikimedia South Africa/Board Meeting/23 February 2021
Wikimedia South Africa Board meeting 2021-02-23 19:00
Attendance[edit]
Present:[edit]
- Bobby Shabangu
- Coenraad Loubser
- Deon Steyn
- Douglas Scott
- Rossouw van Rooyen
- Nobandu Modise
- Michael Graaf
Apologies:[edit]
- Wynand vd Walt
- Delight Ngonidzashe
Agenda[edit]
Previous minutes[edit]
http://wikimedia.org.za/wiki/Board_Meetings#2021
Administration role filled[edit]
Shupai Mchuchu has been awarded the administrator contract. Introduction to board.
WMF Board of Trustees Amendments[edit]
- Short history recap by Douglas
- Board Discussion
- Michael Graaf supports an element of geographical quota
- Nobantu reiterates the importance of board members having a keen awareness of Africa's issues - expansion of the board is supported if it will improve this awareness substantially.
- Deon notes that board impact is not seen/felt by local editors.
- Coenraad notes that WMF serves a global community: diversification - in the form of better-felt interventions and representation - of the board is mandatory - and fears that an expansion will not bring this automatically; also notes that as a local board we can do more to empower the WMF board to bring change that will help the communities we serve yearn for. Also, the geographical representation will come as a result of community representation.
- Bobby notes that as a small regional board same criticisms apply to us - we can leave by example.
- Consensus on support for community representation but not on geographic representation.
- Douglas notes that some members of the community are averse to categorisation of people.
Summary points[edit]
To the questions:
- Do we support the reservation of geographical represenation?:
- Consensus seems to be on community representation. No vote taken. At least two members are against it. At least three members are for it.
- Do we want to see a strong majority of the board of trustees are community members?
- There is a consensus that we want to see a strong majority of the WMF board of trustees being community members