That all depends on the goals that the conference sets itself, as always :)
As I understood it, the conference is intended for structured and organized groups, rather than to be a representative forum for the whole movement. In 2017, I understood there to be mostly two events taking place in the same location - with some overlap in program. In that sense, this was quite a unique situation because of the strategic process. The first question would be whether you accept each challenge as a goal. If being representative of the whole movement becomes the goal, the structure probably needs to be overhauled much more, and the default invitation for all groups may have to be reconsidered. One representative from the Japanese community wouldn't cut it, then (for example). On the other side, I could also imagine a different goal, which would be to fill certain gaps in input diversity from the participants. This could be input from certain language communities, or from certain cultures where we even lack readership. This would make more sense to me - as it would not imply a representation as much. In part it would lead to a similar consideration and outcome, but it would force you to also consider other areas where input is lacking from. For example, allied movements or project communities beyond Wikipedia (for example, the collective of developing language communities in Africa or communities that are government-blocked - of which I'm uncertain if they are covered by affiliates). This would also send the message to the communities you ask to send a representative what you expect of such participant (if that would indeed be your goal). There could be many other goals of course, that you (plural) could have in mind. I'm not sure which applies best. I would suggest not to deviate from the official line that chapters don't represent language communities, though. That is, unless this official line has changed. Warmly, Lodewijk On Mon, Oct 23, 2017 at 10:56 AM, Cornelius Kibelka < cornelius.kibe...@wikimedia.de> wrote: > Hi Lodewijk, hi JP, > > Over the last years, we received the feedback that the Wikimedia Conference > would not be as (globally) representative as it could or should be. For the > Wikimedia Conference 2017, several “Community Leaders” were invited to the > conference to be heard for the Movement Strategy process, but the > selection/invitation process was not as clear as it could have been. > > To be more representative on a global scale and to have more different > people from different regions present at the conference, we needed clear, > transparent and non arbitrary criteria. However, there is no solution that > covers every possible challenge. Therefore, we chose to give this approach > – with clear criteria – at least a try for the Wikimedia Conference 2018. > Also, as we expect more changes in the Movement in the upcoming year, this > approach is a try for 2018 only, as an overhaul of the whole concept of the > Wikimedia Conference will be needed anyway. > > Additionally, I want to highlight this, because this was criticized in the > past as well, all regularly eligible affiliates may send at least two > representatives. > > I’m aware that this approach implies challenges, though. I’m happy to > receive suggestions on how to come up with equally clear and transparent > criteria. > > Best regards, > > Cornelius > > > On 23 October 2017 at 19:37, Jean-Philippe Béland <jpbel...@wikimedia.ca> > wrote: > > > I share the questions of Lodewijk > > > > On Mon, Oct 23, 2017, 19:22 Cornelius Kibelka, < > > cornelius.kibe...@wikimedia.de> wrote: > > > > > Of course, I meant: > > > > > > "The registration process will start on November 24, *2017* and will > end > > > sharply (no exceptions), on January 15, 2018." > > > > > > Thank you > > > Cornelius > > > > > > -- > > > > > > Cornelius Kibelka > > > > > > Program and Engagement Coordinator (PEC) > > > for the Wikimedia Conference > > > > > > > > > > > > Am 23.10.2017 18:04 schrieb "Cornelius Kibelka" < > > > cornelius.kibe...@wikimedia.de>: > > > > > > > Dear Wikimedians, dear representatives of Wikimedia affiliates, > > > > > > > > A few weeks ago, we announced that the next Wikimedia Conference will > > > take > > > > place from April 20 to 22, 2018 at the Mercure Hotel in > Berlin-Neukölln > > > > (same location as in 2017). This email contains information about the > > > > program themes and the Eligibility Criteria for invited affiliates > > > > including the relevant reporting deadlines. > > > > > > > > == Program Themes == > > > > > > > > As in the previous editions of the conference, the Wikimedia > Conference > > > > 2018 will again focus on three core themes. > > > > > > > > - > > > > > > > > Movement Strategy: In November 2017, phase 2 of the Wikimedia > > Movement > > > > Strategy Process will start. Its main goal will be to answer the > > > question > > > > "How do we implement the strategic direction", which means > > > identifying the > > > > roles and resources needed for execution, and the activities it > > > involves. > > > > In order to ensure participation from the organized part of the > > > movement in > > > > this next phase, we will again host a three-day track on movement > > > strategy. > > > > This track will be designed together with the Wikimedia > Foundation. > > > > - > > > > > > > > Partnerships in the Wikimedia Movement: Wikimedia organizations > and > > > > groups have a wide variety of experiences and knowledge in working > > > with > > > > partners to achieve our mission. Based on the conversation at the > > last > > > > Wikimedia Conference, Wikimania, and regional Wikimedia > conferences, > > > we aim > > > > to continue to offer a space for conversations, experience sharing > > and > > > > learning around partnerships within and outside the Wikimedia > > > movement. > > > > This track will be designed together with the Wikimedia > Foundation’s > > > Global > > > > Reach & Partnerships team, WMDE’s Partnerships & Development team > > and > > > the > > > > volunteer “Partnerships group”. > > > > - > > > > > > > > Capacity Building & Learning: The Wikimedia Conference currently > is > > > > one of the main spaces for learning and sharing among Wikimedia > > > affiliates. > > > > Again, we will host a track with sessions that are designed > > according > > > to > > > > the participants’ needs, wishes and experiences. This track will > be > > > > designed in close consultation with WMF’s Learning & Evaluation > > team, > > > and > > > > will complement the pre-conference Learning Days. > > > > > > > > > > > > == Eligibility Criteria == > > > > > > > > The eligibility criteria for participating in the Wikimedia > Conference > > > > 2018 are aligned to the Affiliates’ Agreements with the Wikimedia > > > > Foundation. > > > > > > > > Chapters, Thematic Organizations and User Groups must have shown > signs > > of > > > > recent activity (within the last six months) and be up-to-date on > their > > > > reporting by the eligibility deadline (December 15, 2017). Moreover, > > > > affiliates need to have been officially recognized by the Wikimedia > > > > Foundation before April 19, 2017. > > > > > > > > == Participant number regulation == > > > > > > > > - > > > > > > > > Chapters, Thematic Organizations and User Groups may send two > > > > delegates. Chapters and Thematic Organizations which employ at > least > > > 0.5 > > > > FTE by Sep 1, 2017, may send one additional delegate who is a paid > > > staff > > > > member. > > > > - > > > > > > > > Allied organizations may send two delegates. > > > > - > > > > > > > > The biggest ten language/project communities (by numbers of active > > > > editors [>5 edits/month]) that are not represented by any > affiliate, > > > or > > > > have an affiliate, which is not eligible because it was recognized > > > after > > > > April 19, 2017, may send one delegate. > > > > - > > > > > > > > As per September 2017, the biggest communities without an > > > > (eligible) affiliate representation are the Japanese, > Vietnamese, > > > Tamil, > > > > Bengali, Slovak, Croatian, Hindi and Malay, Wikimedia Commons > and > > > > Wikivoyage communities. > > > > - > > > > > > > > The user groups West Bengal Wikimedians User Group (for the > > Bengali > > > > community), Hindi Wikimedians User Group (for the Hindi > > > community), Wikimedia > > > > Community User Group Malaysia (for the Malay community), as > well > > as > > > > the Commons Photographers User Group (for the Wikimedia Commons > > > > community) and the Wikivoyage Association (for the Wikivoyage > > > > communities) may send one delegate. For the language > communities > > > (Japanese, > > > > Vietnamese, Tamil, Slovak, Croatian), decision finding and > making > > > process > > > > on who will be the one person sent to the conference, need to > be > > > made in > > > > the public (on-wiki). > > > > > > > > > > > > == Registration timeline == > > > > > > > > The registration process will start on November 24, 2018 and will end > > > > sharply (no exceptions), on January 15, 2018. The link will be > provided > > > on > > > > Meta.[1] > > > > > > > > If you have any questions regarding the registration process or the > > > > Wikimedia Conference, please > > > <https://maps.google.com/?q=Conference,+please&entry=gmail&source=g> > do > > > not hesitate to send us an e-mail to > > > > wm...@wikimedia.de. > > > > > > > > Warm regards, > > > > > > > > Daniela Gentner & Cornelius Kibelka > > > > > > > > Wikimedia Conference team > > > > > > > > [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference_2018 > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > Cornelius Kibelka > > > > Program and Engagement Coordinator (PEC) > > > > for the Wikimedia Conference > > > > > > > > Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. | Tempelhofer Ufer 23-24 | 10963 Berlin > > > > Tel. (030) 219 158 26-0 > > > > http://wikimedia.de > > > > > > > > Stellen Sie sich eine Welt vor, in der jeder Mensch an der Menge > allen > > > > Wissens frei teilhaben kann. Helfen Sie uns dabei! > > > > http://spenden.wikimedia.de/ > > > > > > > > Wikimedia Deutschland - Gesellschaft zur Förderung Freien Wissens e. > V. > > > > Eingetragen im Vereinsregister des Amtsgerichts Berlin-Charlottenburg > > > unter > > > > der Nummer 23855 B. Als gemeinnützig anerkannt durch das Finanzamt > für > > > > Körperschaften I Berlin, Steuernummer 27/029/42207 > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > > > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > > wiki/Wikimedia-l > > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > > > -- > Cornelius Kibelka > Program and Engagement Coordinator (PEC) > for the Wikimedia Conference > > Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. | Tempelhofer Ufer 23-24 | 10963 Berlin > Tel. (030) 219 158 26-0 > http://wikimedia.de > > Stellen Sie sich eine Welt vor, in der jeder Mensch an der Menge allen > Wissens frei teilhaben kann. Helfen Sie uns dabei! > http://spenden.wikimedia.de/ > > Wikimedia Deutschland - Gesellschaft zur Förderung Freien Wissens e. V. > Eingetragen im Vereinsregister des Amtsgerichts Berlin-Charlottenburg unter > der Nummer 23855 B. Als gemeinnützig anerkannt durch das Finanzamt für > Körperschaften I Berlin, Steuernummer 27/029/42207 > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > wiki/Wikimedia-l > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
