Dear Shani, sure, I'm happy to explain my rationale. The decision has a longer rationale, based on our experiences from organizing the last Wikimedia Conferences with its usual format (as in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018). Early this year, we have published a three year report (2015–2017) on the last Wikimedia Conferences.[1] As stated in this report, we came to the conclusion (among others[2]) that the format of having everything in one place (conversations about the future of the movement/Movement Strategy, learning/capacity-building, peer-to-peer exchange/networking, etc.) has its limits and doesn't work anymore.
The Movement has grown a lot over the last years. That means also that the diversity among the conference participants became bigger and bigger, and it became increasingly hard to create a program based on the needs, wishes and experiences of the participants that satisfied all of them. Additionally, we think that learning on a global has its strong limits, as the knowledge shared is only applicable in really specific circumstances or is too general. Learning on regional, national, local or thematic events has proven to be more successful. The recent Community Engagement Insights survey gave a similar indication.[3] With a stronger focus of this event (and a complete change in this set-up: It's the platform for the Movement Strategy process, and not the other way around), there comes also a stronger support (and increase) of regional and thematic events, as agreed with the Wikimedia Foundation. I have talked with different organizers of regional events that agreed to focus stronger on capacity-building at their events. Thus, this decision does not come out of the blue. We have shared this report, I have shared this at other events (Wikimedia Conference 2018[4], Wikimania 2018[5]), it was shared previously on this mailing list, I have talked with most speakers of the Wikimedia Conference 2018, the Wikimedia Chapter EDs, the organizers of the upcoming regional conferences. Apart from some particular criticism, the feedback for this decision was basically unanimously positive. I hope that helps. Happy to answer any questions regarding this. Best regards, Cornelius [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference/2015%E2%80%932017_Report [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference/2015%E2%80%932017_Report/Conclusions <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference/2015%E2%80%932017_Report/Conclusions> [3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Community_Engagement_Insights/2018_Report#Community_Resources_team:_Local_and_regional_events_show_more_learning_and_building_skills_as_major_outcomes_than_larger_global_conferences,_while_Wikimania_excels_in_discovery_of_the_new [4] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference_2018/Reading_material#Future_of_the_Wikimedia_Conference [5] https://wikimania2018.wikimedia.org/wiki/Program/We_learned_one_thing_from_organizing_the_Wikimedia_Conference._How_could_we_apply_this_in_the_Movement%3F On Tue, 25 Sep 2018 at 23:30, Shani Evenstein <shani.e...@gmail.com> wrote: > Dear Cornelius, > > Could you please elaborate re the decision to not include learning and > capacity building? > Events where Wikimedians from around the world gather together do not > happen every day, and especially as there will be representatives from most > affiliates, this is a great opportunity to share knowledge and train people > so they can go back to their local communities and spread that knowledge. > Besides Wikimania, which not everyone can attend, this is the other biggest > event we have to do just that. Shouldn't we seize this opportunity, > considering that it takes so much time, effort and money to bring everyone > together? > > Thanks for shedding some light on this issue. > > Best, > Shani. > > On Wed, Sep 26, 2018 at 12:20 AM, Cornelius Kibelka < > cornelius.kibe...@wikimedia.de> wrote: > > > Dear Pine, > > > > yes, "the organized part of the movement" is another term to describe the > > part of the Wikimedia movement that includes the WMF, its committees and > > the affiliates. > > > > Best regards > > Cornelius > > > > On Tue, 25 Sep 2018 at 22:23, Pine W <wiki.p...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > Hello Daniela and Cornelius, > > > > > > Thank you for this update. > > > > > > Can you clarify what you mean by "The next conference will focus on the > > > Movement Strategy process and > > > movement governance for the organized part of the movement in general"? > > Are > > > you referring to governance for the WMF and affiliates? Online > Wikimedia > > > activities are organized in varying degrees, but many of those > activities > > > are not included in the scope of affiliates or represented by > affiliates. > > > > > > Pine > > > ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine ) > > > _______________________________________________ > > > 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> -- 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>
