Amical Wikimedia/Mail4

Hello Joan,

Unfortunately there isn't anything else that we can do to continue this issue for now. We still need to receive confirmation from WM-FR and WM-IT that such a thing that you are proposing is even acceptable to them. It is beyond the authority of the Chapcom to approve one chapter that overlaps the areas of other chapters without explicit agreement. We cannot continue this discussion at all until we've heard from WM-FR and WM-IT saying that they are in agreement with your proposal.

But, do you really think that it is worth to invent a completely new 
concept when we have one tested and working? I think it could be better to 
be a local chapter as any other. Then in the contract between the chapter 
and the Foundation fix as many details as necessary to avoid any potential 
difficulty.

We as a committee simply do not have the authority to approve a transnational chapter right now. Not to say that this authority will never be granted in the future, but we do not have it right now. We also don't have the authority to invent a new level of official recognition if being a "chapter" is impossible for you.

By example, just now it saddens us that we have been denied attendance to 
Chapters meeting in Berlin. Guillaume Paumier explained that Chapters 
decided to hold the meeting only with recognized chapters. We fear that if 
we are not a chapter we are going to have this kind of problems every day.

The chapters meeting in Berlin is restricted to only currently-existing chapters only. Several groups have been excluded from this meeting for a variety of reasons, including several groups who are actively working to produce "traditional" national chapters. This is not an exclusion specific to you or your organization. This is a business meeting and is not appropriate for non-chapters to attend because they will have no business to participate in.

Your best opportunity for involvement now is to prepare a delegation to send to Wikimania. There may even be funding available to send members of your group to that event, and it will be a more inclusive meeting where your group can get more involved.

We would like to hear from Chapters Committee as many problems as possible 
of recognizing us as a chapter (not just because you are different) perhaps 
then we could help in finding solutions.

We've discussed a list of issues previously. To reiterate:

1) We MUST receive confirmation that all overlapping chapters accept your proposal as is. We cannot move forward with an overlapping chapter without approval.

2) We do not have authority to approve transnational chapters right now. A case would need to be made to the WMF Board and probably to other existing chapters too before we get approval to make decisions like these.

There isn't anything else that the Chapcom can do right now until both these two issues are resolved and resolved favorably. I'm happy to answer any questions you have, or to forward any communications from you to appropriate parties in the WMF, WM-FR, or WM-IT as necessary to facilitate your needs. However, besides these things we have no capabilities to help you right now.

--Andrew Whitworth