Wikimania Committee/Charter

Wikimania overview

Organization

• Committee
• Community group
• Handbook
• Checklist

Next event

• 2025 (Nairobi, Kenya)

Future events

• 2026 (Paris, France)
• 2027 To be determined

Past years

• Details of past Wikimanias
• 2024 (Katowice, Poland)
• 2023 (Singapore)
• 2022 (Virtual event)
• 2021 (Virtual event)
• 2020 (Cancelled)
• 2019 (Stockholm, Sweden)
• 2018 (Cape Town, South Africa)
• 2017 (Montréal, Canada)
• 2016 (Esino Lario, Italy)
• 2015 (Mexico City, Mexico)
• 2014 (London, United Kingdom)
• 2013 (Hong Kong SAR, China)
• 2012 (Washington, D.C., USA)
• 2011 (Haifa, Israel)
• 2010 (Gdansk, Poland)
• 2009 (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
• 2008 (Alexandria, Egypt)
• 2007 (Taipei, Taiwan)
• 2006 (Boston, USA)
• 2005 (Frankfurt, Germany)

Wikimania is the primary global Wikimedia community conference open to all: it is the international (both in scope and participation) gathering for the Wikimedia movement to connect, discuss and exchange knowledge. Wikimania contributes to enhancing the Movement's growth and global impact, promoting equity in participation and ensuring a lasting legacy.

The mission of the Wikimania Committee is to provide strategic guidance, select locations, oversee and provide year to year support for Wikimania The committee supports each conference organising team by providing them with resources, experience and high level advice, and guarantees Wikimania remains a global conference supporting the Wikimedia Movement.

Name and purpose

The official name of the committee shall be called “Wikimania Committee” and may use “Wikimania Steering Committee” or “SC” in non-formal discourse. This document shall be known as the “Charter of the Wikimania Committee”.

Pillars

The Wikimania Committee acts according to five shared values. Those values support decision-making and define the general approach to the event and its process:.

1. Openness. Wikimania embodies openness in its approach, process, programme, and infrastructure. It produces open content under open licenses, prioritizes using open infrastructures based on free and open software. It documents and implements transparent processes and peer review. Where necessary, exceptions for usability, confidentiality, or privacy are explicitly stated.
2. Collaboration. Wikimania values collaboration and seeks the involvement of volunteers and partners. It designs processes that allow co-creation and the active participation of individuals and institutions.
3. Inclusiveness. Wikimania is a community global conference, embracing all its international and diverse groups. It makes all efforts to target different needs and sensitivities, to co-design its approach, to diversify its programme, to facilitate participation offline and online, and to create different opportunities to attend the event.
4. Respect. Wikimania is committed to creating a safe and respectful space for the global community. It enforces the friendly space policy and makes every effort to provide an enjoyable and pleasant environment.
5. Experimentation and fun. Wikimania is also a space for celebrating the Wikimedia movement, creating connections, developing triggering ideas and enjoying getting together. Wikimania can experiment and be adjusted to meet local needs and opportunities at each edition.

Roles and responsibilities

Specifically, the committee shall:

Lead the process of selecting locations and general formats for upcoming Wikimania events.

• Defining the evaluation criteria for event hosting and team evaluation.
• Overseeing the evaluation of potential locations.
• Coordinating and managing discussions and decisions among the possible candidates.
• Ensure process accountability and progress in the organization of each Wikimania.

Uphold the values of the conference.

• Ensure the central role of volunteer communities in Wikimania organization.
• Oversee communication of important Wikimania news, including major decisions, updates, and event-related announcements.
• Draft or review content aligned with the committee's strategic objectives.
• Coordinate with staff for dissemination of announcements.
• Handle follow-up inquiries or clarifications related to communications.
• Provide advice, upon request, concerning other large-scale Wikimedia events to the community and movement bodies.

Evaluate the conferences to enhance future ones.

• Ensure continuity of Wikimania documentation.
• Advise on the evaluation process for each Wikimania at its conclusion.
• Provide advice on policy, processes and resource adjustments for the future organization of the conference.
• Gather and review feedback from the committee, organizers, attendees, and other stakeholders.

Nominate new members of the committee.

• Identify gaps in the committee's expertise.
• Solicit nominations or applications for new members.
• Oversee the vetting and selection process.
• Ensure new members are properly onboarded.
• Provide new members with necessary information, resources, and guidance to contribute effectively to the committee's work.

Other tasks related to Wikimania as the need arises.

Composition

The Wikimania Committee consists of a minimum of five members, with an optimal composition of approximately nine members. It includes Wikimania past organizers and a selection of people actively supporting Wikimania and with experience in organising events. The work of the Committee is supported and facilitated by the Wikimedia Foundation staff, who also act as liaisons to the Wikimedia Foundation.

Nomination

The Wikimania Committee will, at the conclusion of its evaluation, extend an invitation to a Wikimania Core Organizing Team to nominate one of its members as a new committee member. The Wikimania Committee reviews and approves the nominations. At least once every 3 years, a public call for candidates is made to nominate new members. In appointing members, the committee will prioritize diversity in Wikimania experiences, equitable membership representation, and inclusiveness in community roles, perspectives, language skills, and demographics. Eligible candidates and members of the committee must maintain good standing within the communities, be free of global blocks, declare their conflicts of interest and potential conflicts of interest and abstain from related decisions, and sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Membership of the Committee is incompatible with membership of the current Core Organizing Team, and WMF Board membership. But members of those bodies can be invited as non-voting liaisons, especially each current COT should have a representative that gives updates to the Wikimania Committee, as the COT goes through their planning process. Wikimedia Foundation staff members, when selected and appointed by the Wikimedia Foundation, can participate in discussions but shall not hold voting rights.

Terms

Members should attend at least 60% of meetings over a rolling 12 month period and participate in discussions and committee votes. Members can seek an extended leave of absence and participate in discussions on a when able basis. At least once a year, typically around December/January after completing the evaluation of Wikimania, member attendance is evaluated by the chair. Current members are asked at that time to confirm their commitment or resign their seat. Nominations to the committee and term renewals are confirmed by a majority vote of the current committee. Members serve 3-year terms, with at most 2 consecutive terms. A third term can by exception be approved with a 75% majority vote. Decisions regarding removal of membership happen by majority vote of the committee. Expiration of current terms at the time of adoption of this policy will be defined in an Annex.

Volunteer work and travel support

Members of the Committee serve as volunteers. While travel support may be provided for committee members to execute their responsibilities, and members are eligible to also apply for community scholarships to attend Wikimania, their membership on the Wikimania Committee must not be considered as a factor for community scholarship evaluations.

Conflict of interests

The members of the committee must agree to and follow a Conflicts of Interest policy as set by the Wikimedia Foundation.

Roles included in the committee

Liaison to the current Core Organizing Team (COT)

The committee will appoint one or more liaisons from the Wikimania Committee to the current and future Wikimania organizing team. The liaisons, who are approved by the Wikimania Core Organising Teams (Wikimania COT) collaborate with them and provide mentoring, and (upon request) high level support, and advice; in particular, they make sure new teams take advantage of previous experiences, documentation and tools, and they promote the values of the Wikimania Committee. The liaisons report to the Wikimania Committee about the ongoing status of the event.

Liaison to the Advisory Committee

The committee will appoint one or more members to serve as liaisons to the advisory board (see description below). These liaisons will be responsible for communicating with the board regarding emerging issues.

Chair and vice chair

Their roles and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Official Communications Review: Reviewing all communications issued by the committee, including calls, decisions, announcements, and news.
• Agenda Management: Overseeing the preparation, review, and approval of the meeting agenda, including proposals and processes to be discussed.
• Membership Renewal: Coordinating the process for the renewal or replacement of committee members, ensuring continuity and adherence to the committee's procedures.
• Corresponding with Wikimania hosts: Managing communications with potential hosting groups for future Wikimania events, including sending official invitations or decline notices.
• Coordination with Wikimedia Foundation Staff: Ensuring effective communication and coordination with Wikimedia Foundation staff, particularly in areas where collaboration or support is needed.

Selection process for the Chair and vice-chair

The Chair and Vice Chair of the Wikimania Committee are chosen by the current Committee every two years.

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board is composed of former members of the Wikimania Committee, as well as individuals with other relevant expertise, with the following objectives:

• Preserving the historical knowledge related to the organization of previous Wikimanias.
• Providing advice to the Wikimania Committee on specific issues.
• Supporting crisis management.

Involvement

The Advisory Board shall liaise with the Wikimania Committee through its designated liaison as needed. The Advisory Board shall convene annually. Membership of the Advisory Board is automatic upon resignation from the Committee. The Committee can review the Advisory Board membership and remove members of the Advisory Board at any time by majority vote.

Amendments or revisions and effectivity

All other processes, orders, rules, regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof, by the Committee, which are inconsistent with this Charter, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. Any amendment to, or revision of, this Charter may be proposed by the committee, upon vote of at least three-fourths of all its Members, and due consultation with the Wikimedia Foundation. This Charter, or its amendments, upon its approval by the Committee and the Wikimedia Foundation, shall take effect immediately following its complete publication in Meta-wiki and in public announcement through a mailing list of general circulation in the Wikimedia community. An annual process will be held with the majority of the Committee that defines the revision of the amendments and/or the ratification of the Charter.