Wikimedia South Africa/Board Meeting/23 February 2021

Wikimedia South Africa Board meeting 2021-02-23 19:00

Attendance

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Present:

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  • Bobby Shabangu
  • Coenraad Loubser
  • Deon Steyn
  • Douglas Scott
  • Rossouw van Rooyen
  • Nobandu Modise
  • Michael Graaf

Apologies:

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  • Wynand vd Walt
  • Delight Ngonidzashe

Agenda

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Previous minutes

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http://wikimedia.org.za/wiki/Board_Meetings#2021

Administration role filled

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Shupai Mchuchu has been awarded the administrator contract. Introduction to board.

WMF Board of Trustees Amendments

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https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees/Call_for_feedback:_Community_Board_seats

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

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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