Chapters Council/Chapter Support

Chapters Council discussion — Index Edit
Up to date stuff: Wikimedia Chapters Association Overview Introduction Scope (Draft) Drafts of documents Ziko's charter proposal Amendments Tango's charter proposal Chapters' response Supporting chapters Further reading Movement roles' charter proposal Accountability standards draft Notafish's 2011 chapters assessment policy proposal International Wikimedia Chapters Network proposal WMCH's input on localizing the WCA in Geneva

Summary table

Please add your Wikimedia chapter's statement here. We do not only want to collect support but any kind of decisions made by chapters.

Support/opposition

•  Support {{support}} if the chapter's board has decided to support the new organization and become a member
• Neutral {{neutral}} if the chapter's board has decided not to participate (yet)
•  Oppose {{oppose}} if the chapter's board opposes the idea of an organization
• In discussion {{In discussion}} , if the chapter board is currently discussing the matter.

Mandate

•  Support {{yes}} if the chapter's board has given mandate to the chapter's representatives for the Wikimedia Conference 2012 to negotiate about the new organization and sign the resulting charter
•  Oppose {{no}} if the chapter's board has deliberately not given a mandate to the chapter's representatives for the Wikimedia Conference 2012

Chapter name	Support/opposition	Mandate	Budget	Other Resources	Comments
Wikimedia Argentina	Support	Support			Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-25_WMAR
Wikimedia Österreich	Support	Support	5000 EUR		Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-02-22_WMAT
Wikimedia Australia	Support	Support			Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-30_WMAU
Wikimedia Bangladesh	In discussion
Wikimedia Canada	Neutral				at a phone meeting on March 20 the executive chose not to take a stand.
Wikimedia CH	Support	Support	In discussion	hosting CC meeting, financial support and negotiations for office in Zürich or Geneva	Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-04_WMCH
Wikimedia Chile	Support	Support			Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-14_WMCL
Wikimedia Česká republika	Support	Support			Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-27_WMCZ
Wikimedia Deutschland	Support	Support		material / staff	Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-08_WMDE
Wikimedia Danmark	Neutral	Support
Wikimedia District of Columbia	In discussion	Support
Wikimedia Eesti	Support	Support
Wikimedia España	Support	Support			Chapters_Council/Chapter_Support#2012-03-30_WMES
Wikimedia Suomi
Wikimédia France	Support	Support	5000 EUR		Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-16_WMFR
Wikimedia UK	Support	Support			Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-03_WMUK
Wikimedia Hong Kong	Support	Support			Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-19_WMHK
Wikimedia Indonesia	Support	Support	IDR 5,000,000 400 EUR		Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-19_WMID
Wikimedia Israel	Support	Support		manpower	Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-07_WMIL
Wikimedia India	Support	Support			Chapters_Council/Chapter_Support#2012-03-27_WMIN
Wikimedia Italia	Support	Support	~5.000 EUR		Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-26_WMIT
Wikimedia Kenya	Support	Support
Wikimedia Macedonia	Support	Support		manpower	Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-18_WMMK
Wikimedia Macau
Wikimédia Magyarország	In discussion
Wikimedia México
Wikimedia Nederland	Support	Support	10000 EUR		Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-08_WMNL
Wikimedia Norge
Wikimedia New York City	Support	Support		manpower
Wikimedia Philippines	Neutral				On 14 April, after the report of the chapter representatives to the Berlin conference, it has been decided by the board to stay neutral on the matter and observe the development of the Association.
Wikimedia Polska	Support	Support	2000 EUR		Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-20_WMPL
Wikimedia Portugal	In discussion
Wikimedia Russia	Support
Wikimedia Serbia	Support	Support			Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-07_WMRS
Wikimedia Sverige	Support				Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-04-10_WMSE
Wikimedia Taiwan
Wikimedia Ukraine
Wikimedia Venezuela	Support	Support		manpower	Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-16_WMVE
Wikimedia South Africa	Support	Support			Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-17_WMZA
Totals	25/39 (~64%)	25/39 (~64%)	27400 EUR

According to the 'Movement Roles' discussion, in future Wikimedia Foundation might accept other than territorial organizations as Wikimedia organizations. A so called 'partner organization' (or 'thematic organization', 'focus chapter') would have a structure and rights similar to a (territorial/national) chapter. The organization Amical Viquipèdia (related to Catalonian language and culture) expressed its interest in becoming such a Wikimedia organization.

After the establishment of such Wikimedia organizations, the question will arise whether these organizations can join the Wikimedia Chapters Association in one way or the other. This will be part of a later discussion.

Some organizations intend to become a Wikimedia (territorial) chapter but are still not.

Organization Name	Support/Opposition	Mandate	Budget	Other Resources	Comments
Amical Viquipèdia	Support	Support	Membership fee in proportion to our budget	Commitment to file for a grant to cover the costs of first year establishment.	Chapters Council/Chapter Support#2012-03-15_Amical
Wikimedia Brasil
Wikimedia Kazakhstan
Totals			x EUR

Individual responses

2012-04-25 WMCA

While naming a delegate to the "working group" Wikimedia Canada has made this conditional on the Association not being able to speak for WMCA, or not being able to set dues. WMCA makes no commitment to join, and any future commitment must be supported by a resolution of the WMCA Board.

See here for the minutes.

2012-04-18 WMDK

Same response as Wikimedia Sverige which is mentioned below. However a slight difference:

3. Wikimedia Danmark's joining of such organization is dependent on that the rules clearly preserve each chapter's sovereignty and that financial issues have been solved.

2012-04-10 WMSE

The board of Wikimedia Sverige resolves:

1. Wikimedia Sverige recognizes the need for chapters to:
   1. Promote the exchange of experiences among the chapters
   2. Support and promote the development of chapters as self-sustaining, capable organizations
2. Wikimedia Sverige prefers a robust, capable, and self-reliant organization with clear and unambigous rules.
3. Wikimedia Sverige's joining of such organization is dependent on that the rules clearly preserve each chapter's sovereignty.

2012-03-30 WMAU

To ensure a fair and coordinated approach by chapters to organisational matters, Wikimedia Australia supports the creation of a Chapters Council that will operate as a unifying body representing Wikimedia chapters. Wikimedia Australia believes that a unified voice for the chapters will mutually benefit all parties, and will address some of the many structural and administrative challenges that our movement faces.

When the Wikimedia chapters' deliberations on the Chapters Council's structure and function approaches a conclusion, Wikimedia Australia will be in a better position to discuss and announce our position regarding joining a newly created Chapters Council. In the interim, to assist in the creation and development of a federated body of chapters and thereby ensuring optimum success in this endeavour, Wikimedia Australia will consider making contributions in the form of financial and/or other resources, ultimately to be defined, towards the furtherance of this goal and if requested by any interim council or competent authority within the newly created Chapters Council.

Wikimedia Australia will continue to keep themselves informed of the drafting process, and to this end contribute and coordinate along with other chapters to effect a successful outcome. For the purpose of matters relating to the formation of the Chapters Council, including the drafting of a Chapters Council Charter, Wikimedia Australia's delegation to the Wikimedia Conference 2012 in Berlin, namely Craig Franklin and Anne Frazer, are authorised to speak on behalf of the chapter's management committee.

wmau:Resolution:Chapters Council

2012-03-27 WMCZ

• The board of Wikimedia Czech Republic supports the creation of the Chapter Council, using the KISS method and it's eventual or possible simplification.

• The board of Wikimedia Czech Republic expresses concern over a possible growth of bureaucracy.

• The representatives of WM CZ at Berlin Meeting are: our chairman Limojoe and Packa as his deputy. They got a mandate from our board to negotiate this issue.

2012-03-27 WMIN

The Executive Committee of Wikimedia India hereby resolves:

1. Wikimedia India strongly supports the establishment of the Wikimedia Chapters Council.
2. Wikimedia India authorises Naveen Francis and Tinu Cherian, its delegates to the Wikimedia meeting in Berlin to negotiate the founding document of the Chapters Council on behalf of Wikimedia India and to sign it.
3. Wikimedia India’s joining of the Chapters Council will be subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.
4. Additionally, Wikimedia India offers support to any task that is necessary for the successful establishment of the Chapters Council, subject to such tasks being compliant with Indian legal system.

2012-03-26 WMIT

Wikimedia Italia supports the creation of a Chapter Concil, for the purpose of coordinating Wikimedia Chapters. We hope the resulting organization will be light but effective. Wikimedia Italia is willing to contribute with up to 5% of its income.

Frieda Brioschi and Lorenzo Losa will have a mandate to negotiate and discuss on behalf of Wikimedia Italia at the Wikimedia Conference 2012 its participation as a member of this Council and sign whatever is need for its creation.

2012-03-25 WMAR

english

Regarding the next Chapters Meeting in Berlin, the Board of Wikimedia Argentina resolves to:

1. Support the establishment of a Chapters Council with capacity to coordinate activities, share experiences, build consensus around common concerns, problems or challenges and serve as field of

horizontal discussion among its members.

1. Offer the experience achieved as a member of Iberocoop, among with the colleagues who are also part of it, in the development of a cooperation network between chapters.
2. Give a broad mandate to the representatives of Wikimedia Argentina in Berlin to negotiate the organization and representation of the Chapters Council, trying to prioritize the simplicity in the model to adopt, avoiding the formation of any new bureaucracy that could hinder the activities of the chapters.

Buenos Aires, March 2012.

español

En relación a la próxima reunión de Capítulos en Berlín, la Comisión Directiva de Wikimedia Argentina resuelve:

1. Apoyar la conformación de un Consejo de Capítulos con capacidad para coordinar acciones, intercambiar experiencias, lograr consensos frente a inquietudes, problemas o desafíos comunes y servir de ámbito de debate horizontal entre sus miembros.
2. Ofrecer la experiencia ganada como impulsor y miembro de Iberocoop, junto a los colegas que también forman parte del mismo, en lo que hace al desarrollo de una red de cooperación entre capítulos.
3. Dar amplio mandato a los representantes de Wikimedia Argentina que participarán en Berlín para negociar la forma que adoptará el Consejo de Capítulos, su organización y los mecanismos de representación y conducción, procurando privilegiar la simplicidad y practicidad en el modelo a adoptar, evitando la formación de toda nueva burocracia que pudiere obstaculizar el accionar de los capítulos.

Buenos Aires, Marzo de 2012.

2012-03-20 WMPL

• The board agrees with "KISS model" only. We believe that the "Model B" is too complicated, and probably too expensive to maintain.
• We support Chapters Council with up to 2000 EUR. However due to legal reasons we cannot give the money to the "black-box pull". We must know for what they money is used and get receipts for our expenditures. We can for example support travel costs, organizing part of the events, maybe organize an event in Poland., but cannot support salary for other organization employee.
• Our representatives at the Chapters Meeting 2012 have the mandate to negotiate about any aspects of the Chapters Council respecting the resolutions mentioned above and to sign the charter of the Chapters Council in behalf of Wikimedia Polska.

2012-03-19 WMHK

Wikimedia Hong Kong supports the creation of the Chapter Council. For the development of chapters, as well as the Wikimedia movement, it is necessary to have a way to represent chapters' common interests. We believe the Chapter Council provides more chances for chapters to express ideas, exchange ideas and review each other, which are helpful for each chapter's development. We also believe that the Chapter Council can strengthen the relations among chapters.

The Hong Kong Chapter prefers a structure with an Executive Board, as we believe that an Executive Board would be helpful for the general operation of the Council. It also helps the resolutions to be run more smoothly.

Since WMHK's budget is mostly received from WMF subject to work plan, we cannot allocate funding to support the Council this moment.

Rover Wong and Carol Tang will have a mandate to negotiate on behalf of WMHK for matters of Chapter Council on the Chapter Conference 2012.

2012-03-19 WMID

Wikimedia Indonesia approves the following resolution:
Resolusi Pembentukan Dewan Persatuan Asosiasi Lokal

By weighing and considering series of event that occurred from mid 2010 until early 2012, ignited by disagreement regarding global fund raising and fund dissemination via Wikipedia and other wikimedia projects, where volunteers create free content hosted on the Wikimedia Foundation servers.

Wikimedia Indonesia hereby fully supports decentralization.

We understand that it is tempting to do what is easy and to practice control in order to avoid chaos, however we contend that the best practice to harmonize effort from crowds of volunteers is through closeness and trust rather than control.

Wikimedia Indonesia believes that

• The proper approach to empower highly dedicated and motivated volunteers is "closeness" and "trust" with a shared vision to create a world where every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge.
• The kind of support needed by motivated volunteers in order to enables the environment needed to create the sum of all human knowledge is to empowers. It is the fundamental reason why we become Wikimedia, the movement that changes.
• Diversity in language, culture, philosophy, and approach are an important asset of our movement which need to be treated specifically, however hard and expensive it is to be during the implementation in order to adapt to change, avoides routines and easy.
• The priority of implementing our common strategy must leave room for localization, innovation, experimentation, alternative approaches, and individual ingenuity.
• Since WE are the community media where improvements are carried out by individuals from highly dedicated community members, therefore our ways should be the opposite of common approaches used by commercial media corporation with a "for profit" goals and instead our goal should be "to engage" the people.

Wikimedia Indonesia recommends the establishment of

• Chapters Council by the Wikimedia chapters with the purpose of providing periodic peer-review of chapter budgets, activities, and reports. With activities such as:
  • Defining standards of operation and accountability for chapters in consultation with the Audit Committee of the Wikimedia Foundation,
  • Assisting and supporting chapters in their organizational development,
  • Representing common chapter interests within the movement, and
  • Facilitating the exchange of experiences, ideas, and useful institutional knowledge between chapters.

• Wikimedia Strategy Council with the purpose of:
  • Developing and revising the common strategy for the Wikimedia movement, setting movement-wide strategic priorities, and determining funding priorities for all movement entities.
  • Identifying external conditions and defining organizational prerequisites for engaging in local fundraising in consultation with the Wikimedia Foundation.

• Wikimedia Strategy Council and Funds Dissemination Committee comprised of individuals who represent the diversity of our movement.

• Funds Dissemination Committee to actively seek, train, and disseminate grants to individuals, chapters, associations, affiliates, the Wikimedia Foundation, and any other eligible organization guided by the funding priorities determined by the Wikimedia Strategy Council..

Wikimedia Indonesia agrees that

• Chapters should prepare their annual plans, comprising activities as well as measurable outcomes, in observance of the funding priorities set by the Wikimedia Strategy Council and submit them for public review to the Chapters Council.
• Chapters, provided that conditions and prerequisites for engaging in local fundraising are met, be allowed and supported by the Wikimedia Foundation to do so.
• Chapters Council to be established at the Wikimedia Conference 2012 in Berlin and funded by the chapters.

Wikimedia Indonesia appoints and gives mandate to

• Kartika Sari Henry and Ivonne Kristiani to negotiate the ideal structure and to sign the outcome.

Wikimedia Indonesia is committed to

Support the implementation of Chapters Council by providing IDR 5,000,000 (USD 500) to be pooled with other chapters. Wikimedia Indonesia will allocate 10% of unrestricted funding received to ensure that Chapters Council is able to operate and strongly suggest other chapters to commit as much.

2012-03-18 WMMK

• The Executive Board of Wikimedia Macedonia, on its board meeting on 18 March 2012, after discussing the proposal of a Chapter Council, resolve to support the formation of Chapters Council.

• We believe that Chapter Council will strengthen the relations between existing chapters, represent the common interest of all chapters and promote the exchange of experiences between the chapters. We also believe that chapters' delegates should be independent from the Wikimedia Foundation.

• Brest and Slobodan Jakoski, will have a mandate on behalf of Wikimedia Macedonia, together with other chapters' delegates, to define the required structure, to contribute to discussions and to negotiate about any aspects of the Chapters Council at the Wikimedia Chapter Conference in Berlin 2012.

• Brest, President of Wikimedia Macedonia, is authorized to sign the founding Charter.

• The joining of Wikimedia Macedonia to the Chapters Council will be subject of ratification of the founding document by the next ordinary general assembly of Wikimedia Macedonia.

2012-03-17 WMZA

The Board of Wikimedia South Africa supports the formation of a Chapters Council/Association, and believe that model B is the best choice. It is our belief that the Chapters Council/Association will:

• Add value that would optimize Chapter development and relations including building trust between Chapters and the Foundation.
• Stimulate growth towards achieving equitable, sustainable and collaborative standards of exchange between Chapters.
• Align operations/processes and projects with the strategic goals with strong consideration given to the culture and history in the geography where Chapters already exist, and are still to be established.
• We will participate in the discussion of its formation and contribute in whichever way we can to its implementation.
• David Richfield and Lourie Pieterse have a mandate on behalf of WMZA to contribute to and sign the founding Charter of the Chapters Council/Association at the Chapters Conference.

2012-03-16 WMVE

english

Wikimedia Venezuela, after discussing internally the proposal to develop a Chapters Council, resolves to support the creation of the Chapters Council for the following reasons:

1. The experience gained so far, thanks to the Ibero-American Cooperation Initiative (Iberocoop) has indicated that the exchange of experiences and cooperation in various projects to support the development of free knowledge translates into a win-win relationship between chapters and communities.
2. Working together has strengthened the chapters involved in such initiatives, supporting the development of emerging chapters as well as feeding back the established ones.
3. The language barrier that is present in using English effectively has not been an impediment to organize activities and projects with chapters with whom we share culture, geography, history and idiosyncrasies.
4. The Chapters Council is an appropriate and necessary instance to treat in a unified manner the issues that affect us as chapters, thus reducing the need for individual efforts.
5. In setting common policies and standards of transparency and accountability, it will ensure greater accountability and efficiency in the use of human, technical and financial resources by the different communities.
6. It becomes more effective for planning, defining, organizing, implementing and auditing projects inter-chapters.

Wikimedia Venezuela is willing to participate in the discussions needed to design and define the Chapters Council, by agreement with the other chapters that have agreed to participate in the project. Additionally, resolves to issue a mandate to its representatives Oscar Costero and Carlos Colina to negotiate and discuss what it takes to make this initiative a reality, especially during the Chapters Conference to be held in Berlin in late March 2012.

Additionally, Wikimedia Venezuela offers support to any task that is necessary for the successful establishment of the Chapters Council.

spanish

Wikimedia Venezuela, luego de discutir internamente la propuesta de desarrollar un Consejo de Capítulos, resuelve apoyar la creación de un Consejo de Capítulos por los siguientes motivos:

1. La experiencia hasta ahora adquirida, gracias a la Iniciativa de Cooperación Iberoamericana (Iberocoop), ha indicado que el intercambio de experiencias y cooperación en diversos proyectos de apoyo al desarrollo del conocimiento libre se traduce en una relación ganar-ganar entre los capítulos y las comunidades.
2. Trabajar de manera conjunta ha fortalecido a los capítulos participantes en este tipo de iniciativas, apoyando el desarrollo de aquellos capítulos nacientes así como retroalimentando los ya establecidos.
3. La barrera idiomática que representa no usar inglés de manera efectiva no ha sido impedimento para organizar actividades y proyectos con capítulos con los que compartimos cultura, geografía, historia e idiosincracia.
4. Un Consejo de Capítulos es una instancia apropiada y necesaria para tratar de manera unificada aquellos asuntos que nos afectan a todos los capítulos, reduciendo así la necesidad de dedicar esfuerzos de manera individual.
5. Al establecer políticas y normativas de transparencia y responsabilidad comunes, se garantiza una mayor esponsabilidad y eficacia en el uso de los recursos humanos, técnicos y financieros por las diferentes comunidades.
6. Se hace más efectiva la planificación, definición, organización, ejecución y auditoría de aquellos proyectos inter-capítulos.

Wikimedia Venezuela se encuentra dispuesta a participar de las discusiones necesarias para el diseño y definición del Consejo de Capítulos, de manera consensuada con los otros capítulos que han acordado su participación en el proyecto. Adicionalmente, resuelve otorgar un mandato a sus representantes Oscar Costero y Carlos Colina para negociar y discutir lo que sea necesario para hacer de esta iniciativa una realidad, especialmente durante la Conferencia de Capítulos a celebrarse en Berlín a finales de marzo de 2012.

Adicionalmente, Wikimedia Venezuela ofrece su apoyo a cualquier tarea que sea necesaria para la conformación exitosa del Consejo de Capítulos.

2012-03-16 WMFR

Wikimedia France is supporting the creation of WCC. We would like the WCC up and running as soon as possible and would like to move forward a KISS organization in the first times and then build on that.

Wikimedia France is also willing to provide a 5 000€ support to the creation of WCC. So if there's any needs to pay for travels, studies, legal counsel, and such things, we'll be happy to provide for that.

We're also working on the mandate for our representatives in Berlin to ensure we will be able to move quiet fast and efficiently on this topic.

(2012-03-15 Amical)

Full resolution can be found here:[2] I repoduce the part related to Chapters Council.

• ... While the meeting in Paris this year with the national associations it has been proposed creating a council or group of organizations to coordinate ourselves, give us mutual support, establish mechanisms of accountability, and form a united voice....

• Under Article 10 e) of our bylaws is the responsibility of the General Assembly to take the decision to join associations and to separate from them.
  Hereby authorizes the president to join the association to Chapters Council as a founding member with full rights and negotiate the detailed structure of this entity.
  It also authorizes him to propose that the seat of this new organization be established in Barcelona.

2012-03-14 WMCL

The Board of Wikimedia Chile decided to welcome and fully support the idea of a Chapters Council, presented on the past Finance Meeting.

We believe the Chapters Council is a great opportunity to strength the relations between chapters, raise the voice of different communities, especially those excluded within our movement for geographical and linguistic barriers, and help the exchange of valuable practices between equal partners towards the improvement of our movement on a global scale. Our experience as part of Iberocoop, a similar initiative on a regional level, has proved how important is to work on these principles.

Wikimedia Chile will be glad to be a part of this Chapters Council and will participate on the discussion for its design and implementation.

Also, Daniel Bravo and Osmar Valdebenito will have a mandate to negotiate on behalf of Wikimedia Chile at the Wikimedia Conference its participation as a member of this Council and sign whatever is need for its creation.

2012-03-08 WMNL

On its board meeting [...], the board of Wikimedia Nederland decided to send Paul Becherer and [Ziko van Dijk] to Berlin with a mandate to negotiate and decide about actions concerning joining a new chapters' organization. WMNL is willing to support the process with up to 5% of its budget.

2012-03-08 WMDE

The supervisory board of Wikimedia Deutschland resolves:

1. Wikimedia Deutschland supports the establishment of a Chapters Council with these goals:
   1. To represent the common interest of the chapters
   2. To determine and enforce binding standards of accountability for chapters
   3. To promote the exchange of experiences among the chapters
   4. To support and promote the development of chapters as self-sustaining, capable organizations
2. Wikimedia Deutschland prefers a robust, capable, and self-reliant Chapters Council and therefore strongly supports a structure equivalent to "Model B".
3. Delphine Ménard and Martin Rulsch are authorized to negotiate the founding document of the Chapters Council on behalf of Wikimedia Deutschland and to sign it, provided that the conditions listed before are met in it.
4. Wikimedia Deutschland's joining of the Chapters Council will be subject to the approval of the board and ratification of the founding document by the 10th members' assembly.
5. The board asks the CEO to provide material and staff support for the activities necessary to establish the Chapters Council.

2012-03-07 WMRS

Wikimedia Serbia supports the founding of Chapters Council and supports the KISS model with elements of model B for which capacity exists (e.g. paid Executive Board).

WMRS also believes that chapters' delegates must not be in dependant relation with Wikimedia Foundation, but may be members of chapter's board or chapter's employees.

WMRS gives mandate to Nikola Smolenski to be a delegate of WMRS for matters of Chapters Council on the Chapters Conference 2012.

2012-03-07 WMIL

1. Wikimedia Israel welcomes the idea of the chapters council and is interested in joining it.
2. We support the B-model with the following exceptions:
   1. We do not want to limit the ability to be in the chapters council while still holding a position elsewhere. We believe it would be difficult enough to find good people for this position anyway. Moreover, different chapters have different structures. In some of them, the most appropriate representatives for the council are the board members.
   2. We believe that the title "president" does not reflect well the responsibilities of its future holder. We believe that the name "Secretary-General" would be more appropriate. It's subordinates however may still be called officers.
3. Since WMIL budget had been received from the foundation subject to a work plan which has already been submitted we cannot allocate funds to support the council at this moment. We will of course support our share in the future.
4. WMIL will contribute any of its available resources to support the council. This may include meetings or conferences organisation, process management or any other skill possessed by any of the chapter's board or members.
5. Despite the importance we see in setting up the council as quickly as possible we advice walking in cautious steps. We suggest involving a consulting group in the process[3].
6. Our delegates to the Wikimedia meeting in Berlin, which are Itzik Edri and Tomer Ashur, will have a mandate on behalf of the chapter to negotiate and sign whatever necessary. However, both may not necessarily be the representatives to the council.

2012-03-04 WMCH

• The board agrees with both submitted models on Chapters Council#Structure, preference is currently on the "KISS model". We believe that the "Model B" may be the next step when we come to the limits of the "KISS model".

• WM CH is willing to finance the first phase of the project, host the first meeting of the council, support the organization until the Council will be financially independent. WMCH is willing to assist council establishment by facilitating the negotiation with the city able to receive the council office like Geneva or Zurich if Switzerland should be designed to host the (or one of the) council office. Informations about Geneva where 90% of NGO's located in Switzerland have their office can be found here: Chapters Council/Localization of the WCA in Geneva.

addendum 2012-03-27

• Our representatives at the Chapters Meeting 2012, Ilario Valdelli and Charles Andres, have the mandate to negotiate about any aspects of the Chapters Council respecting the resolutions previously published and to sign the charter of the Chapters Council in behalf of Wikimedia CH. If one of the two representatives cannot join the Chapters Meeting, Manuel Schneider, Wikimedia CH CIO, has the mandate to replace the missing representative.

• According to the previously published statement, Wikimedia CH will support the Chapters Council by dedicating 5% of the annual incoming for the Council plus a dedicated fund of 50.000 CHF if Switzerland should be chosen as seat of the association to help to the setup of the Chapter Council office.

2012-03-03 WMUK

The Board of Wikimedia UK strongly supports the principle of a Chapters Council. Such a Council is supported as a good solution to the issues of necessary governance that the Chapters and the Wikimedia Foundation need to resolve. We look forward to working with other chapters to define the required structure, including the outcomes and budget. We delegate authority to Fæ and Roger Bamkin to take the discussion forward at the chapters meeting.

2012-02-22 WMAT

• The board agrees with both submitted models on http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Chapters_Council#Structure, preference is currently on the "KISS model". We believe that the "Model B" may be the next step when we come to the limits of the "KISS model".

• Wikimedia Österreich supports the implementation of the Chapters Council with a preliminary budget of 5.000 EUR. This money is meant to be pooled with other chapters in to pay costs after the Chapters Council have been set up, eg. travel costs for a Council Meeting or a salary of a hired secretary. Further funds can be allocated when a financial plan and a request is submitted.

• Our representatives at the Chapters Meeting 2012, Kurt Kulac and Manuel Schneider, have the mandate to negotiate about any aspects of the Chapters Council respecting the resolutions mentioned above and to sign the charter of the Chapters Council in behalf of Wikimedia Österreich.

2012-03-30 WMES

• Wikimedia España supports the creation of a Wikimedia Chapters Council, and looks forward to discussing its details in Berlin.