Foggy Bottom Agreement

The following text is a proposed agreement to be adopted by attendees at the Congress of Wikimedians in the United States to be held at Wikimania 2012.

Foggy Bottom Agreement

We, the Wikimedians of the United States, being united in our shared commitment to a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge, have adopted the following principles:

• We believe that the successful realization of the Wikimedia vision depends on our ability to recruit, encourage, and support Wikimedians, both individually and collectively; to build lasting collaborative relationships with educational and cultural institutions and movement partners; to educate decision-makers, donors, and the general public about the importance of our mission; and to cater to the needs of Wikimedians and non-Wikimedians alike.

• We believe that fulfilling these needs requires active collaboration, organization, outreach, and support at the national, regional, and local levels; a strong commitment to openness, friendliness, and cooperation at all levels of the Wikimedia movement; and the adoption of shared standards for transparency, accountability, and professionalism.

• We believe that these goals can most effectively be reached by many independent groups of Wikimedians acting in concert.

In consideration of these principles, we hereby declare our intent:

• To develop a strong network of Wikimedian groups like Wikipedia in the United States; to assist these groups in forming, growing, and catering to the needs of their local Wikimedian communities; to collectively explore, record, and share best practices; and to support the gradual establishment of regional Wikimedia chapters across the United States.

• To build collaboration among all Wikimedians and Wikimedian groups in the United States; to foster an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect at all levels of the Wikimedia movement; and to encourage the collective pursuit of shared visions, interests, and programs.

• To organize, before the end of 2012, two or more collaborative projects and events, to be conducted by Wikimedians and Wikimedian groups across the United States.

• To convene, before the end of 2013, a congress of representatives from all Wikimedian groups in the United States, so that they might develop methods for improved collaboration and a shared strategic vision for our collective pursuit of the Wikimedia mission.

By signing this agreement, we declare our support of these principles and goals.