Wikimedia CH/Care

Wikimedia CH and Care

Generally, the Care refers to the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of someone or something. It speaks of feeling or showing care for, concern about, or attentiveness to other people's needs; but it also speaks of taking reasonable measures to protect, offer counseling and support those in need. In the context of Wikimedia, it may be supporting volunteers confronted to various situations that threaten their health and well-being.

The United Nations provided a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. In tune with them, welcoming, safety and inclusion actions within the Wikimedia communities, creating an Universal Code of Conduct (UCoC) was discussed and rated inside the Diversity Working Group as the highest-priority initiative and considered crucial so much to become the third Movement Strategy 2030 recommendation Providing for safety and inclusion.

A few years down the line, the UCoC was created and provides a global baseline of acceptable (art. 2) and unacceptable (art. 3) behavior for the entire movement which avoids bias and prejudice, excludes any type of harassment, and help create "a world in which everyone can freely share in the sum of all knowledge ». The Wikimedia Foundation Universal Code of Conduct is one of the consequences of the Duty of care supported by the Wikimedia Foundation [1] honestly, in good faith and with a reasonable amount of diligence and care. The duty of care requires that Board Members act in good faith, on a fully informed basis and in a deliberative manner. It generally requires that Trustees exercise the care of an ordinarily prudent person in similar circumstances.

Despite the UCoC, we often witness situations of harassment, legal disputes arising from contributions, hate speech, doxing etc. which very negative impact on the health and well being of targeted individuals. More generally, contributions to Wikimedia projects may also have negative side consequences in case of lack of physical exercice, long sessions facing a screen, or poor eating habits.

In 2025, Wikimedia CH will propose various services to help the community, starting with a specific focus on the French speaking community.