Wikimedia South Africa/2021-AGM
Wikimedia ZA meeting minutes.
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Venue
- Wikimedia South Africa AGM 2021
- Date: 25 September 2021
- Time: 10:00 to 13:00 + 1 hour lunch intermission -> 14:00 return for board elections
- Location: On your computer via Zoom, please register to join
- Once you have registered you can join by clicking on the same link.
News
The new CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation, Maryana Iskander, has expressed an interest in joining the first hour of the AGM so she can get better acquainted with our movement and the volunteer community that makes projects like Wikipedia happen. She is based in South Africa which is why we have been given the unique opportunity to be the first affiliate AGM she will be attending and one of the first communities she will be able to get acquainted with.
AGM material
Wikimedia South Africa Annual Report for the period July 2020 to June 2021 (the chapter year 2020/21) (chairperson's report)
Attendees
- Deon Steyn - attended the first hour
- Douglas Scott (User: Discott)
- Bobby Shebangu
- Ingrid Thomson
- Ian Gilfillan (User: Greenman)
- Khanyi Mpumlwana (WMF)
- Khethiwe Marais
- Maryana Iskander (WMF)- attended the first hour
- Mathoto Matsetela
- Michael Graaf
- Nobantu Modise
- Rianne van Vuuren
- Samir Elsharbaty (WMF) - attended the first hour and a half
- Sipho Fako
- User: YaguraStation
- User: TapticInfo
- Gert Coetzee (User: Aliwal2012)
- Gwinyai Masukume
- Paul Conlin
Apologies & proxies
- Deon Steyn - puts him self forward for the 2021/22 board. Deon appoints Wynand as his proxy during the AGM. He will try to attend as much of the AGM as possible.
- Coenraad Loubser - unable to attend, willing to stand. Appoints Nobantu as proxy.
Agenda
Meet the new WMF CEO
- Discussion with the new WMF CEO, Maryana Iskander, about the chapter and some of the issues faced by local editors. Lasted from 10:00 - 11:00.
WMF public outreach presentation
- Presentation by the WMF to the chapter on the media outreach project they want to launch, with WMZA as a core partner, to increase regional awareness of Wikipedia (+ other Wikis too). Done by 11:27.
Review of 2020 minutes
- See the 2020 AGM Minutes here
- Vote to approve the previous minutes passes.
Matters arising from the minutes
- For matters not already covered in the annual report but discussed in the previous AGM.
Annual Report
- Presentation of the Wikimedia South Africa Annual Report for the period July 2020 to June 2021.
Financials
- Presentation and discussion of the Chapter's financials for FY 2020 - FY 2021
WMZA official mission statement
- Following regulations by SARS for not-for-profits to have a clear mission statement that stipulates a clear mandate and objectives. WikimediaZA has put together a draft mission statement which we are looking to discuss and finalize with members of the AGM. A draft mission statement can be accessed here
Proposed statement
“Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. That’s our commitment.” - Wikimedia Foundation
In a word: “Free-knowledge”
Wikimedia South Africa is a not-for-profit membership organisation that exists to actively participate in knowledge dissemination and the promotion of access for all to free knowledge. Both as in free of cost and as in free speech. The organisation also exists to promote the contribution of free knowledge by anyone to the body of free knowledge held on the internet. This includes, but is not limited to, access to the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia as well as to sister projects such as Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, and many others.
The chapter's activities include supporting volunteer chapter members in activities to grow and contribute to these free knowledge projects as well as encouraging members of the public to make likewise contributions and so grow the volunteer contributing community. This involves running events that support the growth of the community of volunteers that participate in the free knowledge movement and that grow the body of free knowledge that is freely accessible to the public.
Activities are either done by the volunteer community that forms the base of our membership or are done by an appointed administrative representative(s) on behalf of the organisation. The chapter members elect a board of trustees on an annual basis to direct the day-to-day activities of the organisation. These trustees are elected from the community of volunteer chapter members and perform their tasks on behalf of the organisation as unpaid volunteers in service of the free knowledge mission. The scope of Wikimedia South Africa's activities is primarily focused on activities in South Africa, secondarily focused on supporting the free knowledge movement in the rest of Africa, and thirdly focused on supporting the free knowledge movement in the rest of the world.
Wikimedia South Africa is a non-partison non-political organisation that operates within the prescripts of the South African bill of rights.
Around 60% of the chapter's time is spent on outreach activities to raise awareness of Wikipedia and other free knowledge projects and encouraging volunteer participation in them. The other 40% of the chapter's time is typically spent on supporting volunteers in those free knowledge projects in their activities as volunteer free knowledge contributors.
Voting on mission statement
- Motion passes to adopt the mission statement (with struck out text excluded) with a clear majority in favor.
Meeting intermission
Intermission starts at 12:35; Agree to rejoin at 13:35
5 year strategy update
- Presentation and discussion of the WikimediaZA 5 year plan
Activities for next year
- Discussions
2022 WMZA board elections
- Election of the board
- Election of the President
People putting them selves forward to serve on the board
- Bobby Shabangu - no objections
- Douglas Ian Scott- no objections
- Wynand van der Walt - no objections
- Deon Steyn - no objections
- Coenraad Loubser - no objections
- Michael Graaf - no objections
- Nobantu Modise - no objections
- Sincerity (MaQueen) Lawrence - no objections
- Duduzile Khethiwe Marais - no objections
Everyone who is put forward for the board (above) is elected to form the new board for the 2021/22 year.
WMZA president
- Douglas nominates Bobby as president
- Ingrid and Khetiwe second Bobby as president for WMZA
Next AGM
- Proposed date for the next AGM
- Saturday - 1 October 2022 selected as the date of the 2022 AGM
- Mid term super meeting on Saturday - 26 February 2022