Wikimedia South Africa/2022-AGM
Wikimedia ZA meeting minutes.
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Venue
- Wikimedia South Africa AGM 2020
- Date: 1 October 2021
- Time: 10:00 to 12:30 + 30 min lunch intermission -> 13:00 return for board elections and other discussions
- Location: On your computer via Zoom, please register to join
WMZA Annual General Meeting 1 October 2022 Previous AGM minutes: http://wikimedia.org.za/wiki/2021 or at Wikimedia ZA AGM 2021
Attendees
- Adri Baard
- Bobby Shabangu
- Coenraad Loubser
- Douglas Scott
- Dumisani Ndubane
- Ian Gilfillan
- Ingrid Thomson
- Kekeletso Collen Mafaladiso
- Michael Graaf
- Paul Conlin
- Reuben Honigwachs
- Stephan Snyman
- Veer Gosai (Taptic)
- Gwinyai Masukume
- Shupai Mchuchu
- Chabota Kanguya
- Nobantu Modise
Apologies & Proxies
- Deon Steyn - Proxy: Douglas Scott
- Khethiwe Marais: - Bobby Shabangu
- Nazeem Hardy: No proxy sent
Agenda
Approval of 2021 AGM minutes
- Previous minutes were reviewed with the attendees. A motion was passed Bobby Shanbagu was nominated once to be the Chapters president again.
- Douglas proposes passing 2021 AGM minutes, Ian & Ingrid second, no objections, motion passes. Kekelesto and Chabota seconded via Zoom chat.
Five-year plan (started in 2019) review
- Last year the strategic plan was discussed and it was proposed to act on them. We haven't managed to execute as we lack volunteers as well as partners to sign up with the Chapter. Wikimedia is to be divided into two categories. Bookshelf helps with a citation for editors, the other is to have copyright advocacy. Community Outreach programs. Bobby S said the Chapter is committed to achieving the items on the Five Year Plan. Bobby has been running some African language programs and partnering with universities, but with covid things have been on a slowdown. Will the chapter go back to a face-to-face approach within the outreach programs? Working in virtual spaces gave an advantage to more programs being run. Covid prompted the chapter to run virtual meetups as well as hybrid events. The chapter and members are involved in connectivity and Kiwix projects. The chapter is looking into having face-to-face meetings at other libraries like we do at the Cape Town Central Library where they can offer space.
Venues which are needed will be space with computers as well internet connection. It was suggested to deliberately discuss how to achieve the rest of the 5-year plan
- Dumi notes that the Foundation will most likely not follow through on any efforts towards zero-rating Wikipedia due to net neutrality concerns and the local chapter should take this into consideration.
Dumi suggests an annual 3-day retreat for the board. This retreat can be done sometime next year in the next financial year, 2024-25. Bobby notes that we are reliant on partners to support us in our initiatives.
What have we achieved for 2021/22 (projects) - see activity report
The bulk of the number of unpaid volunteer hours has been calculated by multiplying the length of the events by the number of volunteers. The numbers are likely a gross underestimation, administration shows the highest because it is the best documented. The Afrikaans Wikipedia 20th birthday celebration also took place last year. Wiki loves science took place in 2021. Training has been done for the administrator.
Working on copyright laws, and advocating for friendly copyright laws in South Africa, for which we received good press coverage. In terms of staying up-to-date and contributing to the chapter activities, the monthly meetups are one way to get in touch with other chapter members. It was said that it is important to keep people in the loop of the activities happening within the chapter, such as board meetings etc... A systematic method needs to be applied for letting people know. Douglas, Shupai, and Bobby noted their notifications when their events. General updates Michael and Douglas have been working on this project, with the Kaapse members to edit in their language. Bobby ran an editathon with members of the Kimberly library. The focus was on raising awareness of Wikipedia and editing in African languages. 1Lib1ref with Ingrid and Bobby.
DHASA conference also took place sometime last month which Bobby ran the workshop. The Chapter applied for WIPO was not approved. It was a good professional exercise for us to make sure that our administration and checklists are up to date.
Q&A about annual financial statements. Paul C asked the board to follow up and supply details concerning who the Sundry Debtors line item. Dispute with South African Revenue Service with regards to our PBO (Public Benefit Organization) Application status discussed.
Discussed the possibility of appointing an official legal representative to respond to legal challenges. We receive several annually. Reuben suggests reaching out to other orgs like OpenUp for advice or recommendations on legal council and auditors. Reuben also suggests once we have PBO status, that we register on platforms like benevity.org https://causes.benevity.org/causes/search/--/wikimedia Local Wikimania events were hosted in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Planned for 2022/23 as outlined in the 2022/23 WMF grant
Reviewed items listed on the approved budget "WMZA 2022/23 budget approved.xlsx". Wiki loves fynbos will become Wiki loves botany. Reuben requests more capacity for hybrid outreach events so facilitators can join remotely. WikiIndaba in Rwanda. Partnership with Iziko.
WMF pressure for 3-year grant cycle. Current budget pressure. Important to align AGM with the grant cycle.
Speak about how to better engage and include the Wiki community in chapter activities
WM 2030 movement strategy and how to better get involved.
- Agreement to have a strategy meeting on another date as we have run out of time to discuss this at this meeting.
Suggested projects & volunteers for 2023/24 FY - we always need more volunteers
Proposed projects for 2023/24 and beyond
Rueben note: need to keep in mind about a location. Should setup a small kit (dongle/LTE router, laptop, projector, internet, banners, cameras, speakerphone, merch, large UPS) in JHB and CT for doing mobile events. See link: https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/video-conferencing/conference-cameras/connect-conferencecam.960-001013.html
- Wiki Loves
- Photographic walks - Nobantu
- Wiki botany/science - Douglas
- Wiki Loves Monuments & Africa - Shupai, Douglas
- African language support
- Kaaps, Xan, Khoi Wikipedia incubation support – Michael & Douglas
- SADILAR events - Ingrid, Bobby, and Douglas
- African langauge Wikipedia community growth support - (further discussion, also ask WMUK)
- Website: project suggestion/area - Coenraad
- 1Lib1Ref - Ingrid
- Library outreach - Ingrid/Douglas
- Afrocine (cinema) – Ingrid
- Art+Feminanism/Woman in Red – Ingrid
- Afro crowed/BLT - ?
- Afrikaans training & editathons - Deon (maybe Stephane)
- Remote Wikidata Workshop (Reuben, maybe Stephan?)
- Energy in South Africa (conventional and renewable power plants, locations, capacity etc)
- Water in South Africa
- Healthcare in South Africa
- Open copyright licence advocacy
- Schools/University roadshow - Deon, Bobby, Douglas, others?
non-Wikimedians changes Proposed
Minimum edits. Dumi commthe ents that many chapters have non Wikimedians on board. Unless we want to split between executive and non-executive board members.
- Proposal: "Requirements to become a board member. Propose to pass a resolution that only chapter members who have made more than 5 edits on a non-profit free knowledge movement Wiki or open contribution platform (such as Wikipedia and sister Wiki sites, Open Street Maps, ect.) can be nominated or appointed to the Wikimedia South Africa board." - proposed by Douglas
Douglas and Bobby explain the motivation for this rule. To ensure that volunteer board members are committed, or display a commitment, to the Wiki movement; and are committed to learning more about it and engaging in the digital side of the movement. Experience the historical experiance of the chapter where one of the board members of the very first board (2012) who did not have any online Wiki editing presence was very disruptive because they did not follow the "good faith" and other Wiki cultural guidelines.
Coenraad suggests that this is not necessarily the best way to address this problem. Other options might be to require that board members join veteran WMZA Wikimedia members to get a better understanding of the movement.
Ian: comments on the need for a code of conduct to avoid negative board members or other better ways to resolve this problem. Suggests that prospective board members introduce themselves to the chapter community before becoming a board members so as to familiarise themselves with the board. Important that the board is always upfront with board members about what the expectations are of a board member before they become a member and that the chapter develops a solid code of conduct for existing board members. Bobby supports Ian's suggestion.
Nobantu: suggests that a prior "highering committee" review prospective board members before the AGM where they are elected. Bobby agrees but points out that the WMZA currently does not have a "highering committee."
Bobby suggests setting a minimum requirement of commitment for board members. Shupai to report on the progress of commitment of board members. For example, 3 board meetings a year.
It was suggested to have a meta page for existing board members [this already exists at http://wikimedia.org.za/wiki/Board - the new member portion is what is needed], and revert back after 6 months, People were advised to represent themselves to the community for voting. Board meetings to be used to cohort new board members. Constitutionally board member needs to be voted for during AGM. A new board member was co-opted during the course of the year. He was recommended by Wynand due to his work schedule. Policies in place are needed when a board member steps down. The person must give proper notice with the reason for stepping down.
This is the section from the WMF board:
- "Section 7. Removal. Any Trustee may be removed, with or without cause, by a majority vote of the Trustees then in office in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 617.0808(1), or other relevant provisions of the Act" - https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Bylaws
Board Members Votes
Douglas has Deon Steyn proxy and he wants to be voted on the board, and it was seconded with no objections Bobby has proxy of Khethiwe Marais, seconded y Douglas with no objections Ingrid Thomson put herself to be part of the board and it was seconded, with no objections. Michael Graaf, Douglas, Scott, and Bobby Shabangu put themselves up for the board and it was seconded with no objections. Bobby nominated Nobantu Modise it was seconded by members with no objections Coenraad Loubser put himself up for the board and it was seconded with no objections. Three board members can register for the CIPC, currently, it is Bobby Shabangu, Douglas Scott, and Deon Steyn Username Taptic put himself for being on the board. Taptic gave a motivation on why he would like to be part of Wikimedia ZA board member. Stephan was nominated to be part of the board member, but it was suggested that he can present his motivation for the new process which is going to be adopted in the near future
Nominations
- Bobby
- Coenraad
- Deon
- Douglas
- Ingrid
- Khetiwe
- Michael
- Nobantu
- Veer (Taptic)
All 9 nominees were seconded by the available attendees with no objections
Ian proposes that approve all board members, Douglas seconds. No objects. A New board is elected for 2022/23.
Next AGM Meeting
Saturday, 18 November 2023 was selected as the date of the next Wikimedia ZA annual gernal meeting.