Movement Charter Ambassadors Program, 2024
Commencing years back, in 2017, a Strategic Direction was shaped to guide our movement into the future; towards the year 2030 as was planned. And so emerged the needed Movement Charter document as a “guiding compass“, for the way this strategic direction will take us. Our Values and Principles — how do we define these things? — and how will Decisions be made? And for changes called for, how can amendments be made? These are deep questions.
Being a part of the Movement Charter Ambassadors Program was a privilege and a commitment; albeit tasked with some decent lifting to deliver the charter documents to conversations with our communities. When met with indifference, I would heave a heavy sigh; and when welcomed, lifted the weight for a good night’s sleep. Indeed, for charter ambassadors, the movement we need is on our shoulders.
By 2030, we envision the Wikimedia ecosystem as the essential infrastructure of Free Knowledge; “an international socio-cultural movement whose mission is to bring free knowledge for the whole world” — by all its stakeholders: namely the individual and institutional participants, movement entities, projects and both the online and offline spaces associated with it. Editors, administrators, illustrators, photographers, organizers and so forth, who volunteer their time, talent and treasure.
The Charter document sets out the rights, authority, and privileges of stakeholders; and their commensurate responsibilities, with the goal “for movement stakeholders to collaborate with each other“. It’s a long sentence, yes? How does one convey it in the simplest of expressions? Yet I don’t have to, really, because I am with gifted Wikipedians.
But here’s the rub — large numbers of us need to agree to accept the charter on 25 June―9 July 2024. Agreeing is a tricky word, so we use the term, “ratify” — to have this Movement Charter document approved in its best possible form. It’s a pitch that starts with a brief — that such a document is one which the Wikimedia movement yet does not have.
I guess we can sing our praises better, after, louder with more feeling, but later. The consultations, conversations and ”drop-in” sessions across time zones we dived into, all to mitigate some inaccurate information that may slip through the cracks — showed a clearer map to follow. The extent of it can actually be fun, such as the drop-in sessions, the regional online conversations, the community consultations and my homespun meetups + movement charter conversations. Most especially our meetups, yes, hands down, actually being the most fulfilling. The process brings mixed feelings to me; triumph and disaster. I read the faces and determine where conversations go as they happen. What’s in this for us? What will it be like?
Today I realize the privilege of being part of the Movement Charter Ambassadors Program. And for what it’s worth, I can’t help the fandom from the flashes of inspired thinking by people I so greatly admire. Will anyone want it any other way?
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