If you would like to be considered for an appointment to the Affiliations Committee during our current recruitment cycle, please post your application on this page. All applications must be submitted by 31 December 2017.

Your application must include the following information:

1. Your full name and Wikimedia username
2. A statement describing your relevant experience, skills, and motivation for joining the committee.
3. Answers to the following three questions:

1. How do you think affiliates work best together to partner on effective projects and initiatives?
2. What do you see as the role of affiliates in the Wikimedia movement in the next three years?
3. What do you feel you will bring to the committee that makes you a uniquely qualified candidate?

All Wikimedians are invited to share endorsements and comments about candidates. If you provide a negative comment, please cite appropriate evidence for your concerns; it is not appropriate to simply state a negative opinion without factual evidence. We would like to maintain a friendly space for candidates to state their interest without fear of public ridicule.

1. Full name: Derick Ndimnain Alangi and Wikimedia username: Alangi_Derick.
2. I'm a software engineer by profession and a Wikimedia volunteer developer for over 2yrs now. I'm mostly skilled around technical stuff (like software engineering, programming and building software based applications) and community engagement and capacity building. My motivation for joining the committee is to work with other communities still growing and joining the Wikimedia global movement to become affiliates with the Wikimedia Foundation. Some of these communities don't know how to get around being affiliates, so my focus will mostly bringing them knowledge and drilling them how to become one. For more information about me, you can view my user page .
3. Answers below;

1. I think the best way so far is communicating with others on the project and/or initiative to gain common grounds on how it can be executed in favor of all parties. When this is done and all properties of the project and initiative put in place, then the project will be a success when smart work is put in, in order to accomplish the project.
2. Affiliates in the next 3 years will be the main building blocks of the global Wikimedia movement. As these communities harness the power of bringing together volunteers from various perspectives together in a very flexible manner and hence growing the Wikimedia movement at large.
3. What I have unique is my communication power and charm to tap into emerging communities, help them to see the light (vision of Wikimedia) while showing them the path of how to become affiliates to support the global Wikimedia community to reach our vision within the shortest possible time, hence making the world even a better place to be (ideally). In addition, from a science background, I've the unique property of using logic to make decisions which will improve on the decision making process of selecting communities to Wikimedia affiliates.

1. Support Support User is a good person, and knows how to help out others in the movement. He current is one of the leaders of the African wikimedia developers group and has shown great respect towards the movement as well. --Zppix (talk) 17:33, 17 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
2. Support Support I have known Derick only for a year, but there is a great vision for the wikimedia foundation in Cameroon, Africa and the world. He is an adequate candidate.--Geugeor Georges (talk) 18:11, 17 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
3. Support Support I have known Derick for more than 4 years. He introduced me to programming and open source. He is a very committed engineer and has passion for community building. He has contributed to building of our techosystem. He is very passionate about wikimedia and tries to spread the movement as much as he can. I believe he is a great candidate. --ivange94 (talk) 19:19, 17 December 2017 (UTC + 1)
4. Support Support Being one of the co-founders of Wikimedians of Cameroon User Group WMCUG and also a volunteer developer at Wikimedia, I will say Derick Ndimnain Alangi is passionate about Wikimedia and has the community at heart and he is the best fit for this position. --Rocardho 23:13:30 WAT
5. Support Support Derick is very hard working and has good communication skills. His ability to bring and encourage people to join the community shows how much he loves what he does. He is the best for this. r054l13 (talk) 11:37, 18 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
6. Support Support d3 as I always call him is a very close collaborator with so much experience and filled with the big dream and passion for not just fulfilling the mission of the WIkimedia Movement in his community but Africa at large. With His ability to bring people together, He stands in a very strategic position ( which if given the oppotunity) will maximise his potentials. Eugene233 (talk) 13:08, 18 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
7. Support Support I always found him helpful and understanding. There are many incidents where he helped others with his knowledge. He has a proven record of communicating with different entities and helping them along the way. I support Derick Alangis nomination. --Gereon K. (talk)
8. Support Support Derick has a strong passion for free knowledge and the Wikimedia movement, very good technical and social skills and a kind and generous personality. I support his nomination. --Kritzolina (talk) 10:22, 19 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
9. Support Support Helpful, understanding, kind personality and good communicator are indeed personality traits I associate with Derick. I think he would be a nice asset. Anthere (talk) 14:46, 19 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
10. Support Support Alangi will be an asset to the AffComm as he brings a technical experience from a Global South perspective. This is needed in every Wikimedia committee. --New Zeus (talk) 15:07, 19 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
11. Support Support Derick has a lot of technical skills and a strong passion for free and open knowledge. I got to know him as a nice and very helpful person who always helps and supports others wherever he can. This are requirements in every Wikimedia committee which he accomplishes well. -- Freddy2001 ^talk 18:50, 21 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
12. Support Support Derick is one of the most enthusiastic Wikimedians I've met. His work with bringing in new developers has been fantastic. Legoktm (talk) 19:53, 21 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
13. Support Support Passionate, dedicated, always willing to learn and always willing to share what he learns with others. What a great fit for the position! -- ArielGlenn (talk) 14:05, 22 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
14. Support Support: This is a very active african guy we need. He is usually ready to help people getting started on tech in Wikimedia movement.--BamLifa (talk) 21:17, 24 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
15. Support Support: Alangi is always trying to make things better in the Wikimedia movement with his hard work and determination. I support him. --Youssef Ben Haj Yahia (talk) 3:55, 26 December 2017 (UTC)
16. Support Support Derick is passionate, enthusiastic and committed to Wikimedia movement. -- Mouahé (talk) 9:11, 30 December 2017 (UTC)
17. Support Support Not only is Derick technically gifted, he has immense organisational skills and is a great team player. I have known this passionate, hardworking and energetic gentleman for close to two years. Together we spent hours working on establishing the Cameroon User group. AminouT (talk) 10:47, 30 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
18. Support Support I support Derrick’s bid he is an active contributor and this will be a great exposure for him off the Wikis.Rberchie (talk) 17:54, 30 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
19. Support Support Derick is a very active african Wikimedian who is dedicated to the free knowledge and sharing. Such a person is a big plus for the committee as he can be a link between Wikimedia and the community in Cameroon. I know Derick personally, and can confirm his dedication, therefore I support his application.Anass Sedrati (talk) 19:45, 30 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
20. Support Support He is Kind and very helpful person I admire a lot as a mentor. I am one of those who found themselves in volunteering for Wikimedia foundation via him. He is the best for this position. Noella94 (talk) 21:31, 30 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
21. Support Support Derick is hardworking and passionate about what he does, he is a suitable candidate --Flixtey (talk) 23:32, 30 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
22. Support Support Derick is a very helpful, kind and hardworking and is good at what he does. Reception123 (talk) 17:10, 31 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
23. Support Support wholeheartedly. Wikicology (talk) 21:47, 31 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
24. Support Support Alangi is very passionate about what he does and believe he going to do far better than what he has already done for Wiki. Good luck Alangi and keep spreading Wiki voice in Africa.
25. Support Support I am aware of some of Derick's work in the movement, and he is definitely passionate about what he does. I believe he can add value to the committee.--Jamie Tubers (talk) 23:30, 1 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
26. Support Support Derick is hard working and his passion for tech and willingness to teach others makes him suitable makes him a good candidate, and i give him my support --SAgbley (talk)
27. Support Support His passion, zeal and hardwork for the movement is recommendable. With all thumbs up, I endorse him for this position. --Joy Agyepong (talk)
28. Support Support Per all above, and per answer 1. ManosHacker ^talk 23:50, 3 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
29. Support Support Luke 081515 10:59, 4 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]

1. ...

I am Sami Mlouhi, a Wikimedian from Tunisia since 2015. I have been contributing to the french, english and arabic Wikipedias, Wikimedia Commons, wikiquote, wikidata and Meta. I have more than 12 492 edits, 3 761 photos and 200 articles.

I am the Coordinator of Creative Commons copyright-licenses at Wikimedia Tunisia User Group and an active membre, I made various tasks related to community building. These included conducting workshops for new Wikipedians, training Wikipedians, hosting meetups, recruitment of volunteers etc. Also, I was involved with organizing events. These included Wikipedia workshops, seminar, conferences, Wiki loves Africa, Wiki loves Earth, Wiki loves Monuments, editathons, conference, school programs. In fact, I belong to the logistic team that will prepare WikiIndaba Tunis 2018.

I helped Wikimedia France during the month of francophonie celebration by organizing an editathon in Tunis.

I served as a member of MedinaPedia project, Tunisia Project and medicine project in Wikipedia. In Wikidata, I am member of WikiProject Medicine.

I have participated in many National and International Events related to Wikimedia projects such as WikiConvention francophone 2016 and 2017, WikidataCon 2017 in Berlin and Wikimdia Tunisia meeting in Sousse.

I'm working now with other international wikimedians on #VisibleWikiWomen Challenge 2018.

I can speak arabic, french, english and italian. I have many experience on social media and international cooperation. I'm familiar with the organizational governance, international policies and political system and conditions in various countries as a member of Amnesty international and the Tunisian Red Crescent, that could be benefit to global social movement like Wikimedia.

Apart from being a Wikipedian, I am member of Carthagina association that aims to promote and raise awareness about Tunisian History, photo club of Tunis and Médecins Sans Frontières. I encourage the Creative Commons movement and google maps where I edit frequently.

I have good communication skills in general but with volunteers more specifically and you can witness that through my workshops. I won the AISEC debate challenge in 2015.

1. How do you think affiliates work best together to partner on effective projects and initiatives?

I think that frequent meetings between affiliates that share common interests is the key to built high-impact projects such as WikidataCon (the meeting of Wikidata community) and WikiConvention francophone (the meeting of users talking french). Also, an interchange between new and old affiliates can be beneficial. In fact, the new user groups have the enthusiasm while the old affiliates have the experience.

2. What do you see as the role of affiliates in the Wikimedia movement in the next three years?

I believe the affiliates should not only recruit more volunteers for the different projects of Wikimedia, but also play more role in developing the skills of the wikimedian by making frequent training and workshops (about the new tools of Wikidata, the new projects of Wikimedia...). Also, affiliates should develop partnerships and plan activities which support the 2030 movement strategy vision.

3. What do you feel you will bring to the committee that makes you a uniquely qualified candidate?

1. I am from Tunisia, almost the only democracy, after the revolution of 2011, in the MENA region so I know the minorities in this region and I will aim to more involve them in affiliates because Wikimedia is for all.
2. I have an international experience and I know the specificities of several countries.
3. I have a big knowledge in law (certificate from university of Monastir) and how to manage the human resources (certificate from the Tunisian Red Crescent).
4. I am enthusiastic and I will be available whenever you want.

Sami Mlouhi 28.12.2017

1. Support Support --Kritzolina (talk) 17:34, 1 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
2. Support Support Ravan (talk) 08:05, 3 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
3. Support Support Knowing Sami as a good and trusted wikipedian, also in several offline activities. I endorse his candidature wishing for him all the success. Dyolf77 (talk) 14:09, 3 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]

1. ...

I am Wang Yi-Sheng, a Taiwanese Wikipedian and an admin in Chinese Wikipedia. "Aotfs2013" is my Wikimedia username, and I have been an active Wikipedian since 2014. Over the past three years as Wikipedian, I have made approximately 14,000 edits in the Wikimedia projects.

In addition to the admin's work, I have been actively creating and amending the Wikipedia Policies and guidelines and updating any inaccurate articles in Chinese Wikipedia. Apart from being the major editor in the "Chinese version" of Wikipedia Administrators' newsletter, It is worth mentioning that I promote the establishment of a reward system Among volunteer editors in Wikipedia, the Wikipedia HONOR & AWARDS is my current focus project in Chinese Wikipedia.

Apart from being a Wikipedian, I have worked for a number of large organization, such experience develops my skills and broadens my knowledge. As a result, I considered myself competent in certain aspects, even compared to veterans.

Having varied working experience at local association made me proficient in many aspects, especially communication.

I worked as a consultant for "Taichung Public Transport Promotion Association" (TPTPA) a few years ago. As a consultant, my duty is to advise on proposing events of TPTPA and exchange ideas with colleges, communications between individuals is unavoidable. Thus, I had a deep understanding of message delivery and interpretation, and also a rich knowledge on the management of the non-government organization. Another thing which is worth mentioning is that the "National Academy for Educational Research" has approved my capability and has invited me to work there as a consultant since August 2017.

Apart from my profession in different large associations, I have also worked as a market manager in an information company "T.ONE". I took charge of the product packaging, marketing and the web page design of "T.ONE". During the years that I have been in the company, I acquired abundant financial knowledge and manpower management skills. With my ability and experience, I think my participation will definitely bring numerous benefits to the Affiliations Committee.

大家好,我來自台灣,我是一位以Aotfs2013為用戶名的維基人,一位中文維基百科的管理員。我自2014年起開始活躍於維基媒體運動,在這些年中,我在維基媒體的各項目中做出了大約14,000次的編輯。

在中文維基百科,除了管理員的工作,我也積極參與於修改與訂定方針與指引、創建並提升條目品質等工作。值得一提的是,我不但還是《維基百科政策公報》的主要編輯,我也是中文維基百科中維基榮譽與獎勵證書制度的主要推動者。

除了在維基百科的參與外,我也曾歷任多項重要職務,我認為我足以勝任維基地方自治體委員會的工作。

這些經驗包括:在民間協會擔任顧問,作為顧問我具備有良好的組織溝通能力;在企業擔任擔任行銷部門的主管,使我獲得了豐富的財務知識與人事管理實務經驗。值得一提的是,基於對我的認同,台灣政府部門也邀請我自八月起擔任顧問的職務。憑藉我的能力與經驗,我相信我的加入將能為自治體委員會帶來更豐富的價值。

How do you think affiliates work best together to partner on effective projects and initiatives?

I think Affiliates are the essential components of the Wikipedia movement. Yet, affiliates lack collaborations between each other for quite a while. If I became a member of the committee, I would encourage the cross-border linkage between Affiliates, and Asia would act as the starting point. Regional programs with Affiliates would also be promoted. The regional programs will try to break the boundary of Wikipedia and the Internet and expand to our daily life. I think such a collaboration will grant Affiliates a significant improvement in the visibility and influence among countries.

我認為自治體是維基百科全球性運動的重要一環。在過去,各地的自治體缺乏合作。如果我成為委員會成員,我將透過我出身於亞洲的地緣背景,以亞洲作為出發地鼓勵各地自治體的跨國聯繫,與自治體共同推動以各區域為核心且不僅限於維基百科的區域計畫,這些計畫將不僅限於網路,而是能夠擴及到日常生活中。我認為我們將使自治體在各國的能見度與影響力獲得顯著的提升。

What do you see as the role of affiliates in the Wikimedia movement in the next three years?

In the next three years, I expect frequent interactions and collaborations between Affiliates through the promotion of the Wikipedia Committee. Resource-sharing would undoubtedly help the foundations of Affiliates around the world. There will be more cross-border and cross-regional interactions between Affiliates, which will greatly renovate the operation of Affiliates. Affiliates will eventually break the language barrier and borders, and become a "centrum of resources" one after another.

透過維基地方自治體委員會的鼓勵與資源挹注,在接下來的三年中,我認為我們將會看到自治體間更頻繁的互動與合作。透過資源的共享,更多國家將能夠在其他自治體的協助下扶植出屬於當地的自治體。我認為自治體將出現更多跨國與跨區域間的互動,大大地改變過去自治體單打獨鬥的情況。未來,自治體將打破語言與國家的隔閡,成為一座又一座的「資源中心」。

What do you feel you will bring to the committee that makes you a uniquely qualified candidate?

First of all, I am eager to participate in the public affairs, which granted me experience in communicating with government departments. Besides, I have experience in marketing and finance that will enable me to assist Affiliates to take root around the world.

If I become a member of the Committee, I will strive to achieve our common goals in the region alongside with the committee. And during the tenure, I will endeavor to resolve any communication barriers by acting as a lubricant to smooth over value clashes and misinterpretations.

I believe that my skills and knowledge will make a significant contribution to the Wikimedia movement and may even bring a new perspective to the committee.

首先,我非常熱衷於對公眾事務的參與,這使我擁有與政府部門溝通的豐富經驗,除此之外,我還具備行銷與財務工作的實務經驗,這將使我更能夠協助地方自治體於世界各地紮根。

如果我成為委員會成員,我將會在委員會的支持下在區域間努力實現我們的共同目標,竭力化解溝通障礙,作為使者的角色串起自治體間的橋樑,並充當本地社群對外的潤滑劑。

藉由我的能力與經驗,我相信我將能夠給委員會帶來嶄新的思維,為維基媒體運動作出顯著的貢獻。

Wang Yi-Sheng
Dec 29, 2017

1. ...

1. ...

You can call me Carlos, too :)

I joined the AffCom in 2013, when my life was undergoing quite a few changes -not simply moving to a new country (from Venezuela to Israel) but literally, starting a new life. The AffCom has been part of these changes for these past 4 years, and the committee itself has undergone quite a few changes in these years as well - since starting to recognize User Groups, to the large number of UGs we have today, to work with dedicated Wikimedia Staff support. 83 User Groups, 37 chapters and one Thematic Organization; those numbers may be easy to read, but they mean a lot -they mean how far our movement in the form of organized communities affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation is reaching. And that is great, but comes with many challenges.

The simplification of the User Group approval process has a lot of credit in this huge increase, but as many groups appear here and there, the potential for conlict arises. Why? well, we're human beings and we may have very different opinions on how to do things. And that's where the conflict may start. But we must strive to channel all the energies put in these emerging conflicts to creation and spread of knowledge, to create new projects, new alliances. I'm not going to say it is easy. I'm not going to say it is difficult, either. It is a challenge, albeit a very gratifying one. Working with such a diverse team at the Affiliations Committee has opened my mind and my vision of not just our movement, but the world itself.

Due to my background (being born and raised in Latin America, currently living in Israel) has permitted me to reach to more people and enrich our experiences, in many cases not needing to rely on a third language to communicate and that helps people to feel able to express their ideas more freely, as well as supporting the need for safe spaces, where no discrimination is allowed, under any circumstance.

I have been a wikimedian for almost 12 years, and can't be more proud of being part of this movement, the one that changed the way the world obtains knowledge, in so many languages, formats and devices. I am an admin in the Ladino Wikipedia, and used to be a test-admin in the Wikimedia Incubator, have completed one #100wikidays, one #100wikicommonsdays and I'm halfway on my second #100commondays -this time, focusing in living women from the Middle East, all in Ladino. My first #100wikidays was dedicated to jewish women, completing new articles in Ladino, English, Spanish and Portuguese -the languages I mostly contribute in, and the topic that I think requires most of our efforts, the gender gap across the different projects. I'm also a member of the Language Committee. I'm a member of Wikimedia Israel and a founding and former board member) of Wikimedia Venezuela, a chapter that has seen very difficult times due to the socio-economic collapse of the country; but despite of this, the chapter is growing -slowly, but it's growing. I have learnt from such a "special" situation that an affiliate requires passion, effort, a lot of dedication and especially, tons of persistence and a big deal of support from other affiliates, the WMF Staff and the AffCom.

1. How do you think affiliates work best together to partner on effective projects and initiatives? I think that one of the best tools we have, is to encourage the development of friendships between members of affiliates. Encounters do help, but working online together helps a great deal too. The personal relationships between members of Iberocoop has helped nurture a core of contributors from different affiliates to work together, establish new projects and especially, feel comfortable to express their ideas and convert them into vital pieces of projects.

2. What do you see as the role of affiliates in the Wikimedia movement in the next three years? Affiliates need to continue growing, not just in number but also in size -and whenever possible, the professionalization of the affiliate. This, and a healthy interaction between affiliates are crucial to guarantee the success of the 2030 movement strategy. And the AffCom can help ease that interaction, as well as the growth and how to handle it, especially the conflicts that may arise.

3. What do you feel you will bring to the committee that makes you a uniquely qualified candidate?

1. I was born and raised in Latin America, and am familiar with the development of smaller, minority communities (I also speak a Native American language, Wayuunaiki, and an endangered language, Ladino, and contribute to both). I can communicate effectively in quite a few languages (es-n, en-4, pt-4, lad-4, de-3, he-3, guc-3, it-3, ar-2, fr-2). I live in the Middle East, and have worked with many wikimedians from the region in smaller projects.
2. I work in outbound tech support, so I have experience in reaching out to people, understanding their needs and how to help them the most effective way possible.
3. I have experience on setting up an affiliate (a founding member of Wikimedia Venezuela) and how to navigate through the bureaucracy and paperwork requireed, and also, I have worked at an Israeli NGO that strives for a more equal society, which that has helped me learn a lot about small NGOs, how they work, how to advocate at a local scale, interact with the local government and how to reach out to more people and increase the awareness and importance of what we are doing.
4. I am straightforward and like to go directly to the point; we just can't waste movement resources -regardless if they are human, monetary or logistic ones.
5. I have been a member of the AffCom and am familiar with the way it works and with what we can improve internally. And I just happen to be honored to work with such a group of talented, passionate wikimedians.

1. Support Support Has previous experiences which I believe will be very beneficial to the committee.Rberchie (talk) 18:00, 30 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
2. Support Support--Jamie Tubers (talk) 23:30, 1 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
3. Support Support--Flixtey (talk) 13:31, 3 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
4. Support Support --Lilitik22 (talk) 18:04, 3 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
5. Support Support --ArmAg 21:08, 3 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]

1. ...

Hi there ! I'm Biplab Anand from both my name and Wikimedia Username, a decent multilingual Global rollbacker, Global sysop and also a Global renamer from Nepal. I've involved in Wikimedia projects since 2013 and have been actively involved in Maithili, Nepali and Hindi Wikipedia as well as other Asian language Wikipedias. I'm one of the founding member of Maithili Wikimedians User Group, also part of Wikimedians of Nepal & a major volunteer for the formation of Maithili Wikipedia. I have got the opportunities to meet the Wikip(m)edians from all around the globe at major wiki events such as Wikimania 2015, BN10, TTT 2015, WikiConference India 2016, WikiConference 2017, etc. Not only this, I've also been involved in all the major events, outreach, meetups of Wikimedia movement organized by MWUG & Wikimedia Nepal. All this & my Global Account Stats reflect my active dedication, better coordination & motivation, a bit experienced & skilled in the involvement with Wikimedia Projects. Moreover, I have also been involved in motivating & collaborating with indic language communities in the region to form their User Groups. In this way, my deep interest in Wikimedia Projects and my contribution in it excites me to be the part of Affiliations Committee. Thanks for your consideration.

* How do you think affiliates work best to together to partner on effective projects and initiatives?
Affiliates have quite active wikip(m)edians as members from around the globe that's make it helpful for them to take effective decisions on recommendations. As a result of such committee with diverse experience also helping out all those enthusiastic Wikip(m)edians around the world.

* What do you see as the role of affiliates in the Wikimedia movement in the next three years?
As far as my views are concerned on affiliates role, I think affiliates will take major responsibilities towards the expansion of active user groups and chapters to all the regions where there is lack of Wikimedia movements and it's advantages to the community. Affiliates should also support existing user groups and chapters for their more effective and active involvements.

* What do you feel you will bring to the committee that makes you a uniquely qualified candidate?
I am Nepal born with understanding of multiple languages and we have started our Maithili Wikimedians User Group and I am also one of the active Wikip(m)edian in my region and member of Wikimedians of Nepal User Group. In our region, there is not enough user groups and even chapter. So, if I get opportunity to be the member of affiliates committee my experience of Wikimedia movement in the region will help the committee to make better recommendations for the expansion user groups and chapter in this region as it really need.

1. Support Support User is passionate and dedicated person, and working for betterment of Wikimedia movement in Nepal with very good technical and social skills. He is one the leaders of Wikimedians in Nepal. I support his nomination.--Nirajan pant (talk) 04:19, 30 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
2. Support Support Biplab has a good communication skill, technical skills. Always willing to learn and always share with community. -- Bijay Chaurasia (Talk) 05:44, 30 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
3. Support Support Biplab is very hard working and has good communication skills. He has a ability to bring and encourage people to join the community on Wiki movements. I know Biplab Anand personally and support his nomination. --Janak Bhatta (talk) 06:04, 31 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
4. Support Support Biplab is one of the prominent member of the Wikipedia community in Nepal. He is very supportive and helpful too. I strongly support his nomination and belive that he deserves to be the Affcom member.-- Pankaj Deo (Talk) 10:06, 31 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
5. Support Support I know him from his first edit in wikipedia. He has proved to be a change driving contributor in Nepali and Maithali language. His aspirations and the ability to generate energy and new ideas can help the entire community being an Affcom member. -Krish Dulal (talk) 12:53, 31 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
6. Support Support I also know Biplab from his first edit in wikipedia. He is a very active contributor in Nepali wikipedia and a key person of Maithali Wikipedia and also actively involved in Wikimedia Movement. As I know him personally, he deserves to be the Affcom member.- Nirmal Dulal (talk) 17:31, 31 December 2017 (UTC) [reply ]
7. Support Support Biplab Anand is very hard working and has good communication skills. His ability to bring and encourage people to join the community shows how much he loves what he does. His contribution toward Wikimedia projects make me support his nomination. I know him personally, and can confirm his dedication, therefore I support his application. Zeetendra ^») 10:04, 1 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
8. Support Support Very active and passionate Wikipedian --Kritzolina (talk) 17:35, 1 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
9. Support Support--Jamie Tubers (talk) 23:30, 1 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
10. Support Support Perfect User.--आर्यावर्त (talk) 16:54, 2 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
11. Support Support--Flixtey (talk) 13:26, 3 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
12. Support Support-- Bodhisattwa (talk) 15:21, 3 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
13. Support Support--Atudu (talk) 03:23, 4 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]

1. ...

1. Full name: Abel Lifaefi Mbula and Wikimedia username: BamLifa.
2. I've joined the movement in march 2015. Since then I spend a lot of time trying to understand (and or discover?) the in and out of the major projects of the WMF and organizing meets up in order to create an official Wikimedia DRCongo User Group. I am one of organizer of WikiConv Francophone. Living in a country with low Internet connectivity (there are only 2% of the population who can access Internet), I have the experience of gathering people, and discuss about Wikipedia. What I learned from this experience is that I have the ability to motivate a group in any given region to discuss a topic and get it started. In addition to that skill, I have a great experience in project managements and communication. I speak both English and French in a professional level, and Lingala, Swahili and Italian in a basic level.
3. How do you think affiliates work best together to partner on effective projects and initiatives?

Wikimedia is an open and transparency organization. Everything is discussed by the community. After the community has discussed which projects need more attention (i.e projects or initiatives to be developed by WMF) the AffCom has to assign tasks to each affiliate regarding to its relevant experience in order to get a good result in record time. This example can help you well understand what I'm saying: the community votes for 15 projects to be developed in the coming months or years. The next step is to prioritize tasks and identify skills within affiliates. Let assume that there are 45 members. So, 3 affiliates can work on 1 project. Doing this will foster diversity in all projects.

1. What do you see as the role of affiliates in the Wikimedia movement in the next three years?

Bring more affiliates especially from Africa and Asia. To do that, the AffCom must identify great contributor(s) in each region and motivate him (them) and facilitate him (them) creating a Wikimedia affiliate group.

1. What do you feel you will bring to the committee that makes you a uniquely qualified candidate?

Three skills make me a unique applicant: cultural diversity, experience working with groups in difficult conditioned areas, 3-4 lingual speaker.

1. ...

1. ...

‘Asslema (Hello) ! I am Emna Mizouni, User Emnamizouni, a proud member of Wikimedia TN User Group since its creation. I’ve joined the Wikimedia movement in 2013 during the Wiki Loves Monuments photo contest (in which Wikimedia TN UG started its partnership with Carthagina and CLibre). Within my affiliate and as Head of Carthagina organisation, I was part of the organising team of several contests and workshops (Wiki Loves Monuments, Wiki Loves Africa, Wikip(m)edia workshops...). I also was honoured to join the amazing team that hosted the first ever regional conference for the Arab Wikimedians WikiArabia 2015 in Monastir, Tunisia. Happily, I got the chance to be of help to the Egyptian Wikimedians this year when they hosted the third Arabic meet-up WikiArabia Cairo, collaborating with the organisers the media and social media coverage. Relying on my work expertise, I contributed previously with managing the Arabic Wikipedia Twitter account. Now, in addition of being the WTNUG spokesperson and one of its GLAM coordinators, I’m part of the Social Media team too. As Carthagina’s Lead and Wikimedia’s member, I’m supervising a very interesting project MedinaPedia that started couple of years ago in Tunis (documenting monuments of the Medina of Tunis on Wikipedia and Wikimedia commons), now it's expanding to other cities (Sfax for example) and potentially (under discussion) other Arab cities. As part of the global community and a proud African, I’m so happy to be part of the organising team of the upcoming Wiki Indaba Tunis 2018 and one of the three program co-chairs for Wikimania Cape Town 2018.

I’ve been part of the AffCom for two years now and I’m running again for this term! If you ask "Why?" The answer is simple; I’m excited about being part of the committee that works with all the affiliates who are spending lots of efforts and doing an amazing job for the world’s leading movement for Open Knowledge. I really enjoy being of help to the other members of the global community and especially collaborating with them to be compliant to do efficiently their duties.

How do you think affiliates work best together to partner on effective projects and initiatives? Affiliates could come together and partner through their members when they get together in the different Wikimedia occasions and spot the common points and grab those opportunities. Easy to say, but in reality and through the work I’ve been part of in the Tunisian Affiliate; partnership is key of success between the Wikimedia community in Tunisia and its partners (Carthagina and CLibre). On a wider level, to celebrate the Arabic Wikipedia Day, this year, Wikimedia Levant coordinated with Women in Red and Wikimedia DC and with the Wikimedia TN User Group, we had a guest from WikiMujeres (a collaboration that was suggested during WikiWomen Camp). These aren’t the only example, but Transparency and ethics and of course following the established policies help in shaping effectively joint projects and initiatives.

What do you see as the role of affiliates in the Wikimedia movement in the next three years? Affiliates have a key role in the movement, they are leading the local and regional communities and this shapes the movement’s impact globally. Currently, we are witnessing a thrive to structure the emerging communities (the African community is one of the examples). Local members within the affiliates are more and more committed showing a strong source of proposal for the future of the movement (the outputs of the strategy tracks are a living proof).

What do you feel you will bring to the committee that makes you a uniquely qualified candidate? I am part of an affiliate as well as other groups that gathers people with (very) different backgrounds and successful projects and initiatives. I am also part of the emerging communities (Arabic and Indaba communities), I know the struggles they go through and could easily understand the needs in case of any challenges. Other than my commitment within the Wikimedia movement, I am part of other organisations and entities either as a Leader, member or a volunteer, so this enriched my way of managing tasks and duties, understanding legal framework (especially with running an organisation), negotiating and concluding (partnerships for example), advocating for change,... In addition to, the fluency in the languages I speak (native Arabic speaker, English, French, and basic level in Spanish and other languages), the different communities I am part of and my communications skills, I am used to conflict resolutions and mediation by theory (through studies and trainings) and by practice in several cases either within the movement or in other occasions where my expertise was needed. I am a sociable person, I don’t hesitate to reach out to other people even if I don’t know them to work with them, ask for help, etc...

Last but not least, I’m familiar with the AffCom work; I joined in Jan 2016, spent the first year in getting to know the system and familiarising myself with the different tasks. Now I’m used to the team and willing to allocate time and help the AffCom members in their mission within the Wikimedia ecosystem. Thankyou !

1. Support Support --Kritzolina (talk) 17:36, 1 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
2. Support Support--Jamie Tubers (talk) 23:30, 1 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
3. Support Support--Ki7sun3 (talk) 13:41, 2 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
4. Support Support Multichill (talk) 21:02, 2 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
5. Support Support--Jaluj (talk) 03:28, 3 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
6. Support Support Ravan (talk) 08:06, 3 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
7. Support Support --Flixtey (talk) 13:30, 3 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
8. Support Support --Margott (talk) 14:10, 3 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
9. Support Support Emna has a previous experience as a AffCom member. She is a trusted wikimedian and doing a great job in many organizations. Dyolf77 (talk) 14:16, 3 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]
10. Support Support --PierreSelim (talk) 17:24, 3 January 2018 (UTC) [reply ]

1. ...

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with 30 years of experience in counseling, teaching and guidance inside an interdisciplinary team work. My educational background includes a Master'sDegree in Art, a Master'sDegree in Psychology and I am currently in my Neuroscience Ph.D I worked 20 years at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and I am currently conducting a research at a hospital. I lived in four different countries (Argentina, Uruguay, Italy and Israel) and I’ve been traveling all around the world (I know 30 countries) because I love to meet people from different cultures. My native language is Spanish but I am fluent in English, French, Italian and I perfectly understand Portugues. I used to speak Hebrew but I can not read it. I am a passionate wikipedian and wikimedian and I have a clear commitment to the movement. I have participated in many Wikimanias and international conferences such as Wikiwomen camp (Mexico City and Buenos Aires), Wikidiversity Conference (Stockolm) and Iberoconf.

How do you think affiliates work best together to partner on effective projects and initiatives?

I believe that affiliates work best together when they know each other. Communication is the key to working through challenging situations. In a collaborative environment, each user’s past experience, work style, cultural values, expectations, and self-interest will surface and impact the ability of the group to effectively work together. We need to establish priorities and fulfill them, statments are useless if they are not acomplished. We need to start prioritizing and it is very important to be realistic when developing a collaborative work plan. Making a decision at the top of the organization it is useless if the affiliates dont share it. There are many more chances of meeting the objectives and expectations when affiliates share the decision-making.

What do you see as the role of affiliates in the Wikimedia movement in the next three years?

I think it is important to have a more fluid relationship between wikimedians and wikipedia editors and that user groups should reflect the diversity of opinions and views of our active editors and users. We need direct communication channels and we need to encourage the movement to own the issues more collectively. We should represent the movement's diversity and include more sensitive and diverse people, and help them to grow into leaders.

What do you feel you will bring to the committee that makes you a uniquely qualified candidate?

I am a Board Member of Wikimedia Argentina for the second time, a founder member of Wikimedia Uruguay and a very committed member of Wikimedia Spain. I am involved in the Iberocoop regional cooperation network. I know pretty well wikimedians from all LatinAmerica’s countries, Spain (WMSpain, Wikimujeres, Basque Wikimedians User Group and Amical) and Italy (WMItaly and WikiDonne). I know many wikimedians from other countries from around the world because I’ve been in many international meetings and I work online with many of them. I’ve been engaged with the Community Health and Harrasment Working Group and I am a member of the Wikimedia Diversity Group. I work with patients teaching them how to edit in our projects because I believe that diversity and the inclusion of people from very different backgrounds will be what saves the wikimedia movement. I am committed engaging women to narrow the gender gap in Wikipedia. I am engage in WikiWomen's Collaborative, co-founder of Interwiki Women Collaboration and I am the founder of Muj(lh)eres latinoamericanas en Wikimedia. I organice editathons and talks in universities about Wikipedia all around. I am also very active online in projects related with diversity. I am the founder of Wikiproyecto Mujeres, Mujeres en la Arquitectura, Proyecto mujeres árabes y latinoamericanas and Mujeres africanas in Wikipedia in Spanish. With moreless Endorsements

Questions for the candidate

Stuart Prior (Battleofalma)

Questions & Answers

Endorsements

Questions for the candidate