Meeting:Board (2026-08-18)
See also the list of all meetings.
Particulars
Date and time
18 Aug 2026 18:00 GMT+9:30 AEST/18:00 ACST/17:30 AWST/14:00
Meeting channel
Zoom
Meeting start time
06:05 pm AEST
06:00 pm AEST (Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart)
05:30pm ACST (Adelaide, Darwin)
04:00pm AWST (Perth)
Meeting end time
07:46 pm AEST
Meeting objectives
Meeting objectives:
Record of attendance
Attendees: Elliott Bledsoe Emily Mierisch Kassi Hays Mylee Joseph Jeremy Ludlow Peter Neish
Apologies: Shravan Rao
Absent: n/a
Previous minutes
Minutes of previous meeting
2026-07-14-Wikimedia Australia board meeting
Motion
Moved: Mylee Joseph; seconded: Peter Neish; outcome: The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 14 July 2026, were accepted.
Matters for noting
Reports
Executive Officer’s report
Please find below a summary of key activities and updates from the past month:
Programs and engagements
- Wikimania Paris 2026: A significant success for Wikimedia Australia. The First Nations panel in the Equity stream, facilitated by Dr Terri Janke and featuring Migoto Eria, Therese Ottawa and Michelle Collipal was particularly well received, with strong positive feedback from the international community. WMAU also continued discussions around its expression of interest to host Wikimania Australia 2029, with encouraging informal support from international community members and affiliates. The Wikimania Steering Committee has not yet announced the 2028 or 2029 host. Key themes addressed at Wikimania included: - AI, Wikimedia and the Future of Knowledge - Open knowledge and heritage - Community resilience - Affiliate Structures, Funding and Movement Governance Across all these themes, a common thread emerged: Wikimedia is entering a period of significant change, driven by AI, shifting patterns of knowledge consumption, political pressures on open knowledge, and internal questions about movement structures and funding. The conference discussions suggest that Wikimedia’s long-term strengths continue to be its communities, partnerships, structured knowledge, openness and capacity for innovation. At the same time, there is a growing recognition that these strengths may need to be supported by new technologies, new funding approaches and stronger forms of collaboration. For a list of people we met at Wikimania see list below.
- AGM 2026 preparation: Preparations for the AGM on 20 September 2026 are underway. This includes finalising the DRAFT slide deck, annual report and financial reporting, membership and voting requirements, Board and membership communications, and AGM documentation. See Matters for Discussion for more information.
- ICIP and IDSov Project: The first phase of WMAU’s ICIP and Indigenous Data Sovereignty project with Terri Janke and Company is complete. The ICIP & IDSov Guide and accompanying White Paper were launched at Wikimania Paris - huge thanks to Dr Terri Janke and Shevaun Wright for their workshop, panel session and many conversations with hundreds of participants attending Wikimania. Our Work now focuses on supporting implementation, including developing practical resources and decision-making tools for WMAU staff and the Wikimedia community, and continuing engagement with First Nations experts and stakeholders, using the WMF grant we received. Discussions with the Wikimedia Foundation regarding funding for the next phase of Protocol development are continuing, however we are also looking more broadly at other options to fund this externally.
- Partner Projects 2025–2026. One partner project, Regional Mentor Blaze by Barayamal is complete and has provided their final report and documentation. The Australian Threatened species coding project by User:Pengo is in its final stages. The AMaGA project timeline and deliverable is under discussion with narrowing of focus, and potential for WMAU to present to the national AMaGA conference later this year.
- APNIC / Ian Peter archive: The additional box of records from Pactok and the WMAU scanner is with Alice who is undertaking a triage exercise to review the records. Elliott met with the National Communications Museum who will review the digitised records. Sam will develop a public facing webpage for searching the collection. Caddie is completing the final report.
Operations and governance
- WMAU Yearly Learning Report now submitted in Fluxx. Belinda will liaise with Jacqueline Chen on the follow up call with the Regional Funds Committee.
- The Craig Franklin subcommittee - community submissions for nominations for winner close Friday 14 August. Committee is ready to select a winner, to be announced at the AGM. Belinda will contact Leeanne Franklin, Craig’s wife to invite her to attend the AGM and the award ceremony, as in previous years.
- WMAU Diversity, Inclusion, and Safety Standing Subcommittee - Standing SubCommittee members are: Kassi (Chair), Mylee (if needed to support), Alice Woods (staff rep), Joy Nettleton and Claudine Chionh. Regular meetings scheduled and will begin on 1 September.
- Ethical Partnerships Policy still in draft
- Reminder - Please leave a birthday message on our Australian virtual birthday card.
Opportunities
Meetings and people at Wikimania Paris 2026 that Elliott and Belinda met:
- Jimmy Wales
- Bernadette Meehan (CEO WMF)
- Liam Wyatt Wikimedia Enterprise
- Lane Becker Wikimedia Enterprise
- Alek Tarkowski, Director of Strategy at Open Future Foundation
- Nathalie Casemajor, Associate Professor and Research Chair of Digital commons. INRS: National Institute of Scientific Research in Montreal, Canada
- Joao Alexandre Peschanski ED for WM Brazil
- David Castillo Parra, UNESCO
- Creative Commons team - Jocelyn Miyara, Annemarie Eayrs, Dee Harris
- Stephen La Porte WMF General Counsel
- Wikimediastas Wayuu - Neima Paz and Leonardi Fernández
- Louis Germain ED for WM Canada
- Michael-David Miller, President for WM Canada
- Julia Brungs WMF Fundraising
- Lisa McCabe WMF Movement and Communications
- Rachit Sharma WMF Movement and Communications
- Adelaide Calais WM France
- Remy Gerbet ED for WM France
- Cedric Tarbouriech, President of WM France
- Bisi Alimi ED for Wiki LGBT+
- Vic Sofrio Staff for Wiki LGBT+
- Libre Lingua staff
- Kaarel Vaidla WMF Movement and Communications
- Manyur WMF Movement and Communications, Director
- Belinda Mbambo, WMF Movement and Communications
- Lucy Crompton-Reid ED for WM UK
- Herschel Jackson, ED for WM South Africa
- Douglas Scott, WM South Africa President and Copyright guy
- Joyce Chen, staff of WM Taiwan ESEAP
- Robert Sim President for WM Singapore ESEAP
- Curtis Lui member of WM Hong Kong ESEAP
- Vanj Padilla Shared Knowledge Asia Pacific (SKAP)
- Daria Cybulska Director of Programmes & Evaluation, and Deputy CEO at Wikimedia UK
- Evelin Heidel ED for WM Uruguay
- Fraziska Heine ED for WM Deutschland
- Nicole Ebber Director of Movement Strategy and Global Relations WM Deutschland
- Ziski Putz WMF Senior Movement Advocacy Manager
- Mike Peel former Board of Trustees for WMF, long term Wikipedian
- Florence Devouard Wikimedian at large. Former Chair of Wikimedia Foundation, founding member of Wikimedia France, Wikimania Steering Committee, and a lot more.
- Jonathon Cardy Wikimedian since 2007, former staff Wikimedia UK GLAM organiser
- Michelle Collipal journalist, and staff Wikimedia Chile (WMCL)
- Therese Ottawa First Nations panelist, Board of WM Canada
- Migoto Eria First Nations panelist from Aotearoa New Zealand
- Axel Downward-Wilke WM Aotearoa New Zealand Board member
- Jan-Bart de Vreede WM Netherlands and CapX Advisory Committee member
- Ciell WM Netherlands and Women in Red
- Claire McGuire IFLA Policy and Advocacy Manager
- Maciej Artur Nadzikiewicz WMF BOT
- Manar Yacoub Criner Manager for Global Movement Communications (Translation team Manager)
- WMF fundraising banner lady
- David ??? UNESCO Stand
- Patricia Diaz ED for WM Chile
- Luis Carrasco President of WM Chile
- Owen Blacker President of Wiki LGBT+
- Lucy Hinnie WM UK
- Wiki orchestra instrumentalist
- Delphine Menard Association for Progressive Communications APC
- James Gaunt member of WM Australia and ex-staff WMAU
- Tony Lai, Public AI
- Board member of Creative Commons
- Shani Evanston Sigalov 6 years on the Wikimedia Foundation’s Board of Trustees, now leading the AI-BRIDGES project
- Connor Benedict was a Project Coordinator at Creative Commons, now staff at WMF
- Lea Gimbel. Director of Policy and AI Lead at Digital Public Goods Alliance
- Jan Gerlach WMF Legal team
- Rita Ho Product Design Leader WMF. Attribution Rita.
- Barbara Klen CEE Hub Coordinator and
Grants
- N/A
Communications
Social media - July analytics
| SOCIAL MEDIA — total network size by platform | ||||||
| Platform | Metric | This month | Last month | Monthly change | July 2025 | Annual change |
| X (formerly Twitter) | Followers | 4,443 | 4,435 | +8 | 4,324 | +119 |
| Followers | 2,361 | 2,347 | +14 | 2,066 | +295 | |
| Followers | 936 | 911 | +25 | 765 | +171 | |
| Threads | Followers | 188 | 192 | -4 | 171 | +17 |
| Followers | 618 | 563 | +55 | 433 | +185 | |
| Mastodon | Followers | 315 | 314 | +1 | 270 | +45 |
| Bluesky | Followers | 771 | 760 | +11 | 696 | +75 |
| YouTube | Subscribers | 336 | 330 | +6 | 281 | +55 |
| Cumulative network size | 9,968 | 9,852 | +116 | 9,006 | +962 | |
Website July analytics Content
6 news stories were published on the website in July 2026
- Wikimedia Australia June 2026 Update
- Introducing Commons Catch Up: a monthly drop-in for Wikimedia Commons
- Reflections from the AIATSIS Summit 2026
- A tour of the toolbox: Wikimedia tools worth a look
- Respecting First Nations knowledge on Wikimedia platforms
- Wikimedia Australia ICIP and IDSov
| WEBSITE | ||||||
| Metric | This month | Last month | Monthly change | July 2025 | Annual change | |
| Visits | 9,020 | 6,024 | +49.7% | 1,672 | +439.5% | |
| New visitors | 8,454 | 5,648 | +49.7% | 1,418 | +496.2% | |
| Returning visitors | 566 | 367 | +54.2% | 254 | +122.8% | |
| Page views | 10,844 | 7,477 | +45.0% | 2,814 | +285.4% | |
| Average visit duration | 29 sec | 28 sec | +3.6% | 1 min 9 sec | -58.0% | |
| Most visited pages | ||||||
| Rank | Page | Views | ||||
| 1 | /wiki/12_must-see_Australian_Big_Things | 891 | ||||
| 2 | / (homepage) | 872 | ||||
| 3 | /wiki/Wikimedia_Commons | 830 | ||||
| EMAIL — Announce newsletter | ||||||
| Metric | This month | Last month | Monthly change | July 2025 | Annual change | |
| Subscribers | 530 | 529 | +1 | 510 | +20 | |
| Unsubscribes | ||||||
| TICKETING — Humanitix | ||||||
| Metric | This month | Last month | Monthly change | July 2025 | Annual change | |
| Followers | 151 | 141 | +10 | 80 | +71 | |
ICIP and IDSov Guide, and CultureStrong Platforms White Paper
(as of 11 August 2026)
Both documents were published on the Wikimedia Australia website on 16 July 2026. In the 26 days since, they have together drawn 299 visits to their pages and 125 downloads. Readers are spending considerably longer with this material than with typical content on the site.
| Page visits | Downloads | Via external links | Avg. time on page | |
| ICIP and IDSov Guide | 173 | 72 | 42 | 98 sec |
| CultureStrong Platforms White Paper | 126 | 53 | 26 | 62 sec |
| Total | 299 | 125 | 68 | — |
What the numbers mean
- Engagement is well above the site norm. Visitors spend an average of 98 seconds on the ICIP Guide page, against a site-wide average of 29 seconds in July — more than three times longer.
- People are reading, not just downloading. Our website displays PDFs in an embedded viewer, and our stats collection platform tells us people are ‘turning pages’ within it. Twenty-eight readers moved to page 2 of the ICIP Guide, with a steady trail through the pages that follow (some reaching page 28!)
- The documents are circulating beyond our own channels. 68 visits arrived through a link from an external open culture website, rather than from our newsletter, social media or search.
President’s report
Wikimania preparation
Most of my attention since the last Board meeting has been on supporting TJC and the staff to finalise the Indigenous Content Guide and the White Paper as these are a key part of our activities at Wikimania. I have thoroughly read both documents, provided feedback and done a close proofread. Both are in very good shape and I look forward to them being released publicly very soon.
In support of the pre-conference workshop I sent numerous personal email invitations to key Wikimedia colleagues inviting them to participate. We have attracted a diverse representation of Chapters which is positive to see.
This is very important work that everyone at WMAU and who has been involved should be proud of.
Regular meeting with WANZ President
James Taylor, the recently elected President of Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand (WANZ), and I have arranged a semi-regular meeting to support closer engagement between our Chapters. Belinda and I were privileged to meet James at WikiCon Wellington earlier in the year.
Secretary’s report
Membership
No new or lapsed memberships in July.
The two new applications from June have not paid their membership dues at this stage.
We are encouraging everyone to pay their dues well before the AGM in September.
July membership statistics
| Total members of WMAU at 30 July 2026 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | This month | Last month | Monthly change | June 2025 | Annual change |
| Financial members | 98 | 98 | 0 | 84 | 14 |
| Lapsed memberships | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Member applications in July | 0 | 2 | -2 | 3 | -3 |
Treasurer’s report
Financial statements
Financial statements tabled for July:
- Profit and Loss Statement July 2026
- Balance Sheet July 2026
A new reporting period has commenced with the new financial year.
We incurred expenditure for the final billing for the ICIP Project with Terri Janke and Company which is displayed in the P&L under Consulting. Donations are already quite high for one month into the financial year. Preparations are underway for AGM. Seeking quotes for auditors to review accounts.
Motion
Moved: Peter Neish; seconded: Mylee Joseph; outcome: The Treasurer’s report was accepted.
Out-of-session decisions
Documenting out-of-session decisions (sometimes called flying minutes).
Sent in one email on 12 August 2026
MOTION 1
WMAU Travel funding - Queering Wikipedia 2026 conference
During Wikimania Paris Belinda was advised by Bisi Alimi from the WIKI LGBT+ COT that no one from Australia had applied for scholarship/s to attend the Queering Wikipedia 2026 conference taking place 23–25 October in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Despite being sold out in record time, the COT were still holding a place for an Australian, as they consider our region essential.
Representation from Australia is crucial as this is an area where we have significant gaps and are underrepresented on Wiki. Despite WMAU promoting the conference widely across our community, there were no Australian applicants. The COT advised Belinda to secure a participant by 14 August to ensure a registration or it will be passed to another person/organisation.
Following discussions with Elliott and WMAU staff, Belinda has approached Claudine Chionh (User:ClaudineChionh), a Wikipedian since 2001, an active WMAU member, and employed at the Australian Queer Archive (AQuA) in Melbourne. Claudine was delighted to accept an in-principle offer of travel support. Belinda has contacted Bisi (11 August) and a registration is being held for Claudine, and a Trust & Safety check will be undertaken.
Moved: [[User:|]]; seconded: [[User:|]]; outcome:
MOTION 2
Executive Directors (ED) three-day intensive retreat
The Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) is funding a strategic three-day retreat specifically for approx 40 Executive Directors and Executive Officers from affiliates/chapters. The retreat will be hosted by the Basque Wikimedians User Group in Bilbao, Spain, from 4–6 November 2026, with arrival on 3 November.
This provides a valuable opportunity for WMAU to engage directly with WMF senior leadership and other movement leaders on issues that will have a significant impact on us and other Wikimedia organisations. The programme will include sessions with Bernadette Meahan, Jorge Vargas and other WMF senior staff, with a particular focus on the three pilots currently being developed by the WMF:
- the Product & Technology Advisory Council (PTech) pilot;
- the Movement Ecosystem work on recognition and funding for movement organisations; and
- the Global Resource Distribution Committee (GRDC) grantmaking pilot, which is expected to be presented to the WMF Board of Trustees in December 2026.
Other sessions cover equity, governance skills, mentoring emerging leadership and the Executive Director skillset.
WMF funding covers:
- return flights from the participant's location to Bilbao;
- accommodation for the retreat (check-in 3 November and check-out 6 or 7 November);
- meals during the retreat; and
- retreat-related activities and events.
WMAU may need to cover:
- Additional two or three nights accommodation (potentially 2 before and 1 after) to adjust to jet-lag and take extra meetings on post-event day
- Airport transfers (there's public transportation available at Bilbao)
- Meals outside the retreat dates
Belinda is aware that Dianne from WANZ is also attending and we are planning to travel together if possible to coordinate. Belinda is happy to use her personal funds to cover an additional day or two of accommodation if required, or for a personal leave day.
Moved: [[User:|]]; seconded: [[User:|]]; outcome:
Matters for discussion
Minex CRC
An email from Anthony Budd / Minex CRC, was forwarded by Alice Woods on 21 July to the Board, for review and consideration.
NOTE: At this stage, no agreement has been entered into and discussions remain exploratory.
Decision: Does WMAU proceed with assisting Minex CRC in identifying a Wikimedian to work with Minex CRC, and facilitating payment of the WiR?
ACTION:
AGM 2026 planning: 20 September
Please review the 2026 AGM Planning document which outlines timeline, key stages and documentation.
All Board members are remaining, however 4 positions are up for re-election and we have 1 vacancy. This includes
- Peter Neish as Treasurer
- Emily Mierisch as Vice President
- Kassi Hayes as Ordinary Member
- Jeremy Ludlow as Ordinary Member
- Vacant position as Ordinary Member
So four people will be standing for re-election. Regarding the vacancy we’ve begun approaching people who may be interested in standing for the vacant Ordinary member seat. If this person is NOT already a member of WMAU then we need to go through the membership process well before the AGM.
A DRAFT slide deck is being prepared here, and items for the AGM agenda will need to be finalised by 30 August.
ACTIONS:
All - Agenda must be finalised by 30 August.
Shraven and Belinda - Emails and comms will start going out on 30 August.WMF's community consultations on the Movement Ecosystem and the GRDC
Following the Wikimedia Movement Charter's non-ratification in 2024, the Wikimedia Foundation Board approved three time-limited experiments (or pilots) to explore areas of broad interest and agreement in the Movement Charter discussions: resource distribution, the ecosystem of Wikimedia organisations, and technology development. Two of those experiments are now the subject of community consultations: the Movement Ecosystem proposal and the Global Resource Distribution Committee (GRDC)'s draft grantmaking strategy.
The Wikimedia Foundation's Movement Ecosystem proposal introduces new expectations for Wikimedia affiliates and connects organisational recognition with eligibility for Community Fund grants. The GRDC has also published a draft strategy for how Community Fund resources should be distributed across the movement, with a focus on equity, sustainability and impact. Both of these proposals were widely discussed at Wikimania and were seen as problematic, requiring significant changes and revisions.
Both consultations have been extended: feedback on the Movement Ecosystem proposal is now open until 31 August, while feedback on the GRDC's Grantmaking Strategy is open until 17 September. These proposals are still being developed and there is opportunity for WMAU to have input:
Read and comment on the Movement Ecosystem proposal
Read and comment on the GRDC's Grantmaking Strategy
ACTION:
Belinda to prepare a Briefing paper to summarise the proposals/consultations
Belinda and Elliott to draft a response and circulate to Board for input/feedbackCompany Limited by Guarantee (CLG) update prior to AGM
Elliott will provide an update on the Creative Commons proposal and CLG.
Belinda has prepared a DRAFT briefing paper and supporting materials in the lead up to the AGM for discussion. This was presented briefly at the 2025 AGM, and also at WikiCon Canberra. Recognising the timeline is tight for this to be presented at the 2026 AGM, but we may be able to circulate this after Wikimania and get enough support. An online information session in August (at least a month before AGM) would be very useful.
Supporting material - all DRAFT:
- Draft Briefing paper (6 pages)
- Draft Comparison table handout (3 pages)
- Draft FAQ’s (4 pages)
- Draft Quick Guide for Members (3 pages)
ACTION:
Policy and procedures
Draft Ethical Sponsorship and Partnership Policy
Wikimedia Australia could adopt a practical Ethical Partnerships and Sponsorship Policy. This would cover paid projects, sponsorships, grants, large donations, in-kind support, and strategic partnerships under a single framework.
An environmental scan suggests that most charities and not-for-profits focus on three key principles:
- Alignment with mission and values
- Protection of organisational independence and reputation
- A transparent process for assessing risk and making decisions
This approach is reflected in policies from the Wikimedia Foundation, and other Australian charities.
A useful principle for WMAU could be along the lines: Does this opportunity advance our mission and strategic objectives, rather than simply generate revenue?
Set a deadline to have read the Policy after the Sept 2026 AGM at the October Board meeting.
Potentially update title to Ethical Sponsorship, Partnership and Service Policy
Notes: Would be worthwhile finalising this Policy before making any decisions on proposals from external parties, such as Minex proposal.Any other business
- Kassi attending the ANZSI conference along with Pru, Joy and Alice in Wagga Wagga.
- Jeremy adding content to Wiki Commons.
- Jeremy and Johnny Alegre talking about forming an Elders group in ESEAP
- Commons photographers group in conjunction with one of the Wikimedia Philippines groups are hosting a Commons conference next year. Jeremy likely to give a presentation and may attend in person or online.
- Emily raised topic of union for Wiki Workers in the Foundation
- Elliott raised the upcoming events all in Canberra:
- auIGF Jeremy may be able to attend (hybrid available)
- GLAM Peak and the Parliamentary Friends of GLAM. Emily may be able to attend the GLAM Peak and Kassi could accompany her to the evening event at Parliament the night before. 8-9 September 2026.
- AMaGA conference Kassi is keen to attend