TheAffiliations Committee advises and makes recommendations regarding the recognition and existence ofWikimedia movement affiliates.
Contact:
affcom
wikimedia.org
@WikimediaAffCom
Recognition Status Report:Updates of affiliate applications
AffCom Conflict Intervention:Updates on conflict intervention cases
AffCom Movement Contribution:AffCom at WikiConference North America
AffCom Administration:AffCom and EDs Discuss Affiliate Ecosystem
AffCom Events:AffCom at Wikimania |
Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees committees
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TheAffiliations Committee (formerly known asChapters Committee, colloquiallyAffCom) is aWikimedia community-run committee entrusted with advising theWikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees on the approval of newmovement affiliates: national and subnational chapters, thematic organisations, and user groups.
The Committee was created on January 15, 2006, by aresolution of the Board of Trustees, along with several otherWikimedia committees. Its original mandate included coordination of the development ofWikimedia chapters, which at the time were at an early stage of organisation, as well as facilitating communication among the chapters and between chapters and the Wikimedia Foundation.
In 2012, following acommunity discussion and a resulting Board of Trustees'resolution, the scope of the Committee was expanded to includethematic organisations anduser groups. In accordance with the resolution, the Committee draftedits charter which was officially approved by the Board in August, finalizing the transition into the Affiliations Committee. Anupdated charter was approved in 2022.
The Affiliations Committee makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees on the recognition, approval and existence of Wikimedia movement affiliates, and for facilitating the creation of those organisations. In other words, the Committee helps Wikimedians from all around the world self-organise intochapters,thematic organisations anduser groups, and to gain official recognition from the Wikimedia Foundation.
We can guide you through the founding process of your organisation by helping you to prepare bylaws, answering questions about what the Foundation expects from an affiliate, providing help and advice on solving common technical, trademark, administrative and community-building issues, and—if appropriate—by approving limited financial support for starting up your activities (such as covering the costs of registration and running initial projects).
If you're interested in getting in touch with local efforts in your area, feel free to contact us using any of the methodslisted below, and we'll be happy to put you in contact with the right people.
The Affiliates Committee comprises volunteers selected for their enthusiasm and their skills in community organising, cross-cultural communication, reviewing bylaws, and providing governance advice for emerging organisations. There are currently7 (seven)voting members with terms of three years each.
Voting members of the Committee are helped bynon-voting advisors. Advisors provide the Committee with on-the-ground experience, language skills, and governance advice, and are able to take part in discussions at subcommittee meetings.
Certain Wikimedia Foundationstaff members support the Committee in its operations and help the Committee to function effectively. They are actively present on the Affiliations Committee's non-publicmailing list andinternal wiki, and may provide advice to the Committee based on their knowledge and expertise. They are not voting Committee members.
TheWikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees appointliaisons to the Committee to facilitate communication and coordination between the Committee and the Board. The liaisons shall be the Committee's primary point of contact with the Board, and shall serve to update the Board on the Committee's activities and update the Committee on relevant Board activities. They may request information related to the Committee's operations as necessary to carry out their role. They are not voting Committee members.
| Photo | Name | Languages | Location (time zone) | Term ends | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Jeffrey Keefer | en-N, fr-2 | United States, North America (UTC-4/UTC-5) | February 28, 2027 | Chair |
 | Suyash Dwivedi | hi-N, en-3, sa-2 | India, South Asia (UTC+05:30) | February 28, 2027 | Vice-Chair |
 | Mari Avetisyan | hy-N, en-3, tr-3, ru-3, | Armenia, Eastern Europe (UTC+4) | February 28, 2027 | Secretary |
 | Aleksey Chalabyan | hy-N, ru-N, en-3 | Armenia, Eastern Europe (UTC+4) | February 29, 2028 | |
 | Mehman Ibragimov | ka-N, ru-N, tr-N, az-N, en-3 | Georgia, Eastern Europe (UTC+4) | February 28, 2027 | |
| Harriet Henry Bayel | Ghana, West Africa (UTC) | February 28, 2027 | ||
 | Agus Damanik | Indonesia, Southeast Asia (UTC+7) | February 28, 2027 |
| Photo | Name | Languages | Location (time zone) | Date of appointment for current term | Term end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Juan Bautista Alegre | en-5, tl-5 | Philippines, Southeast Asia (UTC+8) | February 18, 2024 | February 28, 2026 | Reappointed in February 2025 |
 | Delphine Ménard | fr-N, en-5, de-3, es-3, it-2 | France, Europe (UTC+1) | February 18, 2024 | February 28, 2026 | Reappointed in February 2025 |
 | Nyinawumuntu Jeannette Rebecca | Rwanda, Central Africa (UTC+2) | February 18, 2024 | February 28, 2026 | Reappointed in February 2025 | |
 | Maor Malul | es, en-5, lad-4, pt-4, de-3, he-3, ca-3, af-2, guc-2, tr-2 | Israel, Western Asia (UTC+2) | March 1, 2025 | February 28, 2026 | former voting member (2013-19, 2023-24) |
 | Robert Jamal | en-5, tw-N, fat-N | Ghana | March 1, 2025 | February 28, 2026 | |
 | Tochi Precious Friday | ig-N, en-GB-4, de-3, fr-2 | March 1, 2025 | February 28, 2026 |
| Liaison | Languages | Location (time zone) | Term end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorenzo Losa | — |
The work of the Affiliations Committee is supported by theCommunity Operations team of the Wikimedia Foundation.
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