Task force/Recommendations/Alliances and partnerships

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This is a recommendation as submitted by the alliances and partnership task force. Please provide input and suggestions on Talk:Task force/Recommendations/Alliances and partnerships 1

Recommendation: Alliances 1 - "Free-culture alliance"

Outline

Question/Problem

Are alliances with external groups desirable for the Wikimedia Foundation to undertake and if so: with whom; what kind; and how?

Strategy

It is recommended that the Wikimedia Foundation lay the groundwork for a formal "free-culture alliance" with other organisations with whom it already has strong community, ideological and professional ties.

Assertion

Alliance(s) with other organisations are important and positive (answering "are alliances desirable?")

Sub assertion

The WMF cannot fulfill its vision acting alone

Sub assertion

Certain other organisations have both compatible missions and cultures with (many of whom we are already working with to some degree).

Fact

Organisations like the EFF, Creative Commons and the FSF have all (previously and/or currently) worked closely with the WMF on legal issues and share fundamental principles summarised as "free culture"

Fact

Organisations like OpenStreetMap, StatusNet and OLPC have (previously or currently) worked closely with the WMF on content sharing and have common fundamental principles, organisational structures (non-profit, utilising crowdsourcing).

Assertion

By their nature, Alliances can only be with a limited range of organisations (answering "with whom?")

Sub assertion

An alliance is a relationship of mutual trust and based on shared principles

Sub assertion

The Wikimedia community has strongly held principles on certain issues, any alliance partner must also share these principles.

Fact

We have a statement of Values that sets out core requirements we hold for ourselves and would look for in any ally.

Fact

The WMF legal framework is of a Charitable/non-profit/foundation and allies would need to be too

Fact

"free-culture approved" is key to the WMF and it would also need to be the case for allies both legally and ideologically.

Assertion

That an alliance with likeminded "free-culture" organisations would be loose, but deep, and be a network of alliances, not a hub-spoke system.

Sub assertion

An alliance is a wide-ranging and long-term relationship

Sub assertion

Organisations that are able to ally with the WMF could/should be able and willing to also ally with each other

Sub assertion

Because of the nature of the Wikimedia community, and probably the nature of the stakeholders of other alliance partners, it would be difficult to have firm/specific/legally-binding alliance goals.

Assertion

(answering "how?")