Number of speakers and participation

I think your points are very well taken. We're aligned on the importance of diversity and also connecting with the global South (with your caveat in mind). I also agree that quality is more important than size, although I struggle with how we measure that.

One thing I'd like to note, and I've made the point in a number of other threads: The Wikimedia vision does not state that the sum of all knowledge should all come from Wikimedia. I think that's neither realistic nor desirable. However, the Wikimedia movement can help encourage the sum of all knowledge to be freely available through partnerships and advocacy.