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Do we need a global dispute resolution committee?

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Do we need a global dispute resolution committee?
Wikimania 2019

In recent years, we have seen several onwiki conflicts between and within communities of different Wikimedia projects without local dispute resolution mechanisms. It sometimes happens that local administrators are not capable of handling such conflicts, especially when more than one Wikipedia project is involved. In such cases, users on Meta-Wiki are called for help, including the global community through requests for comment or users involved in global administration like Global Administrators and Stewards. However, most members of these groups are acting more on the technical side of the projects and are not focused on resolving disputes. Several attempts to create any such body where harmed people can go to and ask for help, have failed (see [[:m:dispute resolution committee]] and linked pages). One of the reasons for that is a lack of common understanding when and how any such body should work. We want to bring people together who help us discuss whether or not we need such committee and how and by whom it should be shaped to respect the needs of local communities but be effective for conflicts which affect more than one wiki or local ones that cannot be solved by administrators alone.

Speakers: Ajraddatz Martin Rulsch