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The Association of Members' Advocates (AMA) is a Wikipedian (and Wikimedian) voluntary association based upon principles of human rights and freedom of association. Membership is open to anyone who wishes to help members who are faced with the quickly developing mediation and arbitration processes that are being implemented on Misplaced Pages in the last few months (since the fall of 2003). As an association within Misplaced Pages we will abide with all of the policies and guidelines of Misplaced Pages, however we wish to be an independent voice free from any hierarchy, board of trustees and other groups of members, committees official or otherwise.
Purpose of the Association
This association is being formed: (a) to help members faced with arbitration or any other aspect of the Misplaced Pages:Dispute resolution process who have problems with understanding the process or who want help in formulating their requests; (b) to work with the mediation and arbitration committees to suggest changes, analyze their work and decisions, suggest improvements and possibly bring references to the arbitration committee should we feel that there are issues in the community that need to be arbitrated that affect many members where one member being brought before the committee may be inappropriate (sort of like a class action arbitration); (c) to be independent of these groups; this association will function in a democratic fashion.
Representation before the Arbitrators
It is hoped that the Arbitration Committee recognizes as part of their Arbitration Policy the right of any member that is called to arbitration to have the assistance of an advocate, who can be anyone on Misplaced Pages. The hope is that we can provide members, and the community, with a service, that we will represent their point of view in a fair and balanced way. The individual Members' Advocate will have full responsibility to handle each case, the association will be here to assist them and the member facing arbitration.
Advocacy in Mediation
In some cases it may be useful for disputants to have the help of a Advocate in the mediation process. This can be informally, if you are part of a dispute and want some information or want to discuss your problem privately via email, chat etc., with an Advocate that is appropriate. It may also be possible to obtain the help of an Advocate in the mediation process if you feel you have difficulties presenting your case to the mediator an Advocate may be able to help present it in a manner that assists the mediator and other disputant(s) to better understand where you are coming from. As mediation is a consensual process the use of an Advocate may be subject to the approval of the mediator and the other disputant(s).
Rules of the Association
At present, the rules are provisional and incomplete. Further discussion on the rules is pending. Meanwhile, the following guidelines have been adopted:
- A user should decline to act as mediator in a case where the user has previously acted as an advocate.
- A user should decline to act as advocate in a case where the user has previously acted as a mediator.
- A user should decline to act as a mediator if that user has recently acted as an advocate for or against one of the parties in the mediation.
- When participating in mediation, users who are both advocates and mediators should state clearly the capacity in which they are acting.
Who can join
The only individuals who are not encouraged to join are the arbitrators. Since they are the final authority (Jimbo notwithstanding) on the resolution of member disputes, they are required to show a degree of impartiality. In addition, one of our functions is to criticize the arbitrators, and we hope they will respect the need to keep a distance, albeit a friendly one, between the two groups. Mediators are encouraged to join, because this association and the volunteer activities we hope to encourage should help mediators better understand their job and discussions with mediators can help the advocates to better understand the dispute resolution process.
Current members and statements (alphabetical order)
- I am starting this association within Misplaced Pages with the hope that we can keep an eye on the dispute resolution process. I encourage anyone, including mediators to join. If you want to contact me you can email me from my user page, though I do check Misplaced Pages every few days. I am also an informal advisor to the mediation committee but I see no confict with that and the principles of this association. If you want to contact me directly use my talk page. For private conversations: email: alex756 @ nyc.rr.com Via chat: AIM: AlexYourPal56 or via MSN Instant Messenger: AlexYourPal56.
- I'd like to join so that I can help anyone facing arbitration to understand the process if they need any assistance with it. I think this would complement the mediation procedures, not conflict with them.
- Just stating here that I am certainly interested in the concept, since this is the primary reason why I joined the mediation committee :-) I am away for a few days, but I'll come back to this asap.
- I do have serious reservations about the #Advocacy in Mediation concept, at least until it is better explained.
- This entire process of arbitration seems very interesting and also beneficial to me, and perhaps by joining this Office I would have a role in it.
- I believe that, as Misplaced Pages is an open project, everyone should be entitled to some sort of supportive representation before being limited in their participation. I wish to defend Wikipedians against such measures because I think that they run contrary to Misplaced Pages's purpose. I don't anticipate refusing representation to anyone, but I find it very difficult to defend someone who has consistantly done something wrong enough to warrant limitation.
- I offer my services as an advocate for anyone involved in conflict on Misplaced Pages, even if the issue is not currently in mediation or arbitration. Please contact me on my talk page, or by using the "E-mail this user" link. However, I reserve the right to refuse representation and may, in appropriate cases, suggest that you contact another advocate instead.
- This organization purports to do exactly what I have always wished, to assist in improving the process of Conflict resolution within the wikipedia so that editors, readers, and (incidentally) myself, can have a better experience, thru avoidance of abuse of language (wikiquette) and abuse of facts (Verifiability). I am currently doing what I can to assist User:Lizard King, as well as User:Lir, with their circumstances, and I have written two policy pages regarding this subject (Misplaced Pages:Requests for mediation and Misplaced Pages:Truce).
- I would like to be in the pool of friends/"union reps" to help those going through arbitration.
- With such an influx of users, this office will become very necessary, I think. I will be glad to have a hand in it.
- I am a little afraid of whether I can do enough to help but having become the brunt of prejudice because of users' ignorance of wiki policies, I would like to help others who might be facing the same kinds of misapplied anger. I'll understand if I am not chosen because of having been called a troll.