Wikipedia:Association of Members' Advocates

[[:|WP:AMA]]

style="background:#dfffdf"| The Association of Members' Advocates (AMA) [formerly The Office of Members' Advocates (OMA)] is a Wikipedian voluntary association based upon principles of human rights and committed to protecting due process, fundamental justice or fairness and the principle of audi alteram partem in dispute resolution. Membership is open to anyone who wishes to help members with the dispute resolution process, especially at the mediation and arbitration stages. The AMA is an independent association and is not subject to any committees or other external controls. You do not need to be a member of Wikipedia to join. AMA members without Wikipedia user accounts are encouraged to put alternate contact and identity information on the Member Statements page (see link to right).

ELECTION RESULTS

On behalf of Wikipedia and the AMA, ballot counters Jwrosenzweig and Zanimum would like to congratulate Alex756 on his 16-1-1-3 election win. That's 16 votes Alex, one vote Ed, 1+3 abstentions.

ELECTION COMMENTS

Whoever voted for me, thanks (I voted for Alex, like everyone else! :-) --Uncle Ed 16:41, 7 May 2004 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks to your Ed for your candidacy and for your good wishes; thanks to all our other members and especially to Jwrosenzweig and Zanimum for their service to the AMA. During my term (remember we have another election in six months) I'll be trying to get this association moving so that we can better help those who might need some assistance. — © Alex756 17:12, 8 May 2004 (UTC)[reply]

Information for users who want an advocate

Advocates can assist with many issues you may encounter in Wikipedia, especially in resolving disputes. Typically, advocates advise and/or represent one party to a dispute. If you want the services of an advocate, you may contact any advocate listed below directly, or post a request for assistance. You can request an advocate at any stage of the process.

The nature and scope of assistance depends on consultation between you and the advocate. There is no "right" to have an advocate, and the advocate does not have to agree to represent you, but the AMA will make every effort to find a suitable advocate for you. We will try to preserve your privacy and maintain the type of confidentiality expected of counseling professionals (e.g. physicians, attorneys, etc.). However, advocates are not necessarily trained professionals. Also, please note that due to the open nature of Wikipedia, we cannot guarantee that communications with the AMA or individual advocates will remain confidential. Some individuals here may be lawyers or social workers and may have an independent duty to keep your communications with them confidential.

An advocate can assist you in presenting your case in mediation or arbitration. Because mediation is a consensual process, the involvement of an advocate in the actual process may depend on the approval of the other party and the mediator. Advocates can also help gather information and discuss your case with you on a more informal basis. In the later case their identity does not have to be revealed to anyone if you wish the consultation to remain anonymous.

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.
Users who are also arbitrators should not serve as advocates while they are members of the Arbitration Committee. (This is to avoid putting arbitrators in the position of deciding cases in which they have already supported one side.)

Joining the Association

With the exception of arbitrators, anyone may join who is interested in resolving disputes and reducing conflict on Wikipedia. Advocates should be willing to comply with the guidelines stated above. To join, add yourself to the list below. If you wish, you may add a *brief* statement on the Member Statements page. This can help users in selecting which advocate to work with.

Current members (alphabetical order)