Wish

Any change that removes, merges, or otherwise eliminates the Kusama Technical Fellowship as an independent on-chain collective shall require a dedicated Wish For Change referendum on Kusama, approved by Kusama token holders, before implementation.

This applies to all mechanisms — including but not limited to runtime upgrades, Fellowship whitelisted calls, or governance migration — that would result in Kusama no longer having its own Technical Fellowship distinct from the Polkadot Technical Fellowship.

Context

Issue #484 proposes retiring the Kusama Technical Fellowship in favor of the Polkadot Technical Fellowship operating via bridge. PR #1100, merged March 12 2026, is the first implementation step — making Kusama system chains recognize the Polkadot Fellowship's authority alongside Kusama's own. This follows WFC 573, which committed Kusama to an independent JAM upgrade path.

The community whose governance structure would change should decide whether that change happens.

What this WFC does NOT do

• It does not oppose fellowship consolidation on its merits
• It does not seek to reverse PR #1100 (both fellowships currently coexist)
• It does not require a separate Kusama Fellowship to be independently funded
• It does not claim fellowship removal is irreversible — Kusama OpenGov retains full sovereignty regardless

It establishes one requirement: no removal without a Kusama vote.