<div dir="ltr">Hope everyone had a great weekend,<div><br></div><div>These are probably some of the last comments from me on this thread; wonderful feedback from the list, much appreciated; </div><div><ul><li>It's been a great discussion. As previously mentioned, the MapUganda Board will most definitely look into these comments and suggestions.</li><li>It can probably help to have an OSM Chapter/group under MapUganda or a separate community working with MapUganda that specifically fulfills and works towards LCCWG requirements.</li><li>Looking forward to any other suggestion/solution, outcome from the community in Uganda, or decision on the application.</li></ul><div>A great week, and all the best to the OSMF Board candidates.</div></div><div><br></div><div>Regards,</div><div><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><font size="1"><i><b><a href="https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Community_User_Group_Uganda" target="_blank">Wikimedian in Uganda</a></b></i></font></div><div dir="ltr"><font size="1"><i><b>Ssebaggala Douglas | </b></i></font><font style="font-weight:bold" size="1"><i>Skype: douglo.m |</i></font><font style="font-weight:bold" size="1"><i> Twitter</i></font><span style="font-weight:bold;color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:"times new roman",serif"><font size="1"><i>:</i> </font></span><span style="font-size:x-small"><span style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"><font style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="https://twitter.com/douglaseru" style="font-weight:bold;color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">@douglaseru</a><b> </b></font></span></span>| <i style="font-size:x-small"><b>Mob - Uganda: +256 772 422524</b></i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sat, Nov 28, 2020 at 4:45 PM Christoph Hormann via osmf-talk <<a href="mailto:osmf-talk@openstreetmap.org">osmf-talk@openstreetmap.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">27 Nov 2020 23:14:54 Tobias Knerr <<a href="mailto:osm@tobias-knerr.de" target="_blank">osm@tobias-knerr.de</a>>:<br>
> Just describing my personal recollection here, and I was<br>
> not one of they board members involved in direct<br>
> communications with MapUganda, so take this with a<br>
> grain of salt:<br>
> [...]<br>
<br>
Thanks. That is what i was looking for and as Simon already indicated it <br>
is raising some eyebrows that the board did not consider it pertinent to <br>
share this when asking the membership for their opinion.<br>
<br>
Anyway, first a quick side comment on the matter of formal qualification <br>
requirements for board members of local chapters. I do not consider this <br>
a big issue. We have - in particular before board elections - frequently <br>
discussed what qualifications are important for someone to be a good <br>
board member for the OSMF. It is difficult to codify consensus on that <br>
in formal rules and i personally would never consider formal education <br>
criteria a useful criterion. But different cultures have different views <br>
here so i would not feel like passing judgement on that. The key i think <br>
however is that such rules are not set in stone and cannot be used by <br>
those who meet the requirement to exclude those who don't. As long as <br>
organization membership is open to everyone and the members can change <br>
the rules even against the expressed wishes of the board i don't see a <br>
big issue here.<br>
<br>
But now the observations i actually wanted to share:<br>
<br>
First i am not quite sure about the identity of the organization<br>
applying for local chapter status here. The application page and the <br>
constitution document seem to speak of "OpenStreetMap Uganda" while the <br>
website of the organization (<a href="http://mapuganda.org" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://mapuganda.org</a>) talks about itself as <br>
"MapUganda" and only mentions OpenStreetMap in the context of "All <br>
activities are set up around the global OpenStreetMap (OSM) project". <br>
Yet even that seems doubtful since the only map shown on the starting <br>
page:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://mapuganda.org/images/kccamap1.jpg" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://mapuganda.org/images/kccamap1.jpg</a><br>
<br>
does not seem to be based on OpenStreetMap data. I am kind of wondering <br>
if we have two different organizations here or MapUganda as a GIS <br>
consulting/training company has rebranded itself as OpenStreetMap Uganda <br>
for the purpose of applying for local chapter status.<br>
<br>
Second, looking at the constitution in ARTICLE 3: OBJECTIVES the only <br>
mentioning of OpenStreetMap and Open Data is in "Provide training in <br>
OpenStreetMap and open data". All of the other objectives could likewise <br>
be pursued on the basis of proprietary tools and data. In other words: <br>
While the local chapter agreement requires the local chapters to work <br>
towards the goals of OpenStreetMap and to promote OpenStreetMap i do not <br>
see this in substance being mandated by the constitution itself.<br>
<br>
Looking over the website the absence of any primarily OpenStreetMap <br>
related activity (i.e. activity where OSM is not just a tool for an <br>
outside purpose but a goal in itself) is striking. Typical activities of <br>
local OSM communities elsewhere like outreach to citizens to become <br>
volunteer mappers sharing their local knowledge, promotion of OSM data <br>
use to civil society, companies and government, running communication <br>
channels and tools for the local OSM community etc. seem to be missing.<br>
Considering the organization seems quite a few years of history and seems <br>
to be financially in a fairly healthy shape this is remarkable.<br>
<br>
In other words: I am unable based on the information i looked at to<br>
find clear indications that the organization applying here practically<br>
fulfills in substance the functions for the local OSM community a local <br>
OSM chapter typically has. That i am not seeing that obviously does not <br>
mean it is not there. But i'd like to specifically ask for references to <br>
such activity.<br>
<br>
Third, the current membership fee is indicated to be UGX 50k per year <br>
which translates to EUR 11.30. For a European country that would be a <br>
pretty decent rate (probably below average of the current local chapters <br>
we have). But considering the EUR ~17 the OSMF charges is often <br>
considered a significant hurdle in many parts of the world i wonder if <br>
some people familiar with the wage and price structure in Uganda could <br>
comment on how big of a hurdle the UGX 50k per year are for a volunteer <br>
mapper in country, in particular in rural areas.<br>
<br>
-- <br>
Christoph Hormann<br>
<a href="http://www.imagico.de/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.imagico.de/</a><br>
<br>
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</blockquote></div>