[Osmf-talk] Balancing the presence of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team at the OSM Foundation in 2017

[nicolas chavent]

Dear all,

In 2017, despite the current level of influence that the US NGO
"Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team US Inc" (aka HOT US Inc) has over the
OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF) thanks to Kate Chapman and Mikel Maron
(both OSMF Board directors), Heather Lesson, another former HOT US Inc
Board Officer and one of its former President is running for the OSMF
Board.

Since 2015, HOT US Inc, is the only organization of the OpenStreetMap
ecosystem represented at the OSMF Board with two Directors: Kate Chapman
(co-founder / former Board member / former Executive Director; elected at
the OSMF Board in 2013) and Mikel Maron (co-founder / former President /
actual Chairman of the members; elected at the OSMF Board in 2015).

This state of things provides HOT US Inc with more power of influence over
the Foundation than any other organizations which is without precedent in
the history of this institution. Consequently, this diminishes the
representation of the OSM diversity at the Board of the Foundation.

Extending furthermore this HOT US Inc presence and influence at the OSMF
Board and shrinking accordingly the room for the diversity of other
perspectives around OSM to be represented in this Body of the organization
would be a matter of concerns in terms of : - balance of powers between
organizations - diversity of visions, thoughts and practises (including
internal democracy and conflict of interests) around OSM - board dynamics:
a collective of HOT US Inc Boardees would interact with single individuals

With these above risks in minds, given HOT US Inc current influence, its
members (aka “hotties”) would be best advised to support the OSM project at
the Foundation outside of the Board through its Working Groups to start
with allowing “hotties” to get acquainted with another organization. This
would mitigate risks of power games, lower tensions and strengthen OSM
diversity by saving room for other perspectives and experiences around OSM
to be represented at the OSMF Board.

In 2017, like in 2015, OSMF voting members shall pay attention to
representing at best OSM diversity as well as check and balances in terms
of organizational powers at the Foundation prior casting their ballot this
2-Dec onwards.

For those of you who don't know me and to clarify my affiliations, I am
Nicolas Chavent, co-founder of HOT US Inc in 2010 that I served as its
Acting Project Manager focusing on its Operations in Haiti and Western
Africa until 2013 and still member of this organization, I am also the
co-founder of two French associations Projet Espace OpenStreetMap
Francophone (Projet EOF) and Les Libres Géographes (LLG).

Best,

Nicolas

PS: this email is also shared as an OSM diary entry [1] which echo a
similar one posted during the 2015 OSMF Board election [2]

[1]: https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/Nicolas%20Chavent/diary/42842

[2]: https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/Nicolas%20Chavent/diary/36750



-- 
Nicolas Chavent
Les Libres Géographes
Projet OpenStreetMap (OSM)
Projet Espace OSM Francophone (EOF)
Projet GeOrchestra
Mobile (FR): +33 (0)6 52 40 78 20
Mobile (Bénin): +22962 55 85 91
Email: nicolas.chavent at gmail.com
Skype: c_nicolas
Twitter: nicolas_chavent
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