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

[Heather Leson]

Hello,

OSMF Board elections are open for all members to put their name forward to
volunteer. Members procure membership to OSMF via their own initiative and
funds. The election process is adjudicated and is designed to be open and
fair.


Heather


Heather Leson
heatherleson at gmail.com
Twitter/skype: HeatherLeson
Blog: textontechs.com

On Wed, Nov 29, 2017 at 3:49 PM, nicolas chavent <nicolas.chavent at gmail.com>
wrote:

> 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 <+33%206%2052%2040%2078%2020>
> Mobile (Bénin): +22962 55 85 91 <+229%2062%2055%2085%2091>
> Email: nicolas.chavent at gmail.com
> Skype: c_nicolas
> Twitter: nicolas_chavent
>
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>
>
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