[OSM-talk-be] Openstreetmap Foundation: the Belgian Chapter

[ivom]

Hi all,

I have prepared a rudimentary vzw/asbl-stub on the wiki with the statutes of a 
so-called future Openstreetmap Belgian Chapter. Something that should happen 
some time, I thought.

Check: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/WikiProject_Belgium/Chapter

The basic idea here is to create a legal entity that is available locally to 
work with Belgian instances like government, press, commercial businesses, etc. 
Instead of going to the public, wast money, on a personal basis. So, this 
entity should represent the people involved in the OpenStreetMap movement in 
our region in a legal and practical way. I hope you can support this.

The page refered to is in dutch right right now, just as a starting point to 
start to discuss (translation help to french is really appreciated). I am not 
100% up to speed with MediaWiki mark-up, so this page also looks pretty 
horrible at the moment. I hope that it at least communicates some of the bare 
essentials however. I have ripped the basic structure from 
http://www.lokalenmap.be/VZW/statuten. Please rip the current page apart at 
will to increase readability and multi-language support :)

To be clear, the page might probably need to be translated in French, to be 
comform with the Belgian low for vzw/asbl organisations, but I don't know 
precisely. Maybe, we even could write the whole thing in English and get that 
submitted, but I don't know if that is allowed.

Besides the local representation it is of importance to note that the vzw+asbl 
should preferably be accepted as local representation of OpenStreetMap by the 
OpenstreetMap Foundation (OSMF). For this to happen we have to adhere to some 
rules of the OSMF. Those requirements are in the works howerver. I guess that 
setting up our own structure to match those requirement is a worthwhile 
excercise. Regarding these requirements, please read: 
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Foundation/Local_Chapters#Why_Local_Chapters.3F

Please voice your opinion. And help work out the statuten/(french translation 
please).

The biggest hurdle at this time I think besides from the paperwork is, that 
according to the current Local_Chapters wiki page OSMF asks for 20 signed 
members. That means you and some 18 others, please regard me as a de facto 
volenteer, by posting this email :)

Please note that I am not a Lawyer, and the text is in draft. The official 
document or documents (nl-fr) describing and launching the vzw/asbl, should 
preferably be proof-read by someone knowledgable in the field of the applicable 
law which applies in Belgium.

And, even if you don't fancy becoming a member of the vzw/asbl, you could help 
here too, by involving yourself or somebody that knows about the vzw/asbl law 
in fine detail and help out that way.

Bye,

Ivom