[Talk-ca] OpenStreetMap community diversity

Richard Weait richard at weait.com
Wed Oct 8 16:06:23 UTC 2014


Hi all,

There have been recent discussions on several OpenStreetMap lists[1]
about community diversity, in one form or another.  I recommend that
you take a scan through those discussions. As a gross
over-simplification, "The OpenStreetMap community is mainly male.
Women and other demographic groups are not well represented. Increased
diversity will be beneficial to OpenStreetMap.  Let us each take
concrete steps to make OpenStreetMap more diverse."

The Toronto event organizing team, Steve, Stewart and I, have taken
one step towards improved diversity, by adding an anti-harassment
statement[2] that applies to OpenStreetMap events that we organize.
The statement is included in upcoming event announcements as well as
the information page linked below.  For Toronto OpenStreetMap
Enthusiasts, that means that this applies to OpenStreetMap Mappy Hour
and other events, as well as #maptimeTO #maptime events.

Our goal has always been to attend[3] fun events where we can learn,
and share, about OpenStreetMap with other interested parties.
Everybody with an interest in OpenStreetMap should be able to attend
and participate to the best of their ability and without
discrimination.

My questions to you, the wider Canadian audience, are as follows:

1) Will you help to draft a similar statement en français for this list?
2) How you addressing diversity / inclusion in your local groups?
3) What shall we implement now?
4) What will we work towards in the near future?

And as always, if you haven't attended an OpenStreetMap event to meet
with other mappers, you should do that!  We're fun!  And talking about
our shared interest in OpenStreetMap is fun and informative.

Best regards,

Richard

[1] see talk@, osmf-talk@ and diversity-talk@ for background.
[2] http://www.meetup.com/OpenStreetMap-Toronto/pages/Anti-harassment_statement
[3] even if we have to organize them ourselves :-)



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