[OSM-talk] [Osmf-talk] Call to Take Action and Confront Systemic Offensive Behavior in the OSM Community

Thu Dec 10 09:27:09 UTC 2020

Good morning

As Celine mentioned, we are a coalition of people who want change in OSMF
and OSM. Our statement clearly states that we are willing to work with OSMF
(working groups, board, membership) and OSM (community, project and
network). This means collaboration with the local chapters and community
working group as well as building on the diversity statement made by the
board this year.  Many of you have seen a few of us state this before in
all the forums. Now is the time to listen and meet us half way.

You will note that many of the people who signed do not post on the OMSF
mailing list for fear of targeting. So, please consider why we want change.

On being a woman - every day we have to ask (demand) and show for our
rights to be equal. Every day we have to worry about sexualized actions
and/or comments. Some of us have been through horrible experiences and
others just want to never talk about gender again. So why do we bring it
up? We bring it up because we see it, we feel it and we experience it. What
I ask for you all is to spend a day talking with women in your lives.  We
just want to 'be' too, but the reason we speak up is because being called
derisive terms makes us not feel like this is a safe place. As such, we ask
to, as one person stated - focus on the issues, not the people. But, we
will focus on people and gender until we don't have to point out
discrepancies.

For Frederik - yes, you said a word that is sexualized and fairly violent
for many of us. Honestly, we have been catcalled and treated like objects
for years. Let's do better. I think you will too. Yes, your name is listed
there but only because it was 'the this time story' - meaning, yet another
reason why people leave OSM and or feel like they cannot participate. Words
matter. Tone Matters. We matter. I appreciate your passion for the project,
but please don't equate our passion for change as about you alone. This
document was written by many people. I, for one, don't 'hate' here.  We are
just trying to open up this conversation, no matter how raw it is for all
of us.

For comments about Frederik's name in the statement. I added a comment to
the statement document to consider if it should be a footnote, but to
recognize the origins of this statement and coalition "There were requests
on the OSMF mailing list to remove names from the statements. While this
was a trigger, perhaps this could go as a footnote?"

Mateusz Konieczny - your point about "citizens" is well noted. I added a
comment to consider editing this. "there was a comment on the OSMF mailing
list that not all people who benefit from OSM are citizens of a country
.This is very true especially with migrants and displaced people."

For John Whelan - "The danger in Celine's confrontational approach is we
throw the baby out with the dish water."

We are all here with her asking for change. We want OSM to be ok for us to
read and post to the list without being asked about babies and household
chores.

For Clay - this is why we all jointly wrote the note to stand together and
post as a group.

For Jean-Marc - thank you for considering the middle way and seeking to
listen and understand.

We were all fairly taken aback by his comments. The point is - we cannot
consistently keep saying there are issues and not do more. This was indeed
a trigger point. But let's focus on the bigger picture.

Let's work together to find a middle ground to be truly diverse and
inclusive. I am sure there will be many iterations of the planning as we
work to convert it into action.

Heather

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

On Thu, Dec 10, 2020 at 7:58 AM Darafei Praliaskouski via osmf-talk <
osmf-talk at openstreetmap.org> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> On Wed, Dec 9, 2020 at 10:48 PM Maarten Deen <mdeen at xs4all.nl> wrote:
>
>> I have been silent about this but when a document is drafted where only
>> supporters will be heard, I have to speak out in Frederiks support.
>> I have seen no systemic aggressive behaviour that demotivates and
>> excludes participation by women and minority groups in OSM or behaviour
>> that degrades the spirit of open community culture, and damages the
>> OpenStreetMap reputation from Frederik.
>>
>
> Basically, a person (who is a board candidate) was denied to be able to
> own their own will, substituted with their employer, and insulted in a way
> that I cannot construct a way of self-defense from.
>
> That was done by a former board member, an employee/owner of a company
> that has a seating board member, and if we mirror the whole thing - "done
> to protect Geofabrik's investment into having a seat on the board". Of
> course, such an interpretation will not be acceptable for current board
> member, employee of Geofabrik and expectedly a report of Frederik.
>
> For some reason this aggressive gatekeeping behavior to secure a board
> seat from a small company is tolerated and comes unnoticed. I believe if
> you think Frederik's behavior is okay there, you are indeed a part of a
> problem, to my view. Michal has decades of experience in cartography & OSM
> before joining FB, but that is erased and ignored by Frederik in
> unacceptable fashion.
>
> I support the document below.
>
>
>>
>> On 2020-12-09 20:06, Celine Jacquin wrote:
>> > Hello everybody
>> > I hope you are all well
>> >
>> > We, several groups, chapters, organizations and individuals, have
>> > reacted to the conversation in the osm-talk-list
>> > (
>> https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk/2020-December/085692.html)
>> > considering that it is an incident symptomatic of the problem we have
>> > faced for many years in the community, which is one of the greatest
>> > obstacles to diversity at all levels of OSM. Time to make a real
>> > change.That is why we have developed a beginning of statement on the
>> > desirable mechanisms to work solidly on the rules of coexistence and
>> > improve diversity.
>> >
>> > We bring it to your attention and invite anyone who feels represented
>> > to sign it. Translations are in preparation (any help is welcome):
>> >
>> https://docs.google.com/document/d/130JCTX9ve4H4ORXznmIVTpXiN3TX8nRGA8ayuTZ9ECI/edit?usp=sharing
>> >
>> > On behalf of the signatories
>>
>
>
> Darafei,
> as an individual who's with OSM from 2008.
> _______________________________________________
> osmf-talk mailing list
> osmf-talk at openstreetmap.org
> https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/osmf-talk
>
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