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<p>I'm of the opinion that international conferences such as FOSS4G
have the potential to positively influence equality issues within
countries around the world.</p>
<p>Tourism departments from within countries around the world vie
with each other to attract tourists via conferences and other big
events. I think that our FOSS4G selection criteria should include
a statement along the lines of:</p>
<p>"The OSGeo Foundation is committed to equality as per our Code of
Conduct. Please explain how the laws within your country ensure
that ALL members of our OGeo community will be welcomed and safe
within your country." <br>
</p>
<p>I suspect we could reach out to WIT and LGBT communities to help
provide better wording and reference material.<br>
</p>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 20/2/18 11:02 pm, María Arias de
Reyna wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAERgKeD2a2m70bg6svrFFCj4rwrFEbd11vK6aq-Hhv2dpCYxaQ@mail.gmail.com">
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<div>
<div>Hi Steven,<br>
<br>
</div>
This is a complex issue and there is no clear answer. There
is no win-win here. Whatever we do is going to be a problem
to someone.<br>
<br>
</div>
In the WIT (women in tech) field we have discussed this
several times and usually the topic ends with the following
question: Should we ban racists/misogynist/... even when they
are majority to allow discriminated people to participate? Or
should we allow them to participate... making life more
complicated for discriminated people? What is more important
here?<br>
<br>
</div>
I have a strong personal opinion in this matter, but sure, I am
not objective here. There are countries I can't visit. And there
are even more countries I can't visit and be fully myself, but I
can visit if I risk and keep a low profile.<br>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra">Getting FOSS4G to "close"
countries may help them open. Or not. But what is sure
is that if we organize FOSS4G in some specific
countries, some of us can't go. Not Tanzania, not this
year. But this is an issue we will have to face sooner
or later. Or we may even want to avoid travelling to
some countries because, you know, we don't want to be
discriminated: <a
href="https://qz.com/1166305/world-chess-champion-anna-muzychuks-stand-against-saudi-arabias-misogyny-will-cost-her-two-titles/"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://qz.com/1166305/world-chess-champion-anna-muzychuks-stand-against-saudi-arabias-misogyny-will-cost-her-two-titles/</a><br>
<br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra">This is no minor issue and I am
happy we are facing it. <br>
<br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra">Regards,<br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra">María.<br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 12:43
PM, Steven Feldman <span dir="ltr"><<a
href="mailto:shfeldman@gmail.com"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">shfeldman@gmail.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px
0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid
rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">We have
never thought about this in the selection
process. Should we? I am not sure.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>There are so many countries that have legal
and societal norms that are discriminatory
against one group or another - think LGBTQ,
religion, visa restrictions on entry - the
list will be quite long.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Just on the LGBTQ legislation there are
73 countries that are shown at <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_by_country_or_territory"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">https://en.wikipedia.org/<wbr>wiki/LGBT_rights_by_country_<wbr>or_territory</a> Should
we be excluding these countries from hosting
FOSS4G or should we be providing guidance to
our community on the constraints of
attending an event in these countries? We
are committed to promoting diversity but it
could be that in doing that we limit
diversity.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>No answers, just some questions.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>For 2018 we can ask the LOC to provide
security information to all delegates
(ideally in advance of registration). For
future years we need guidance from the Board
as to how to proceed.</div>
<div>
<div>
<span
class="gmail-m_9140620405401666959Apple-style-span"
style="border-collapse:separate;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;line-height:normal;border-spacing:0px">______<span
class="gmail-HOEnZb"><font
color="#888888"><br>
Steven<br>
<br>
</font></span></span>
</div>
<div>
<div class="gmail-h5">
<div><br>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>On 20 Feb 2018, at 08:36, María
Arias de Reyna <<a
href="mailto:delawen@gmail.com"
target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">delawen@gmail.com</a>>
wrote:</div>
<br
class="gmail-m_9140620405401666959Apple-interchange-newline">
<div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<div>Hi,<br>
<br>
</div>
At least, I would consider
this as a factor: security. <br>
<br>
I am used to not being able to
travel freely everywhere, but
maybe... Maybe I shouldn't
have to skip conferences
because of this. What is more
important, getting the
conference venue on sensitive
places or having everybody
allowed to travel freely?<br>
<br>
</div>
<div>At least for Tanzania I
plan to go, but I already
assumed I am not going to do
any tourism or any walk around
besides the hotel, airport and
conference venue. It's just
going to be the conference,
which is not as bad as it may
sound :) At least I "only"
have to hide my body (as
suggestions from <a
href="https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tanzania/local-laws-and-customs"
target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.gov.uk/foreign-<wbr>travel-advice/tanzania/local-<wbr>laws-and-customs</a>
), which is going to be more
difficult than you think. I am
not used to hiding arms and
legs when there are hot
temperatures :)<br>
<br>
</div>
<div>Anyway, this kind of
advices are better if they are
made by the conference
organization than if they are
made by some embassy. It is
not the same travelling to a
big city than travelling to a
small town.<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Tue,
Feb 20, 2018 at 9:03 AM, Bart
van den Eijnden <span
dir="ltr"><<a
href="mailto:bartvde@osgis.nl"
target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">bartvde@osgis.nl</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote
class="gmail_quote"
style="margin:0px 0px 0px
0.8ex;border-left:1px solid
rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<p>Shouldn't this be part
of our selection
criteria for the next
conferences?<br>
</p>
<p>Best regards,</p>
<p>Bart<br>
</p>
<div>
<div
class="gmail-m_9140620405401666959h5">
<br>
<div
class="gmail-m_9140620405401666959m_2247691221658949231moz-cite-prefix">On
19-02-18 22:48,
María Arias de Reyna
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
type="cite">
<div dir="auto">Thanks
Mark, any further
information will
be very helpful :)</div>
<div
class="gmail_extra"><br>
<div
class="gmail_quote">El
19 feb. 2018
10:45 p. m.,
"Mark Iliffe"
<<a
href="mailto:markiliffe@gmail.com"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">markiliffe@gmail.com</a>>
escribió:<br
type="attribution">
<blockquote
class="gmail_quote"
style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid
rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr">Hi
Maria,
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Yes, it
is partly. Our
LOC is
formalising a
partnership
with HOT
currently, as
per an earlier
email to the
list, and this
is our first
topic of
discussion.
With regard to
the
legislation,
it is
unfortunately
a legacy from
the colonial
times, as
someone who
had lived
there for 6
years in a
vibrant
international
community, I
am yet to see
an instance
where these
laws have been
applied -
however, I
stress, this
is my personal
view.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Our plan
is to hold
further
consultations
with the OSGEO
LGBT+
community and
I have
personally
reached out to
those in a
position of
responsibility
within this
intersection
for further
advice. I
assisted HOT
with drafting
their initial
response [1]
to this
concern also. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>As the
FOSS4G 2018
co-chair, I
would welcome
that people
share their
concerns
publicly, or
if they wish,
privately with
myself. But on
behalf of the
LOC, I stress
that our
stated vision
in both our
proposal and
now, through
our website,
is to the most
inclusive
FOSS4G that we
can be. We, as
a LOC, are
firmly
committed to
equality,
regardless of
sexual
orientation,
gender, race,
and creed. We
want to
provide the
safest
possible space
at this year's
FOSS4G,
setting this
out in both
our vision and
Code of
Conduct [2].</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>We will
be discussing
this in our
weekly LOC
meeting
tomorrow and I
will, in due
course,
feedback to
this list.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Best,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Mark
Iliffe</div>
<div>2018
FOSS4G
Co-Chair</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>[1] <a
href="https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/hot/2018-February/014201.html"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">https://lists.openstreetma<wbr>p.org/pipermail/hot/2018-Febru<wbr>ary/014201.html</a> </div>
<div>[2] <a
href="http://2018.foss4g.org/code-of-conduct.html"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">http://2018.foss4g.org/cod<wbr>e-of-conduct.html</a> </div>
</div>
<div
class="gmail_extra"><br>
<div
class="gmail_quote">On
19 February
2018 at 16:00,
María Arias de
Reyna <span
dir="ltr"><<a
href="mailto:delawen@gmail.com" target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">delawen@gmail.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote
class="gmail_quote"
style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid
rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div
dir="auto">Hi,
<div
dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div
dir="auto">I'm
following this
conversation
on HOT:</div>
<div
dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div
dir="auto"><a
href="https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/hot/2018-February/014199.html"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">https://lists.openstreetmap.or<wbr>g/pipermail/hot/2018-February/<wbr>014199.html</a><br>
</div>
<div
dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div
dir="auto">Is
this real? Do
this year's
organisation
have a plan?
Is it legacy
deprecated
laws or are
they being
applied? Do we
have a problem
with LGBT+
next FOSS4G?
Should we warn
the community?
Can we do
something
about it?</div>
<div
dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div
dir="auto">Regards,</div>
<div
dir="auto">Maria.</div>
</div>
<br>
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