FOSS4G2020 Q&A Halifax

Questions Mark I.:

• What is the mission of your respective FOSS4G?
• In terms of our mission for FOSS4G-HFX 2020, it is essentially “community” or more specifically “the world is one family”; to engage all of the OSGeo family of its local chapters, OSGeo sponsors & partners, service providers, projects, users, developers, students, young professionals, teachers, researchers, decision makers, and bring that world community together in Halifax, and help plant that seed locally in Atlantic Canada, to share the FOSS4G spirit to new potential users, developers, and leaders at the event. We have strategically assembled a local committee with vast OSGeo experience, who have boots-on-the-ground experience at the OSGeo community level, both locally, across North and South America, and internationally. We also hopefully plan on expanding the mission more thoroughly in the full proposal stage.

• What is your commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and ensuring that FOSS4G 2020 is as inclusive and as diverse as possible?
• In terms of inclusivity, diversity, and ensuring that FOSS4G 2020 is as inclusive and as diverse as possible, the FOSS4G-HFX team realizes the importance of this, and realize that there are many parts of a FOSS4G event that must be inclusive and diverse, right from the chairs of the event, the local team, the selected program and keynotes, even to the choice of venue, its prices, the event’s social program, and the local customs in the city/country. Part of the strength of our local committee team is that several of our team attended your FOSS4G-Dar es Salaam event in person to experience your & Msilikale’s wonderful diverse event, and have travelled to diverse FOSS4G global & regional events all over the world since year 2004. We are working very hard as a team to make sure that all aspects of FOSS4G-HFX 2020 are truly open and welcome to all in the geospatial community. We plan on expanding this for the full proposal stage hopefully as well.