Feedback on building OSM communities in the south

Room: Track 2 - Panels and Workshops

Saturday, 17:15 UTC
Duration: 60 minutes (plus Q&A)

This event will not be recorded.

• Nathalie SIDIBE

Panel guests are Amadou Ndong, Tshedy, Kapay, Fredy, John Rupture, Mikko, Andal Feye, Sana Ibrahim.

This panel focuses on the challenges contributors face in building OSM communities in the South and the strategies they adopt to achieve their goals. It brings together active members of selected OSM communities who will share their experiences and make recommendations for building strong OSM communities.

Contrary to the North, the South has many challenges to face since most of them are poor countries where people are in constant search of daily bread whether they are students or young graduates. It is therefore difficult to engage youth and even adults in volunteer work. Those who engage in volunteer work expect to earn a strict minimum of money, such as the cost of fuel to get to the activity site. Those who engage in local community building, however, must have little funds to pay for food and drink, to buy internet connection during mapathon activities or training. Nevertheless, some communities manage to move forward thanks to strategies set up internally. This panel will be an opportunity for us to talk about challenges in different countries and to share the strategies adopted by each side to inspire others.

At the end of this panel, participants will be better skilled on how to act for strong and inclusive communities with engaged and empowered members.