“Diversity is about counting. Inclusion is about cultivating.” - Vernā Myers
Diversity for OpenMRS is about awareness. When we are more conscious of the make-up of our community and leadership, we can aim to improve underrepresentation in all areas. Diversity enriches the community experience and is an asset to system development in that our best ideas will come from people with a variety of backgrounds. Equally important is the spirit of inclusion: individuals feeling welcome, valued, and empowered to participate.
The Diversity Council has been created to build up these values by paying special attention to them. There will be monthly meetings for council members to discuss updates, goals, priorities, reflections, and metrics of success. Anyone can listen in and time will be reserved for open Q&A. Timing, online venue, and communication between these meetings is TBD by council members. Below is the official Diversity Council Charter and a preliminary list of projects the council may take on. We hope you will join us!
We created a first draft of the Diversity Council Charter for your review. We’d like to use this a starting point for the first meeting.
In the first meeting we will review potential areas and projects for the Diversity Council to address, starting with plans for the upcoming Implementer’s Meeting in Uganda:
- Design more inclusive event components
- Define metrics for measuring and monitoring diversity
- Create a role for being the point of contact for any diversity issues or concerns in the community
- Create a space in the Talk forum for discussing diversity topics and reviewing research about how to improve diversity
- Look for and share funding opportunities for training, development participation, or conference attendance
- Create a space on openmrs.org to showcase/talk about the diversity council - we want a public presence, not just on talk
- Organize “OpenMRS Peers” - individuals who are available and willing to help work through personal issues related to inclusion and participation, and how one could reach out to them if needed
Fill out this Doodle poll with your availability if interested in attending the first meeting.
Send a direct message to Jordan if interested in participating in the Diversity Council.