Hi Brian

On 07/07/2017 17:58, Brian Nisbet wrote:

Afternoon,

On 07/07/2017 16:22, Malcolm Hutty wrote:

Hi Leo,

On 07/07/2017 15:16, Leo Vegoda wrote:

I know that there was some pushback against measurements and targets.
However, I think it is impossible to make progress unless you measure
and have a goal to work towards. As such, I would strongly support a
set of diversity measurements based around a number of key criteria:

- Age - Gender - National origin and/or country of residence

I think your idea of "progress" presumes the answer.

If you believe the goal is - as one participant espoused - to increase
the level of female participation until 50% of RIPE participants are
female (or more?), then measuring progress against this target is likely
to help achieve it.

More than one. It's a great goal.

However, if you believe that even having such a target is inappropriate,
divisive and (frankly) another form of bigotry, and that the appropriate
action from RIPE is to ensure that all participants are welcomed and
respected regardless of their sex, then establishing such measurements
pushes us down the wrong track. It also diverts attention from what
should actually be done.

Well, a) how can espousing that things like the operation of the
Internet should involve a relatively even split of humanity be divisive?
I don't understand the objection here.

But also, we can do more than one thing at a time. We can measure *and*
welcome. But equally we should be encouraging and enabling, not just
welcoming.

I totally agree with the idea that operation (as well as design and development) of the internet (and other major technology industries) should be relatively evenly split across diverse elements of humanity/society. However, if suitably qualified and experienced people don't exist in the numbers needed to achieve this level of diversity then no amount of measurement, encouragement or welcoming at a RIPE Meeting is going to change much.

The only way this can be truly achieved is to start at the level of schools and universities. A diverse group of people need to be educated and trained in these industries. There is no point encouraging people without the knowledge or experience to take up these positions. So perhaps the Diversity Task Force should be adding it's voice to calls within society for better education and training. Which unfortunately will fall on mainly deaf ears in most of the middle east.

cheers
denis