[J3] (SC22WG5.6243) 2022 WG5 meeting

[Vipul Parekh]

Under better circumstances, WG5 and J3 would undoubtedly have received an
offer from Van to have Pasadena, CA as the location for the meeting, one
that he had made many, many times previously but which was never accepted.
I believe it was to his anguish based on what I had discerned even with my
limited interactions.

Should ISO and INCITS and by extension, WG5 and J3, really intend to
advance on the diversity and inclusivity (D&I) front generally and
especially on the gender and other minority representation globally, then
it should immediately take note of many, many diverse points:

1) Honest and frank discussions and an environment that can foster them is
a must,

2) Las Vegas, given its image and all that it 'sells' as possible, has
considerable disadvantages from a D&I perspective.  Arguments in favor of
this location, particularly by those who have an overwhelming amount of
"soft" influence on the functionings of the committee, ostensibly on the
basis of cheap flights, hotels, and easy access, fail to take into account
the concerns of other potential attendees with differences on the diversity
spectrum have with the LV location,

3) Pasadena, CA has a considerable number of attractive qualities that have
been overlooked until now, unfortunately.

4) It is a no-brainer any consideration of true inclusivity begins with the
notion of not being exclusive.  And no one sensing or fearing - consciously
or unconsciously - they will be excluded or worse shunned or abused or
otherwise 'canceled' on account of their ancestry or their words directed
elsewhere or being insufficiently penitent even when their *actions*
generally and specifically are otherwise conducive to the goals of D&I.  I
think what transpired recently with the censure following the discussions
regarding the ISO gender survey has laid a seed of 'cancel culture' that
played into the exclusion.  I think this will harm the effort at improved
D&I with WG5 and J3.  Following the recent email threads and what has
transpired and given how I perceive and comprehend things that are ever so
orthogonal to the developing 'orthodoxy' on so many aspects currently, I
can feel the sword of Damocles hanging over my head too ever so sharply and
the clock ticking toward my own 'cancellation'.  I don't believe true
advancement in D&I is possible if matters remain as they are -
organizations may achieve some numerical/superficial measures, but not real
progress.

5) Both an informal and formal effort to address and overcome the exclusion
(and which strikes directly against any and all D&I initiatives) that has
taken place, regardless of whether it was voluntary, will go a long way
toward addressing future issues as well as easing the immediate concerns of
someone like me.  I feel a concerted effort to bring Van and JPL 'back in
the fold', one that might begin with a gesture and overture followed
possibly by genuine initiative and acceptance to have Pasadena as the
location of the next WG5 meeting will be an act of 'healing' for all that
will go a long way toward fostering D&I.  Perhaps this effort is underway,
kudos if it is.

6) One can credibly argue an organization such as ISO is motivated per its
"environmental, social and governance" ESG charter (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental,_social_and_corporate_governance)
to take various actions such as the one which led to the recent gender
survey.
    * Travel, especially airline travel, retains a heavy environmental
footprint with carbon and pollutants.
     * From a social perspective, recent WG5 and J3 emails themselves
provided an instance of a case of someone of a different gender being
hesitant to travel; there is considerable evidence involving gender and
parenthood and diminished in-person conference/meeting attendance.
With both environmental and social considerations, I hope all WG5 future
meetings will be dual-mode and they will permit and enable *virtual* and
in-person attendees to participate and contribute equitably.  For WG5 and
J3 to make this happen successfully is another challenge it must willingly
and immediately accept if they wish to be truly virtuous in their signal to
improve D&I.

Regards,
Vipul Parekh

On Fri, Jun 19, 2020 at 8:15 PM Steve Lionel via J3 <
j3 at mailman.j3-fortran.org> wrote:

> All:
>
> It's time to look for volunteers to host the 2022 WG5 meeting, which is,
> by our alternation-convention, to be in North America. Dan has offered
> (and received permission) to host us at Mesa Labs in Boulder, Colorado.
> As wonderful as that is, I'd be pleased if someone who hasn't hosted
> recently (or ever) to step up - Dan hosted us in 2016. Don't be shy!
>
> Steve
>
>
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