Calling South Asian communities involved with open knowledge

August 2, 2023, by Carol Matos

What does “open” 🔓 mean today? What should it mean? What has changed since 2015, when the Open Definition was last updated?

We at Open Knowledge are preparing another round of consultations on updating the “Open Definition”. We will have a hybrid session (both online and in-person) during Wikimani a 2 0 2 3 to ensure the voices of South Asian communities gathered in Singapore are heard and incorporated into the review process. It will be a practical workshop to discuss and write collectively.

Date: August 15, 2023
Hours: 10 a.m. (UTC) / 6 p.m. (Singapore time)
Where: Online and in Room 324 at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre
Link to programme: https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2023:Program#Room_324
Link to register: [coming soon]

The overall objective is to problematise each sentence of the current definition, version 2.1, and reach a consensus for the new generations. What does “open” mean in the context of data extractivism, artificial intelligence, digital colonialism, climate change, and economic, racial, and gender inequalities?

The Open Definition was a collaborative process led by the Open Knowledge Foundation over a decade ago that created a consensus among experts in defining “open” in relation to data and content. As our CEO Renata Ávila articulates in more detail, the macro intention of this project is to create a bridge between old definitions and new discourses to keep the open ecosystem alive and current.

You can prepare for the discussion by reading the main takeaways from the previous round of discussions, which took place virtually at MozFest in March and face-to-face at RightsCon Costa Rica in June. Also by understanding the perspective of one of the members of the Open Definition Council and historical open science activist, Peter Murray-Rust, in the conversation published within the framework of the project 100+ Conversations to inspire our new direction (#OKFN100).

More ways to join the conversation:

Check the Open Definition discussion forum, where the previous conversations took place. Anyone is welcome to join and contribute.
Check the Open Definition website (open to contributions via GitHub)
Subscribe to the Open Knowledge Foundation Newsletter
Follow the #OpenDefinition hashtag on Twitter, Mastodon and LinkedIn.

We hope we can meet in 2 weeks! If you can’t make it, please share it with friends and colleagues who will attend Wikimania.

About Carol Matos

Carol is a Brazilian project manager based in São Paulo, building cooperation and connecting organizations and institutions to strengthen the open movement worldwide. With 20 years of experience coordinating cultural and educational projects, she has been serving as a liaison for a broad variety of digital communication initiatives in Brazil and Spain. With a passion for the intersection of technology and culture, she is also an art historian and obtained her PhD at Universidad Complutense de Madrid with a thesis on the impact of digital experiences in the GLAM environment. In the past years, Carolina was also a curator for open data projects in South America, with a focus on data decolonization. She speaks English, Portuguese and Spanish and is always trying to find the most creative way to build solid and fun bridges between the digital world and people.