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Add Diversity and Inclusion working group #48

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Add Diversity and Inclusion working group
Arya-AD Jul 14, 2025
7d0e697
Add Priya Pahwa to the wg members.
Arya-AD Jul 14, 2025
686aa97
Modify the WG email address
Arya-AD Jul 20, 2025
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68 changes: 68 additions & 0 deletions active/diversity-inclusion.md
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# Diversity & Inclusion Working Group

## Scope of responsibilities

The working group's purpose is to support the DSF in supporting and facilitating the growth of a diverse and international community of Django programmers, and especially to make sure that the voices of Underrepresented groups are heard in order to foster a more inclusive and diverse Django community.
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@thibaudcolas thibaudcolas Sep 7, 2025 •
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Suggested change
The working group's purpose is to support the DSF in supporting and facilitating the growth of a diverse and international community of Django programmers, and especially to make sure that the voices of Underrepresented groups are heard in order to foster a more inclusive and diverse Django community.
The working group's purpose is to support and facilitate the growth of a diverse and international community of Django programmers, and especially to make sure that the voices of Underrepresented groups are heard in order to foster a more inclusive and diverse Django community.

more direct = better? The DSF doesn’t do much currently so I think we need a group that drives.

Our primary goal is to increase participation from underrepresented groups, create an inclusive community environment, and promote diverse leadership within the Django project. We also aim to provide guidance to the DSF Board of Directors in line with this mandate.
The Working Group will pursue this goal in several ways including:

- Recruiting globally representative Working Group members that will advocate for and provide insights on behalf of their local communities. Our members will, where possible, include representatives from each continent/ region.
- Discussing policy, initiatives, grant proposals and membership to recommend to the DSF Board of Directors in line with the group’s purpose.
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I think this would be clearer as:

Suggested change
- Discussing policy, initiatives, grant proposals and membership to recommend to the DSF Board of Directors in line with the group’s purpose.
- Recommending policy, initiatives, grant proposals and membership to the DSF Board of Directors in line with the group’s purpose.

But for grant proposals, I don’t understand if we mean the DSF as grantor or grantee? Same question for membership, is the group recommending members for the DSF, or things the DSF should join?

- Communicating and collecting feedback from the Django community to understand how the DSF can better serve and grow a diverse membership.
- Measuring, evaluating, and sharing the DSF’s progress towards its diversity initiatives on a regular basis.
- The Working Group reserves the right to consult with outside experts.
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This feels evident so I don’t think this needs to be in the group’s responsibilities?

- Serving as the Djangonaut Space other mentorship programs D&I liaison.
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I don’t understand what a D&I liaison is, I think this needs either more specific "liaison" tasks, or on the opposite replace with a more generic "Supporting mentorship programs like Djangonaut Space to achieve diversity and inclusion goals"?

When I see "liaison" I generally think of a single person, not a group.

- Performing Audit or report on D&I of Django events and contributors.
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I don’t understand the difference between audits and reports in this context? And how this point is different to:

  • Measuring, evaluating, and sharing the DSF’s progress towards its diversity initiatives on a regular basis.

- Supporting the organisation of regional Django related events around the world in line with the group's purpose.
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Supporting events feels like the job of #46. How will the two groups work together?

- Providing support to the DSF board of directors in managing the DSF Membership and the DSF members.
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This feels vague, what kind of support? I don’t understand the nuance between "Membership" and "members"?

-

## Initial membership

- Chair: Ariane Djeupang
- Co-Chair: Keanya Phelps
- Board Liaison: Afi Maame
- Other members:
- Eli Rosselli
- Priya Pahwa
- TBD
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Not a big deal but with "TBD" I don’t understand if that means there are more members in discussions and already expected, or if the group is open to more members, or something else?


## Future membership

- Folks that would like to join the Diversity and Inclusion Work Group should send an email to the WG `[email protected]` introducing themselves. The WG will vote on new member requests verbally at meetings, and the board can take part to the vote.
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I don’t understand why we would want the Board to be involved with those votes, particularly if the votes were held at WG meetings? We can’t have all board members join those meetings, and there is a point further down about "Asynchronous communication will be preferred as membership will be in many different time zones.", so this feels tricky even just for group members.

- The working group adopts the DSF [Code of Conduct](https://www.djangoproject.com/conduct/) .
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I don’t understand this point, everyone taking part in discussions on Django-related community platforms is already meant to follow the CoC.

- Any actions made against the principles in the Code of Conduct (found by a simple majority of 51%+) will result in the acting person being removed from the working group.
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I’m not sure I understand this one? Generally making decisions based on the Code of Conduct is the remit of the CoC WG. The equivalent language in the accessibility team charter reflects that:

  • Becoming disqualified by the Code of Conduct working group

Unless you want to get to something else by taking about the "principles" of the CoC? But it feels like you could use simpler language then? For example from the Online Community WG:

Members can propose a vote on removing a member from the working group. This needs 50%+1 agreement.

- Diversity and Inclusion working group voting members are required to confirm their intent to continue participating in the Working Group within one month of a new DSF Board election. This will be led by chair/vice-chair. If there is no response within two weeks, then the individual is automatically removed.
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This feels pretty harsh (depending on how literally you interpret this I suppose?). Not sure if that’s your intention. Also note yearly elections of the DSF Board are held close to the christmas period where lots of people are away, and there can be other elections in theory if Board members left during the year.

- A member of the Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, can step down at any time, and the working group will work to replace that voting member.
- The Chair / Co-Chair will be responsible for coordinating the group, scheduling meetings, renewing the group’s membership, and ensuring that the group’s activities align with its scope and responsibilities.
-

## Budget

- TBA
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I’m not sure if the plan is to complete this before or after the group’s initial formation?


## Comms

- The team will communicate via the `[email protected]` mailing list, through Discord and Slack.
- If needed, conference calls may be set up via Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or Zoom.
- The method of voting on projects and proposals will be determined by the working group.
- Preferred method of voting will be electronically (email or chat) and the vote results will be reported via email to the board in the monthly report.
- Asynchronous communication will be preferred as membership will be in many different time zones.
-


## Reporting

- The Diversity and Inclusion Working Group will submit by email a monthly report to the DSF board of Directors.
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None of our other WGs do monthly reports, this feels very ambitious. Why do you suggest this frequency?



## Appendix

### Decision Making Procedures
- Discussions will happen via online communication platforms, video chat, or mailing list.
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This just repeats "comms" above?

- With respect to new policy recommendations:
- The working group may solicit feedback on proposed drafts.
- The working group will consider outside input, edit the document, then vote for final approval.
- The working group will vote on new standards and will require a quorum of two-thirds of the voting members for approval of motions / content.
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I don’t understand the difference between "final proposal" and "new standards" when it comes to "new policy recommendations"?



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