TL;DR: This proposal suggests establishing a Make Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (“DEIB”) team within the WordPress community to enhance and support the existing DEIB initiatives. Building upon the tireless work of fellow community members, this new team would provide a more structured and coordinated approach towards ensuring that all community members feel valued, included, and able to contribute to their full potential within the safety of our code of conduct.

This team aims to be a shared resource to all other Make WordPress teams. The team’s roles and responsibilities include broadening representation, cultivating an inclusive culture, promoting equitable opportunities, facilitating collaboration, and continuous assessment and improvement. The team will work towards clear objectives and tangible outcomes, such as increased representation, improved inclusivity, and increased access to opportunities.

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The Why

As an active contributing member of the WordPress community for over a decade, I have witnessed the need for a more structured approach to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) within our community. Although my background doesn’t include formal academic training in DEIB, my extensive firsthand experiences and keen observations have shaped my deep understanding in this area. I have faced setbacks, and seen fellow community members experience discrimination and ignorance. These experiences have motivated me to develop this proposal.

While several teams within the community promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), there is a need for a more structured and coordinated approach to these efforts in support of the whole project. A formal DEIB team would provide this structure, enhancing the existing initiatives and filling gaps where needed.

This formal proposal has evolved from an initial public idea exploration, which can be found in this blog post on my personal site. For a more in-depth exploration of this rationale, please refer to our whitepaper, “Proposal for Establishing a Formal Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Team“.

Acknowledgements:
Before delving into the proposal, it is important to acknowledge and thank all the community members who have dedicated their time and skills to raise awareness and educate about DEIB. Their tireless work has laid a strong foundation for the generations and iterations to come within the WordPress community. Thank you!

The How: Proposed Role and Responsibilities

The Make DEIB team could become a shared resource to other Make teams, and could include the following roles and responsibilities:

1. Broaden Representation: The DEIB team would work to ensure that all members of the WordPress community, regardless of their background, have a voice and feel included. This could involve outreach to underrepresented groups, efforts to make the community more welcoming and inclusive, and initiatives to promote diversity in leadership roles.
2. Cultivate an Inclusive Culture: The DEIB team would work to create a culture where everyone feels valued and included. This could involve training and education on DEIB issues, efforts to promote respectful and inclusive communication, and initiatives to celebrate the diversity of the WordPress community.
3. Promote Equitable Opportunities: The DEIB team would work to ensure that opportunities within the WordPress community are accessible to all. This could involve efforts to make training and education opportunities more inclusive, initiatives to promote equitable access to resources, and work to ensure that all community members have the opportunity to contribute and participate.
4. Facilitate Collaboration: The DEIB team would work closely with other teams within the WordPress community to coordinate DEIB efforts. This could involve sharing resources, collaborating on initiatives, and promoting DEIB across the community.
5. Continuous Assessment and Improvement: The DEIB team would implement regular assessments of DEIB initiatives and make necessary improvements. This could involve collecting and analyzing data on DEIB efforts, seeking feedback from the community, and making changes based on this feedback.

For a more detailed discussion of these roles and responsibilities, please check out the white paper for the proposed Make Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (“DEIB”) Team by clicking the button below:

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Enhancing and Supporting Existing DEIB Initiatives

The DEIB team would work closely with other Make WordPress teams, working groups, and initiatives that touch on DEIB topics, and leverage existing work to support the WordPress open sourceOpen Source Open Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL. project.

Objectives and Tangible Outcomes:

The DEIB team would have clear objectives and tangible outcomes, particularly regarding the identified gaps and overlaps. These could include:

1. Increased Representation: Measurable increase in the representation of underrepresented groups within the WordPress community, particularly in leadership roles.
2. Improved Inclusivity: Measurable improvements in the inclusivity of the WordPress community, as indicated by community surveys or other feedback.
3. Increased Access to Opportunities: Measurable increase in the accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) of opportunities within the WordPress community, such as training and education opportunities.
4. Effective Collaboration: Evidence of effective collaboration with other teams within the WordPress community, such as shared initiatives or resources.
5. Continuous Improvement: Regular assessments of DEIB initiatives and evidence of improvements based on these assessments.

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Mid-Term Strategy for the DEIB Team:

Over the next 3-5 years, the DEIB team will focus on several key strategic initiatives to achieve its mission and vision:

1. Develop DEIB Guidelines: We will develop comprehensive DEIB guidelines for the WordPress community. These guidelines will provide clear expectations and best practices for promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within the community.
2. Implement DEIB Training: We will implement and enhance existing DEIB training for all members of the WordPress community. This training will educate community members about the importance of DEIB and provide them with the tools and knowledge they need to promote these principles in their work and interactions.
3. Establish DEIB Metrics: We will establish clear metrics for measuring the success of our DEIB efforts. These metrics will help us track our progress, identify areas for improvement, and ensure that we are effectively promote DEIB within the community.
4. Promote Diverse Leadership: We will launch initiatives to promote diverse leadership within the WordPress community. This could include mentorship programs, leadership training for underrepresented groups, and efforts to ensure diverse representation in decision-making processes.
5. Enhance Community Engagement: We will enhance community engagement by creating opportunities for all community members to contribute to DEIB efforts. This could include community forums, DEIB working groups, and opportunities for feedback and input on DEIB initiatives.
6. Collaborate with Existing Teams: We will work closely with existing teams within the WordPress project to coordinate and enhance DEIB efforts. This will help to ensure that DEIB is integrated into all aspects and that our efforts are aligned and complementary.

By focusing on these initiatives, the DEIB team can help to ensure that the WordPress community is a place where everyone feels valued, included, and able to contribute to their full potential.

Please refer to the whitepaper for a more comprehensive understanding of these objectives and tangible outcomes.

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Your turn: share your thoughts!

By establishing a formal DEIB team, the WordPress community can enhance its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, ensuring that all community members feel valued, included, and able to contribute to their full potential within the safety of our community code of conduct.

I invite all community members to provide feedback, thoughts, and suggestions on this proposal. Your input is invaluable as we work together towards a more inclusive and diverse WordPress community. Together, we can achieve more. Please leave your thoughts and feedback as a comment on the proposal below. 

Proposal from: Birgit Olzem (@coachbirgit) 

Reviewed and supported by (in no particular order): @martatorre, @jillbinder @courane01, @angelasjin @harishanker @bph @francina @annebovelett @kau-boy @devinmaeztri @evelina87

#5ftf, #deib, #wpdiversity