Group: Empowermentors

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(About us)
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== About us ==
 
== About us ==
  
The '''Empowermentors Collective''' is a skillshare, activism, and discussion network for intersectionally marginalized people of color in the free culture and free software movement. We say "intersectionally marginalized" to refer to people of color who experience intersectionality, that is, the interactions of multiple systems of oppression. This means we are open to all people of color with disabilities, trans* people of color, queer people of color, women of color, class oppressed people of color, etc.
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The '''Empowermentors Collective''' is a skillshare, activism, and discussion network for intersectionally marginalized people of color in the free culture and free software movement. We see radical potential in free software (often marketed as "open source software") and free culture to work against ableism, racism, cissexism, heterosexism, sexism, and classism.  
  
We are called Empowermentors because we focus on empowering each other with technical skills, sharing knowledge and learning from one another, producing free software and free media, and challenging oppression in all its forms: ableism, racism, cissexism, heterosexism, sexism, classism, etc.  
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We say "intersectionally marginalized" to refer to people of color who experience intersectionality, that is, the interactions of multiple systems of oppression. This means we are open to all people of color with disabilities, trans* people of color, queer people of color, women of color, class oppressed people of color, etc.
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We are called Empowermentors because we focus on sharing knowledge and technical skills, producing free software and free media, and learning about and from each other. In this way we are being mentors for one another to empower ourselves.  
  
 
We provide a space to:  
 
We provide a space to:  
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* Form coalitions with other causes of importance to us.  
 
* Form coalitions with other causes of importance to us.  
 
* Create a free culture and free software movement that fights for us.  
 
* Create a free culture and free software movement that fights for us.  
* Produce media and technology that are disruptive to dominant powers which oppress queer POC, POC with disabilities, WOC, etc.  
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* Produce media and technology that destabilize dominant powers which oppress queer POC, POC with disabilities, WOC, etc.  
 
* Bridge the free culture and free software movement with our contemporaries in the critical intersectional analysis of oppression, hierarchy, and domination.
 
* Bridge the free culture and free software movement with our contemporaries in the critical intersectional analysis of oppression, hierarchy, and domination.
  
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== Motivation ==
 
== Motivation ==
  
Why was the Empowermentors Collective started? Some driving questions that may answer that include:
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Why was the Empowermentors Collective started? In short, because there was no group like it for us in the free culture and free software movement. Many groups exist to address gender issues, but these were consistently white feminist groups that mostly just paid lip service to issues of race.
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=== On liberalism, assimilation, and multiculturalism ===
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We are not just another diversifySTEM™ organization aiming to integrate "minority" groups into the so-called "open source" community. We are creating our own space. We combine a critical passion for technology and digital media arts with our work towards POC empowerment, disability justice, decolonization, queer liberation, prison abolition, the destabilization of patriarchy, and other struggles we share.
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=== Driving Questions ===
  
* Where do queer people of color, women of color, POC with disabilities, etc. fit into the free sotware & free culture communities?
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* What dangers lie in private ownership over media and software as it concentrates power over technology & telecommunications?  
* Why do movements aiming to represent everyone often leave out already marginalized groups?
 
 
* How are race, gender, sexuality, class, and other cultural meanings coded into technology?
 
* How are race, gender, sexuality, class, and other cultural meanings coded into technology?
* Why does openness frequently lead to exclusion?
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* Does free culture necessarily topple or reproduce those in power?
 
* Can we reconcile opposing both permission culture & cultural appropriation?
 
* Can we reconcile opposing both permission culture & cultural appropriation?
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* Why do movements aiming to represent everyone often leave out already marginalized groups?
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* Why does openness and meritocracy frequently lead to exclusion?
 
* When does equal treatment ignore preexisting differences in power, privilege, & access?
 
* When does equal treatment ignore preexisting differences in power, privilege, & access?
* Does free technology necessarily topple or reproduce those in power?
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* Where do wefit into the free sotware & free culture community as queer people of color, women of color, POC with disabilities, etc. ?
 
* Who does the free software & free culture movement fight for...and who is leading it?
 
* Who does the free software & free culture movement fight for...and who is leading it?
  

Revision as of 23:47, 21 June 2013

Empowermentors logo.svg
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About us

The Empowermentors Collective is a skillshare, activism, and discussion network for intersectionally marginalized people of color in the free culture and free software movement. We see radical potential in free software (often marketed as "open source software") and free culture to work against ableism, racism, cissexism, heterosexism, sexism, and classism.

We say "intersectionally marginalized" to refer to people of color who experience intersectionality, that is, the interactions of multiple systems of oppression. This means we are open to all people of color with disabilities, trans* people of color, queer people of color, women of color, class oppressed people of color, etc.

We are called Empowermentors because we focus on sharing knowledge and technical skills, producing free software and free media, and learning about and from each other. In this way we are being mentors for one another to empower ourselves.

We provide a space to:

  • Meet and talk to people with a common interest and shared experiences in free culture and free software.
  • Develop and share our skills and knowledge around free software and free culture.
  • Identify, expose, and organize to confront issues of oppression within the free software and free culture communities.
  • Expand our own philosophy at the cutting-edge of feminist, queer, critical race, and cyborg theory.

This opens up greater potential to:

  • Form coalitions with other causes of importance to us.
  • Create a free culture and free software movement that fights for us.
  • Produce media and technology that destabilize dominant powers which oppress queer POC, POC with disabilities, WOC, etc.
  • Bridge the free culture and free software movement with our contemporaries in the critical intersectional analysis of oppression, hierarchy, and domination.

Join us

If you are an ally, please help us spread the word and reach out to more people to join. We currently do not have plans regarding a space for allies, but appreciate the support.

If you are a person of color who holds another marginalized identity, please get involved!

The Empowermentors Collective strives to be an affirming and safer space for people with disabilities, people of color, women, and people self-identified as queer or LGBT.

Motivation

Why was the Empowermentors Collective started? In short, because there was no group like it for us in the free culture and free software movement. Many groups exist to address gender issues, but these were consistently white feminist groups that mostly just paid lip service to issues of race.

On liberalism, assimilation, and multiculturalism

We are not just another diversifySTEM™ organization aiming to integrate "minority" groups into the so-called "open source" community. We are creating our own space. We combine a critical passion for technology and digital media arts with our work towards POC empowerment, disability justice, decolonization, queer liberation, prison abolition, the destabilization of patriarchy, and other struggles we share.

Driving Questions

  • What dangers lie in private ownership over media and software as it concentrates power over technology & telecommunications?
  • How are race, gender, sexuality, class, and other cultural meanings coded into technology?
  • Does free culture necessarily topple or reproduce those in power?
  • Can we reconcile opposing both permission culture & cultural appropriation?
  • Why do movements aiming to represent everyone often leave out already marginalized groups?
  • Why does openness and meritocracy frequently lead to exclusion?
  • When does equal treatment ignore preexisting differences in power, privilege, & access?
  • Where do wefit into the free sotware & free culture community as queer people of color, women of color, POC with disabilities, etc. ?
  • Who does the free software & free culture movement fight for...and who is leading it?

Activities

Transcription

  • Help Transcribe important material for accessiblility.

File and Fix Bugs

Help us file, catalog, and help resolve bugs related to race, gender, and accessibility in free software projects.

  • Add to the Bug List revealing that free software is not immune to

Report Incidents

Contribute to the Geek Feminism Wiki

Other Communities We Love

Meetings

  • No current schedule for meetings.

Contact

You may reach the team via IRC (see above) or by emailing the discussion list:

  • empowermentors@libreplanet.org

You may also contact the team leaders via email:

  • empowermentors-owner@libreplanet.org


Empowermentors
Note A group for free software activists
Region Global
Area Global
Mailing list http://lists.libreplanet.org/mailman/listinfo/empowermentors
Website http://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Empowermentors
Available language(s) English
Contact Kẏra
Current status Active