I see where you are coming from, Mike. At the same time, there is
something fundamentally different about an in-person event. From my own
experience, some of the most valuable learnings I have taken from in-person
events have been completely unplanned; in particular, developing personal
relationships with people from other parts of the world or from other
projects. We should be doing our best to ensure that people from all over
the world have the opportunity to have these experiences, as they have been
fundamental to our growth as a movement. A lunchtime walk, a random
encounter at breakfast, or a casual introduction has often turned into an
action plan to collaborate. These things don't really happen during online
meetings and conferences.
There are also plenty of issues with online meetings, too. Connectivity
problems, software challenges, and the fact that it's much more difficult
to socialize online are just the beginning.
Hybrid, yes. But it is critical that we don't consider the presence of
those who face greater challenges in attending in-person as non-essential.
Their ability to participate in the same way as someone from a country with
easy access is, in some ways, even more important.
Risker/Anne
On Tue, 16 Aug 2022 at 13:51, Mike Peel <email(a)mikepeel.net> wrote:
Hi,
Rather than worrying about visa problems, why not use the experiences
we've learnt over the last few years with virtual meetings? Make sure
that the meeting is fully hybrid - with remote attendees being able to
participate equally with those in person? Wouldn't that be a fairer
approach to make sure that all who need to attend can do so?
Thanks,
Mike