Re: soc-ctte discussion at DebConf7
On Sun, 1 Jul 2007 22:54:53 +0200 (CEST), Andreas Tille <tillea@rki.de> said:
> On Sun, 1 Jul 2007, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
>> I am not talking about _not_ having a soc-ctte. I am talking about
>> whether or not the selection criteria for ctte members needs to be
>> looked at with due consideration to the cultural diversity.
> I'm afraid that we will have not enough volunteers from different
> cultures.
This might well be the case. But I can see where an informed
electorate can make a different decision for party selection if they
keep cultural diversity in mind. So the practical solution might be as
simple as adding a note to the charter of the soc ctte admonisng them
to be aware of these issues; and for the entity selecting members to
also be aware as well.
> Moreover it is hard to separate between different cultures. There is
> no sharp borderline between cultures and there are people who belong
> to more than one culture.
While boundaries might be blurred, let me assure you that the
cultural background in Tennessee is distinctly different from that in the
Scottish highlands, and palpably so; and both are a world apart from
the culture of nothern India.
> So this is a quite weak criterium to choose members for a soc-ctte
> from.
I dunno. I think there is a wide diversity in cultural norms and
expectations (the news headlines scream with the effects); and just
because there are crossovers and individuals and families who straddle
the divide is no reason to pretend that the differences do not exist,
or can not be catered to.
> I think I understood perfectly your concerns - but I see no practical
> solution. I just hope that a soc-ctte that is elected according to
> the rules we mentioned will be able to understand social aspects that
> are brought up by a person who has the kind of trouble you have in
> mind.
Well, the re are practical solutions, and there are practical
solutions. Let not the perfect be the enemy of an adequate
solution. While we might never be able to get a perfectly unbiased,
culture neutral and yet culture sensitive soc ctte, as you rightly
fear; we can still add language to the charter of the soc ctte to
remind the members of this aspect of their duty long after this
conversation has been forgotten.
>> Based on recent conversation in the list, I would suggest that the
>> proportionality criteria for party list selection be given emhpasis
>> for electing the members, so the minority cultures do not fail to
>> have representation on the ctte, drowned our by the dominant cultural
>> subgroups.
> Just for the sake of interest: What would you say to which cultural
> group you would belong?
Me? I belong to the modern diaspora of migrants stuck between
diverse cultures, belonging perfectly to neither. I think modern
migrants like me are often better at recognizing two vastly different,
and often opposed, but equally valid takes on issues that our social
and cultural sets take.
And no, you do not want me on your soc ctte.
manoj
--
He whose path devas, spirits and men cannot know, whose inflowing
thoughts are ended, a saint - that is what I call a brahmin. 420
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> <http://www.debian.org/~srivasta/>
1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B 924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C
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