Our Village, Our Monsters: Fixing Open Gov Orgs After “Me Too”
Understandably, my “me too” story horrified many in our field. What I didn’t expect is that so many would identify with my story and seek me out to share theirs. I listened to dozens of individuals in open gov and civic tech whose stories shocked and saddened me. In their stories, patterns and character types emerged.
Victims (and their allies) left workplaces and our industry after bullying and harassment. We have experienced a brain drain of our own making. Through their stories of exclusion, I realized that well before creeping authoritarianism could come for us (civil society/open governance/supporters of democracy/civic technologists) we decimated ourselves first.
Here, I outline the key components of our industry’s horror story. This isn’t to scare or outrage you; each of us have a responsibility to change our role and actions in our dysfunctional workplaces. Find yourself in this story? I’ve included custom recomendations for you to implement.
Your “Pandora’s Boxes” Found Me
After the Huffington Post story, I spent weeks in DC, San Francisco, and New York talking with leaders in our fields. In all organizations except philanthropy, conversations started with talking about solutions, but quickly segued to them sharing, like I was a…
