Dear Mapmakers,

We’re hoping 2015 is a good year for you and your community. Here at Green Map’s global office, we have had many discussions about the climate crisis, and how to be more effective at a time when massive social change is required. Over the years, you have demonstrated your support for sustainable, healthy and engaged communities through Green Mapmaking. Now, we hope you will also support a major decision:

It’s time to join the sharing economy. In March, we will announce that Green Map System is ‘going open’. There are three reasons why this makes sense:

First, our terms of use, fees and centralized leadership have created an exclusionary barrier, slowing collaboration and participation at a time when it is needed most. Second, by embracing the sharing and open source movement, we can generate far more impacts. We can share our icons and tools in new ways, and involve more people in Green Map System’s ongoing development. Third, by going open, we can draw fresh energy and creativity for improving our community toolkit, icons, interactive mapping platform, capacity building and media resources to most effectively support communities on this changing planet.

Don’t worry! You will be able to decide whether to go open with your own maps and data or to keep them copyright protected.

Going ‘open’ will help us create and implement a new business model that is more sustainable and equitable, too. We will be able to accelerate our mission of supporting community, climate and environmental health.

Our 20th anniversary is March 25. It’s also a new beginning because the Going Open announcement will draw attention, support, and new partnerships. We want ensure your involvement in this process, starting with the Survey linked here http://bit.ly/GMgosu15 or you can comment right on this Google Doc - http://bit.ly/GMoa15 (no login needed). Soon, we’ll have a good way to collaborate online.

‘Open’ is not easy to define. Experts agree there are many options and degrees of sharing to consider (see below), and many benefits. ‘Open’ is not new, and now, there

We can set this new course together. Let’s think about the ways going open can help communities move easily from initial interest to finished Green Map and activate the skills and commitment of more people. Let’s make it easier to contribute leadership, energy and experience to enhance global progress.  

Our Board of Directors expects that it will take a couple of years to work out all aspects of this new way of working. Your guiding experience is especially important as we move forward.

Thank you for helping Green Map System evolve and, together, confronting the complex climate challenge. Comment on the doc or in the survey, please.  2015 will be an empowered, impactful year for all of us!

Warmly, Wendy

Basic info on open source (in English):

Wikipedia (with animation) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source

Graphic animation (4 min) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyd0FO0tko8

Interview (7 min)  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1jA1OEYmaIw