[diversity] Hosting RIPE85 in Serbia that is trying to cancel EuroPride 2022

Hi Sascha,

I do feel triggered with this call for a certain "openness",
I hope you take this reply in a best possible way!

On 28/08/2022 16:45, Sascha Pollok wrote:
> The in-person meetings should welcome everybody and not 
> force them to make those weird compromises.

...

> If we want to offer an open meeting, we need to pick the location 
> accordingly.

Theoretically, I agree with you -- but -- some of the locations that are 
considered "open" are only so to certain groups of people...

(e.g. Germany, Holland, Scandinavia... UK!?)

... and there are still many many people for whom these countries are 
NOT open; people who are disadvantaged by _other_ circumstances:

- people who can not afford to travel to North/West Europe, since the 
hotels & food are too expensive for them

&

- people from "wrong" countries who can not get a visa


... so if we would host meetings only in those countries, RIPE would be 
missing out on many contributions.



It is a difficult challenge to offer equal opportunities for wide 
variety of particpation... and I am glad that we are now considering 
many of the aspects; I am hoping this will lead to better events, and 
more justice in the world!


Vesna