The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team United States, Inc. (HOT), applies the principles of open source and open data sharing for humanitarian response
and economic development. Founded in the wake of the Haiti earthquake of 2010, responders and organizations recognized the need for accurate,
accessible maps to aid in humanitarian response and the potential for international development interventions.
Since then, HOT has utilized its network of tens of thousands of volunteers to contribute to OpenStreetMap, the free and editable map of the world. HOT’s network and tools enable everyone, local or international, to have an impact by putting places and areas home to people on the map.
The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to support and promote the collaborative development of open source geospatial software, data and education. The foundation provides financial, organizational and legal support to the broader open source geospatial community. It also serves as an independent legal entity to which community members can contribute code, funding and other resources, secure in the knowledge that their contributions will be maintained for public benefit. OSGeo also serves as an outreach and advocacy organization for the open source geospatial community, and provides a common forum and shared infrastructure for improving cross-project collaboration. The foundation’s projects are all freely available at https://osgeo.org and usable under an OSI-certified open source license.
Together the organizations have agreed to find synergistic ways to promote common goals.
Starting in 2021, HOT and OSGeo will work together to contribute to the following shared objectives:
- OSGeo to communicate about HOT’s tools on OSGeoLive (https://live.osgeo.org)
- HOT and OSGeo to promote development of open geospatial communities (e.g. OSGeo chapters and OSM community groups) in HOT priority countries (list of 94 countries). This should include connecting OSGeo local chapters with Open Mapping Hubs supported by HOT in Asia Pacific, Eastern & Southern Africa (ESA), West Africa, and Latin America & the Caribbean, with the goal of facilitating delivery of training and funding (Microgrants) where relevant to OSGeo local chapters.
- HOT to promote use of open source geospatial tools (such as GeoNode and QGIS) in HOT projects and with the humanitarian mapping community
- HOT and OSGeo to show visibility of partners on both sides during events
- HOT and OSGeo to work together over conferences including HOT Summit & FOSS4G
Angelos Tzotsos (President of OSGeo) and Tyler Radford (Executive Director of HOT) signed the MOU in August/September 2021.
For more information about OSGeo contact board@lists.osgeo.org
For more information about HOT contact board@hotosm.org
MoU details at https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/MOU_HOT
