Statement on appropriate technology use, open source software, and data center-related work

Introduction and Purpose

As an organization focused on direct democracy, citizen empowerment and community development, we recognize the need to mindfully employ technology in the service of our values and goals. This topic is particularly important to us in the current environment where the selection, control and employment of information technology is increasingly undemocratic, centralized, and focused on private profit.

We have created this statement as a set of guidelines on they types of technology we will employ internally and in our work with members and other clients. It is also intended to outline certain types of technology-related work that we will not accept because it conflicts with the values we hold collectively. Obviously the tech landscape is changing rapidly. We intend for this document to be regularly reviewed and revised by the members of cepa planning cooperative LWCA to ensure alignment with our values, taking into account new developments.

Appropriate Technology Use

Applied properly, technology has the potential to play a liberating role by allowing greater access to local governance, aid decision making, and speed the development of solutions to local problems. However, we also recognize the potential for new technologies to replace good judgment or to become a shortcut in the sometimes drawn out and challenging process of creating solutions that are appropriate and sustainable.

At cepa planning cooperative LWCA, we commit ourselves to applying appropriate technology (including AI) wherever it aligns with our values and helps our clients and members achieve their goals. However, we will not use technology as a substitute for genuine interaction with and concern for the needs of our partners and members. Nor will we use it to create documents or other content that is not to our professional standards. We will also not make use of technologies that violate the rights of human individuals or groups, and reserve the right to refuse to use technology of any type that we collectively feel is in violation of our values.

Commitment to Free and Open Source Software

One of our major aims as a community development organization is to make the tools of planning and urban design accessible to our partners and to train them in their use. The cost of commercial software is often prohibitive for the neighborhood based organizations we work with. However, free and open source (FOSS) alternatives frequently exist that have equal or in some cases better capabilities. We commit to identifying FOSS solutions for our clients wherever possible and assisting them with technical training as part of our capacity building processes.

In addition, we will seek out and use FOSS wherever possible in our own work. Because we use this software commercially, we commit ourselves to donating 2 percent of our annual gross income to FOSS projects and developers. The specific organizations and amounts will be determined by the worker members of cepa planning cooperative on an annual basis.

Planning and Advocacy for Data Centers and Related Infrastructure

The current process used to promote and approve data centers and associated infrastructure is often insufficiently transparent or democratic. Even where this infrastructure is planned and approved using current governmental procedures, we find the process to be generally insufficient in terms of democratic norms.

As an organization that promotes direct democratic control over community direction and development, we find the current situation unacceptable. As a result, we at cepa planning cooperative LWCA will not advocate in favor of the development of data centers or related infrastructure. In addition, will we not accept related work that directly or indirectly requires us to accept or approve any process that we consider insufficiently responsive to community concerns and democratic principles.

Though we will consider the needs of our partners and are open to situations where we can promote positive change, taking on any work of this nature will require the unanimous approval of all worker members in order to proceed.