Making CHI 2023 even more globally-inclusive with the Global Plaza!

In the conference’s recent editions, the CHI Conferences organisers have introduced the Global Inclusion and Equity Initiative (also known as Global Plaza) to make the conference one step closer towards being more welcoming to newcomers and inclusive to all. The organisers recognise that participants, especially those from the Global South, experience additional challenges and need extra support to join and participate with the broader CHI community.

In response to this, the CHI 2023 Global Inclusion and Equity Chairs present to you again the 2023 edition of Global Plaza as part of the CHI Conference.

We invite you to look at our website for more information. Website: https://chi-global-plaza.github.io/2023/

Success of the previous edition

The CHI 2022 organising committee had the vision to make the flagship conference of SIGCHI their most inclusive and equitable version yet. And to achieve that goal the Global Inclusion and Equity Initiative was formed. The team was formed by Susan Dray, Annu Sible Prabhakar, Cuauhtemoc Rivera-Loaiza, Marisol Wong-Villacres and Eiad Yafi, with the invaluable collaboration of Jones Yeboah. The main result of this initiative was the Global Plaza (GP) project, which had as its main objective to provide a space (whether it was virtual or physical), for the exchange of ideas and fostering cross-collaboration between all attendees.

It was a resounding success, with more than 150 attendees to all the sessions, most of them over Zoom, and one on-site. In every session there was an evident demand of having this type of space available for everyone to join in. We hope that GP can become a tradition in all CHI conferences going forward.

What’s in store for this year

One of the Global Plaza goals is to make the conference more inclusive to those who need it and to provide a welcoming environment to those from underrepresented backgrounds. We have prepared the following events for you in this edition which will take place both in-person and virtually:

• Showcase research from Student (Game/Design/Research) Competitions.
• Language-Exchange and Language-specific sessions (such as but not limited to Spanish-only, German-only, and Chinese-only)
• Conversations with SIGCHI executive members and researchers from other regions
• Opportunities for collaboration and networking with chapters and researchers in nearby regions

Support and Funding

We are working closely with the different funding mechanisms to be able to help those experiencing challenges in participating in the CHI Conference. We are currently working on securing support such as:

• Assisting students in preparing their Gary Marsden Travel Award (GMTA) application
• Helping the young researchers to acquire their SIGCHI membership so they can apply for GMTA and get discounts when registering
• Support for registration (both virtual and in-person)

How to Apply for Support

The Global Plaza Chairs are constantly seeking newer ways to help and support those who experience challenges participating in the CHI community. If you encounter specific difficulties or challenges, we invite you to submit them through these forms. If these forms do not address your issues, please do not hesitate to reach out to us through [email protected].

Lime Survey: https://encuestas.cti.espol.edu.ec/index.php/719947?lang=en

How Can I Help?

In the spirit of building bridges and nurturing connections, the Global Plaza initiative is also open for more volunteers who are willing to extend a helping hand in making the CHI Conference more globally inclusive. If you would like to volunteer at activities such as helping virtual attendants feel welcome at Global Plaza, spreading the word about this event, leading sessions in your native language, or have any new ideas for the event, please reach out to us via email at [email protected].