As an organization that serves a global community, GeoHab is committed to supporting the emergence of a diverse, inclusive, and transparent community. We recognize the issues that exist in science and society in general as it pertains to gender parity and identity, geographic representation, and resource availability, among others, and we acknowledge that our organization is not foreign to them. We strongly believe that our activities and community benefit from bringing together a wide range of people, skills, experiences, and ideas/perspectives, and as such strive to build a welcoming community where mentorship, support, tolerance, and mutual respect prevail. The Ron McDowell Award, which each year enables student participation from around the world, is part of our ongoing efforts to be an inclusive organization.

Participants in GeoHab must commit to (1) establishing and sustaining a zero-tolerance culture towards discrimination, (2) actively seeking representation in the programs and activities associated with GeoHab, (3) disrupting unspoken rules that promote discrimination and racism, and (4) acknowledging and valuing diverse experiences of our community and the people targeted by our activities. Also, in support of Indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination around the world, we acknowledge the right of Indigenous peoples to access, conduct, and interpret science. We encourage all scientists to engage with Indigenous peoples as partners throughout the scientific process.

The GeoHab community recognizes the value of diversity and inclusion and will implement actions to promote the emergence of a more diverse community. The GeoHab Executive Committee will constantly review our organization’s practices to ensure that we withhold our commitments, and will identify actions to be taken to maximize diversity in our activities and ensure that we remain inclusive, fair, and supportive.