Alison dijo [Fri, Apr 21, 2017 at 07:25:00PM +0000]:
Wow! This fits us perfectly. I'm just starting a group effort to get some students to work on Tor in the University I work at (Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), setting up at least a relay, but quite probably a full exit node... Lets see how this develops. But so far, it looks like I *have* to be in this list :)
That's great to hear. What kind of help do you need? Where can we send some Tor stickers for you all? Have you met ilv? He's on this list and he runs relays in Latin America.
I will be happy to give stickers away! Please send them to:
Gunnar Wolf Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas Cto. Mtro. Mario de la Cueva S/N Ciudad Universitaria 04510, Coyoacán Ciudad de México MÉXICO
No, I don't think I've met ilv (not by alias, at least). ilv, ¿quién eres? ¿dónde estás?
I understand your reasoning here, but we discussed this a lot at the Amsterdam meeting and many people agreed that it's imperative to have some of our annual meetings in the Global South for the sake of building community in those regions. We also talked about ways to make it easier for people from the Global South to come to meetings in EU or US/Canada, like simply getting the invites out earlier so that people could have time to work out their visas.
In my experience (personal and organizing various conferences), "regular" tourist visas are much easier to get than for-conference visas. Some ountries, as the USA, have basically stopped issuing single-entry visas (as a Mexican, the only USA visa I can get is a multiple-entry, 10 year one). So, my recommendation would be to "just" apply for a USA visa. I got mine a very long time ago (it's about to expire), but IIRC it was before I got my tickets, so I didn't have specific travel plans.
This varies from country to country (both on the applicant's nationality and on the granter's), but I have found that visas are easier to get if no particular reason is specified. Even more if that reason were to be, "oh, I want to help avoid your stupid government monitoring our lives".
I jumped upon reading this. As I explained in my previous paragraph, even though I'd *love* it to be in Mexico City, I think we are too much on the edge of the region. Also, our country is not (by far) the most visa-friendly to Latin Americans.
The visa issue is one that gives Mexico City a heavy downvote. Some things in its favor: very inexpensive for US/Canada travel and pretty inexpensive for EU travel, great food and culture. But I also have a bias because the flight there for me takes only about an hour from Texas! :)
There are some tips that ease entry to Mexico: Our visa requirements were heavily tightened some years ago, as part of a negotiation for a migrations deal with the USA authorities that never came. But, recognizing that, our government decided that anybody (at least from Latin America) with a valid USA visa in their passport can enter Mexico.
But, FWIW, if Mexico were to be chosen (and you don't have any better contacts in here), I can provide (with 90% probability) very good facilities at my workplace, the country's largest university, either at a research institute or at a faculty surrounded by eager students.
This is another big vote for Mexico then!
\o/