Python Software Foundation: Equal Opportunity More Important Than US Funding
The PSF forgoes potential funding because the requirements explicitly prohibit programs promoting equal opportunity under DEI.
(Image: TierneyMJ/Shutterstock.com)
The Python Software Foundation (PSF) has withdrawn a grant application submitted earlier this year to the US government. Specifically, the PSF had applied to the National Science Foundation of the US government for $1.5 million in funding under the Safety, Security, and Privacy of Open-Source Ecosystems (Safe-OSE) program. The program aims to strengthen security in open-source ecosystems and protect against attacks.
After a few months, the application was apparently recommended for funding. According to the PSF blog, only 36 percent, or just over a third, of all initial applications are successful.
Unacceptable Conditions for Funding
However, the initial excitement quickly gave way to serious concerns when the foundation received the conditions for the funding.
Specifically, it included the statement that funded organizations “shall not conduct, and shall not permit subcontractors to conduct, any program activities that promote or support DEI or any discriminatory equality ideology that violates federal anti-discrimination laws.”
Trump's Fight Against DEI
DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. It primarily focuses on promoting underrepresented groups. Shortly after the start of his second term, US President Donald Trump massively restricted DEI programs in his fight against “wokeness.” The announcement on the official White House website speaks of “illegal and immoral discrimination programs” that had been enforced by the Biden administration.
The conditions for the funding, including the anti-DEI requirements, apply not only to the security efforts but to the entire work of the funded organizations.
Contradiction to the PSF Mission
The Python Software Foundation has enshrined equal opportunity in its official mission statement. It states, “The mission of the Python Software Foundation is to promote, protect, and advance the Python programming language, and to support and facilitate the growth of a diverse and international community of Python programmers.”
(Image:Â Python Software Foundation)
Guido van Rossum, the creator of the Python programming language, founded the Python Software Foundation as a US-American non-profit organization on March 6, 2001.
The PSF is responsible for the further development of Python and also manages the package manager Python Package Index (PyPI). The latter, like the JavaScript package manager npm, is repeatedly targeted by supply chain attacks.
According to the blog post, the PSF found no way to receive the funding while adhering to its mission, concluding that it could not accept the money without betraying its mission.
The PSF is not the first organization to withdraw its grant application due to the conditions. In June, the organization The Carpentries, an organization little known in Germany, took the same step. The Carpentries offers training in software development and data science and makes all training materials available under a Creative Commons license.
Videos by heise
The funds from the National Science Foundation would not be the first financial support for the Python Software Foundation to promote security. In June 2022, the Open-Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF), which is under the umbrella of the Linux Foundation, supported the PSF with $400,000.
(rme)
