[eccr] (Amsterdam - 2-5 June 2003) Open Source Software and development cooperation workshop

>Open Source Software and development cooperation workshop
>
>02.Apr.03 (Amsterdam) This workshop organized by the Waag Society and
>Hivos is to take place in the framework of the Waag-Sarai Exchange
>Programme. Its main intention is to discuss the possible advantages of a
>more focused use of Open Source Software (OSS) solutions within the
>context of development cooperation programs. The workshop seeks to
>gather Open Source practitioners and advocates from both South and North
>who are active within the field of development cooperation and related
>activities. We aim at providing possibilities for common discussions,
>the exchange of technical and other knowledge and concrete co-operations
>between participants form diverging regional backgrounds. Parts of the
>workshop aim at reaching a larger (local) audience consisting of persons
>who are interested in this issue and especially representatives of
>development NGOs as well as (Dutch) policy makers.
>
>At this stage we have identified 4 thematic threads that will structure
>the workshop. (These threads can be changed should other issues emerge
>later during the preparation process).
>
>
>1 - Exchange of experience:
>Throughout the entire workshop we want to provide a setting for the
>exchange of experiences and co-operation among the participants. While
>concrete issues of this thread will depend on the interests and
>experiences of the participants there are a few issues that can already
>be identified at this moment: The localization of interfaces and
>applications, Open source based streaming techniques and network
>architectures. At the beginning of this thread the participants should
>present their individual projects.
>
>
>2 - Advocacy:
>This thread focuses on the importance of Open Source Software in the
>context of development cooperation. The intention is to come up with a
>coherent and more well founded position paper ('manifesto') on the
>advantages of using OSS in development cooperation programs. While the
>resulting paper is intended to be used in order to propagate the use of
>OSS among development cooperation organizations, it can also be used as
>an input into the discussion around the role of OSS that have risen with
>regard to the WSIS taking place in December in Geneva. The idea is that
>the organizers of the workshop prepare a draft position paper that will
>be circulated among the participants well before the workshop. This
>draft will be partly based on the results of a study on the use and
>possibilities of OSS in East-Africa that is currently being undertaken
>by Hivos. The draft will be discussed and amended during the WS and
>presented to the public on the last day.
>
>
>3 - Facilitation:
>This thread focuses on the question how the use of Open Source Software
>can be facilitated by providing solutions that are easy to use, manage
>and support. Are there technical or organizational solutions and
>approaches that allow for a easier implementation of open source
>solutions in situations characterized by limited computer literacy
>and/or predominant use of proprietary software architectures?
>This thread also focuses on the conditions for actual OSS production
>(coding): How can conditions be created that stimulate the creation of
>OSS solutions in the South. It seems important to steer clear of a
>discussion that views the South primarily as consumers that download fee
>software because of is inherent advantages (being cheaper/more
>flexible/less restrictive).
>This thread will likely have the form of a discussion round with the
>possibility of a more 'hands-on' follow up session.
>
>
>4 - OSS in relation with Intellectual Property Rights.
>This thread focuses on the obvious and not-so-obvious linkages between
>advocacy and usage of OSS and issues related to (the protection of)
>so-called 'Intellectual Property' (IP). It is obvious that OSS
>challenges both the market position and the ideological dominance of the
>IP format. Less obvious is the way proponents of IP propose to counter
>the 'menace' of OSS. Besides luring major users (especially governments
>in the South) to prefer proprietary ITC solutions through positive, and
>sometimes negative, incentives, proponents of the IP format are also
>trying to 'decertificate' (even to the point of making it illegal) OSS
>solutions by raising the twin spectre of commercial disorder and
>liability failures. These 'FUD' (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt)
>strategies are supplemented by attempts to, well, basically steal OSS
>solutions when these are insufficiently protected by IP laws themselves
>(which OSS try to sidestep, eg with GPL agreements). Finally a fierce
>ideological battle is waged, both to beef up the shaky foundations of
>'Intellectual Property' itself, and deligitimize OSS, and basically
>anything related to the 'Public Domain' (fair use, open research, etc)
>as 'piracy'
>
>The workshop will take place at the Waag Society in Amsterdam from
>Monday the 2nd of June to Thursday the 5th of June.
>
>www.hivos.nl
>
>More infos here http://waag.sarai.net/display.php?id=25
>
>

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Carpentier Nico (Phd)
Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Free University Brussels
Studies on Media, Information & Telecommunication (SMIT)
Centre for Media Sociology (CeMeSO)
Office: C0.05
Pleinlaan 2 - B-1050 Brussels - Belgium
T: ++ 32 (0)2-629.18.30
F: ++ 32 (0)2-629.28.61
E-mail: (Nico.Carpentier /at/ vub.ac.be)
W1: http://smit.vub.ac.be/
W2: http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~ncarpent/
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