{Apologies for cross-posting}
Dear Chennai Linux User Group,
We welcome you to participate in the online discussion forum "Free and Open
Source Software: Policy and Development Implications" (FOSS-PDI) at
http://lists.apdip.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/foss-pdi
FOSS-PDI is a joint initiative of Bridges.org, (Cape Town, South Africa); Free
and Open Source Software Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA), (Nairobi, Kenya);
OneWorld South Asia (OWSA), (New Delhi, India); UNDP-APDIP International Open
Source Network (IOSN), (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); UNDP Asia-Pacific Development
Information Programme (APDIP/UNDP), (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).
The multi-stakeholder partners of this e-discussion firmly believe that FOSS is
in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): because it increases
access to, ownership of, and control of knowledge and information through the
collaborative development of newer technologies and communication
opportunities. FOSS also provides an innovative Intellectual Property Rights
(IPR) framework that can be applied in all areas of development theory and
practice - advocacy for Free Medicine (e.g. generic HIV/AIDS drugs), Free Seeds
(e.g. seed banks), Free Books (e.g. Open Access Movement), Freedom of
Information Movement et. al. Therefore the issues being considered central to
this debate are:
* Opportunities and drawbacks of FOSS for developing countries ? the roles of
government, civil society, business in the process
* FOSS and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ? stretching the development
dollar for scaling-up impact
* The global Intellectual Property Concern - Business monopoly of first world
nations software giants VS third world collaborative
efforts.
* Enabling legal/regulatory/policy framework for country specific strategic
evolution of FOSS.
* Open-source processes outside the software sector ? Free Medicine, Seed Bank,
Open Access, Open Archiving etc.
* Comparison of proprietary software vis-?-vis FOSS in terms of technical
merits ?reliability, stability, and vulnerabilities,
especially in the context of national security.
* FOSS versus Public Domain Software and Freeware ? the Total Cost of Ownership
(TCO) of FOSS.
* Motivations for contributing to FOSS projects - What motivates FOSS
developers to "donate" their time? In the context of developing countries, can
these motivators be encouraged by government, civil society and private sector
interventions?
We expect the deliberations of this on-ine discussion will contribute toward
evolution of enabling policy framework on building/using FOSS for developmental
interventions.
To post to this list, send your email to:
foss-pdi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
General information about the mailing list is at:
http://lists.apdip.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/foss-pdi
We are looking forward to your active participation.
Thank you.
Warm regards,
Moderators
Sunil Abraham, UNDP/APDIP/IOSN
Philipp Schmidt, Bridges,org
Bildad Kagai, FOSSFA
Naimur Rahman, OWSA
Amandeep Singh Grewal, OWSA
Atanu Garai, OWSA
Links:
To subscribe: http://lists.apdip.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/foss-pdi
To post: foss-pdi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Bridges.org - http://www.bridges.org
FOSSFA - http://www.fossfa.net
OWSA - http://www.oneworldsouthasia.net, www.digitalopportunity.org ;
UNDP/APDIP - http://www.apdip.net
IOSN - http://www.iosn.net