Launch of online discussion forum: FOSS: Policy and Development Implications

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [genderict] Launch of online discussion forum: FOSS: Policy
and Development Implications
Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 02:19:36 -0800
From: Kedar Dash <kedar.dash@oneworld.net>
To: Gender & ICT: Issues, Implications & Opportunities
<genderict@dgroups.org>

Current topic: Access to ICTs and their use
Dear All ,
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-à-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@lists.apdip.net

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@lists.apdip.net
Bridges.org - http://www.bridges.org
FOSSFA - http://www.fossfa.net
OWSA - http://www.oneworldsouthasia.net, http://www.digitalopportunity.org
UNDP/APDIP - http://www.apdip.net
IOSN - http://www.iosn.net
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