[wilhelmtux-discussion] Re: World Summit on the InformationSociety - FSF at WSIS?

Claude Almansi claude.almansi at bluewin.ch
Don Mar 20 12:56:46 CET 2003


Richard Stallman wrote:

<<Yes, definitely.  I will look for ways we can do so.>>

This is great! Thank you so much - and to Alex too for having contacted
you. If this can be of use: Lawrence Lessig took part in the
"Visionaries' Round Table" that opened the second Preparatory Conference
for WSIS (PrepCom2) in Geneva in February, where he expressed pessimism
as to where "Information Society" was heading to if the current tendency
towards commercialisation of knowledge, content and means to access them
(i.e. software). But althoug the intervention by A. Wade, president of
Senegal, at the same "Visionaries' round table" is reported on the WSIS
site (under Executive Secretariate) - Lessig's isn't, unfortunately.

Obviously, free software is an essential issue in "Information Society"
anyway, but particularly so in countries with scarce economic resources.
For instance, during PrepCom2, the sysop of the server at Makarere
University (Uganda) stated that if he were to pay for software licences,
this would take a third of the University's budget. 

Fortunately, awareness of this is far greater and more widespread in
these countries (in governments and in associations) than in many more
affluent ones (EU, Switzerland). They don't need WSIS to learn about
free software. Nevertheless, the principle of promoting its use in
initiatives aiming to bridge the Digital Divide should be anchored, and
given authority, by WSIS.

Cordially

Claude Almansi
Coordinatrice in/formazione
www.adisi.ch 
v. Cantonale 22
6532 Castione
Switzerland
091 829 04 51
076 405 85 69