<note> From Kevin Mark <kmark@pipeline.com> Email seth (at the address below) or me (at the address above) for more info. It is tenatively set for 3pm. This will be Video taped. </note> ----- Forwarded message from Seth Johnson <seth.johnson@realmeasures.dyndns.org> ----- <snip CC> X-FOLDER: people/seth.johnson X-MDaemon-Deliver-To: kmark@pipeline.com X-Return-Path: seth.johnson@realmeasures.dyndns.org Hello NY area free software lovers, We have a truly esteemed visitor in the city til the end of the month, Antonio Perpinan, of Codigo Libre. (see http://codigolibre.org) Antonio is a community-based organizer who has made major strides for free software in the Dominican Republic. A few people are planning a gathering to meet with him, hear what he has to say and to pick his brain, this Saturday the 27th, about dinner time, at Forest Mars' current location (details still shaping up). We want to get a sense for how many of you folks can make it. Maybe we could order pizza, everybody bring a few dollars. Plans are still rough. I don't really know Forest's setup yet. This is a very unique opportunity for some of us who have been working on somewhat similar things in the NY area, to benefit from some solid "in the trenches" experience. Codigo Libre was started in 1998. They have migrated all sorts of public and private institutions to free software, including banks like BHD, Popular, and Reservas (the State Bank), the biggest supermarket chain, el POLA, which runs entirely on RedHat, and the largest Dominican mining company, Cemento Cibao, which runs Fedora. They are now migrating the La Salle high schools, starting in the City of Santiago, where they will teach using Ubuntu. The State has 9 schools spread throughout the capital city of Santo Domingo, where they are planning the migration of over 525 PCs to SuSE GNU/Linux. They taught more than 15,000 teachers at the board of education to use GNU/Linux, as well as college professors at the Public University. They do on-site paid training, free counseling and support for businesses, including free investigation to solve any problems related to integrating free software in the workplace. They print their own books. They give courses at all levels from initial levels to advanced telephony, programming and databases, and have developed their own Certification with manuals, practices, courses, and certification exams, covering fundamentals, administration, networking and security. They are presently working in the Dominican Senate to establish a National Law for Free Software, and to have the Senate to approve a committee of Free Software to guide public institutions in migrating to free software. The UNICDA university gives a post study course open to graduate students on GNU/Linux technology administration. The State is expending almost 2 Million Dollars in a project to teach 25,000 kids GNU/Linux. They have two sites, a 375 square foot location in Santo Domingo with 4 classrooms and 40 PCs running Ubuntu, routers, wireless internet access, a large meeting room for 50 people, where groups meet every day on diverse subjects: GNU/Linux admins, Asteriks, c/c++/java, PHP, DBs groups, etc; and a 1,500 square foot location in Santiago with 4 air conditioned classrooms and an event hall for 200 people, 24 PCs, blackboards, etc. They have membership levels at 10, 20 and 30 dollars, giving members discounts, participation in courses and jobs search services. A very, very impressive record. Saul Alinsky woulda been proud! Please send me a note to let me know if you think you'll be able to join us! Seth ----- End forwarded message ----- Cheers, Kev -- | .''`. == Debian GNU/Linux == | my web site: | | : :' : The Universal | debian.home.pipeline.com | | `. `' Operating System | go to counter.li.org and | | `- http://www.debian.org/ | be counted! #238656 | | my keysever: pgp.mit.edu | my NPO: cfsg.org |
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