Author: JT Smith
On May 6th 2001, the first general assembly of the Free
Software Foundation Europe took place at the Villa Vogelsang in Essen,
Germany. It was the first meeting of the members of the recently
founded sister organisation of the FSF (Boston,USA). Representatives
from France, Germany and Sweden agreed on future areas of engagement
for the FSFE.
Software Foundation Europe took place at the Villa Vogelsang in Essen,
Germany. It was the first meeting of the members of the recently
founded sister organisation of the FSF (Boston,USA). Representatives
from France, Germany and Sweden agreed on future areas of engagement
for the FSFE.
"Coordinating Free Software based organisations and establishing local
chapters throughout Europe is one of our primary long-term goals." says
Georg C. F. Greve, President of the FSF Europe. "So is beginning our
work
as a competence center for Free Software, aimed primarily at
journalists
and politicians who will be able to find authoritative information
about
Free Software from the Foundation."
Most Free Software is released under the license of the Free Software
Foundation, the GNU General Public License. One of the first
projects will be to harmonize it better with local European laws in
order to keep up with current changes and developments.
The Foundation will also further Free Software in the educational
sector where it will seek to coordinate and strengthen efforts
by organizations and individuals dedicated to that task.
At the same date, the first general assembly of the FSF Europe -
Chapter Germany has taken place.
"We want the advantages of Free Software to be known to almost
everybody
in Germany. German developers are already playing a major role as
contributors to the GNU project and Free Software in general."
says Bernhard Reiter, German chancellor of the FSF Europe.
"The FSFE will help to leverage these efforts on a european level
and make sure that we it will stay legal to develop Free Software for
all needs."
About the FSF Europe:
The Free Software Foundation Europe is the sister organization of the
Free Software Foundation created 1984 by Richard M. Stallman in the
United States of America.
Main purpose of the FSF Europe is to coordinate Free Software
initiatives throughout Europe, to provide a Free Software
competence-center for politicians and journalists and to provide
infrastructure for Free Software projects and especially the GNU
Project.
Further information about the FSF Europe can be found at
http://fsfeurope.org
Contact:
Europe
Georg C. F. Greve
Tel: +49-40-23809080
Fax: +49-40-23809081
France
Frederic Couchet
Tel: +33 6 60 68 89 31
Germany
Bernhard Reiter
Tel: +49-541 - 335 08 - 33
Italy
Alessandro Rubini
Tel: +39-0382-529.554 (o .424)
Fax: +39-0382-529.424
Sweden
Jonas Öberg
Tel: +46-21-144831
Further press contact information is available at
http://fsfeurope.org/press/
