FOSSCOM CMP will always remain a subset of the FSF's objectives if we seek to build a broad coalition. Other wise we could have just launched an FSF membership drive. Kingsly
FOSSCOMM while intending to be a broad based alliance of civil society organizations (and individuals) has also as its primary goal, to involve many more actors from the non-technical worlds - NGO/CBOs, government officials, even politicians, media, academic institutions etc, which is essential to 'mainstream FOSS' beyond our current groups of the 'converted'. Most of these organizations are working on issues of social justice, equity, democracy etc.
Because of such diversity, FOSS itself would get interpreted in various ways, including in more socio-political language of justice/equity etc as mentioned earlier. This way FOSS would also get communicated in 'non-technological' language which stresses its socio-cultural, political, economic and pedagogical advantages and therefore necessity to adopt and promote FOSS, especially by 'public sector agencies' that work on public funds, for the public interest.
Hence in my view, there is no need to assume that a broad alliance would have as its goals a sub set of FSF goals. What will evolve as a plan of action will need to have fundamentally, these wider goals of justice/ equity/ democracy etc as the basis.
In any such plan of action, there may be immediate priorities (FOSS in education, Open Standards. patents) etc and there may be longer term plans (such as 'free hardware') which may not be immediately actionable (perhaps), but which still fit into the basic underlying goals of FOSSCOMM. So the CMP can also be broad, including short and long term goals. Each item can be debated on its own substantive merits, deriving from the overall purpose. Finally, the key issue will be, of the issues identified, how do we form smaller 'action groups' or task forces that will do the required work of research/advocacy/software development etc and this will give each of us to engage on issues close to our hearts, while we extend moral (and material, if possible) support to the other goals.
regards, Guru _______________________________________________ network mailing list [email protected] http://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in
