Hello Fares,
thanks for reaching out - I hope the wider community also shares their
experience, because the situation where I live (Belgium) is very
different from the one in your Aleppo. From your mail, I have the
impression that you're expecting hundreds of people.
It looks like you have a very ambitious project outlined! From what I
heard, good potential partners were libraries and schools. I don't think
there is a hackerspace in Syria or more specific in Aleppo.
For sure, if nothing else works and you have enough volunteers... you
could do a "tour of digital freedom" (pick a name that may be more
accessible for your area if needed) where different home living rooms
get turned into an ad hoc place. If the speakers are willing to give
their talk a few times, this might also be a way to distribute the
people load - even offering the opportunity for more interaction with
your audience.
Others have also used coffee shops or cafés as venue, given they might
sell drinks to the visitors.
Anyway, wishing you best of luck, and looking forward to hearing more
from you and your event!
Greetings,
Jurgen
Op 25/09/2025 om 10:57 schreef Fares Alkhaled:
Hello SFD Community,
My name is Fares, I’m based in Aleppo, Syria, and I’m currently
working on coordinating a Software Freedom Day event here. This will
be one of the first SFD events of its kind in Aleppo, and I’m really
excited about the opportunity to bring people together around free and
open-source software.
The event is planned to include four main activities:
1.
*Technical Talks* – on digital freedom, open-source software, and
their role in developing both the technical and civil society sectors.
2.
*Interactive Exhibition* – showcasing open-source software across
different sectors.
3.
*Support Corner* – offering technical help to install FOSS
software from the exhibition and providing guidance for visitors.
4.
*Hackathon* – where young people can participate in solving 3–4
technical challenges using open-source tools, with clear
participation rules.
Right now, the main challenge I’m facing is finding a suitable venue.
I’ve been looking for theaters or halls that can host the event, but
so far it’s been difficult. Because of this, I may need to push the
date to October 2nd instead of the official day.
I’d love to hear your advice on:
1.
*Program design* – What have you found most effective in engaging
participants and keeping the energy high across multiple
activities in a single-day event?
2.
*Maximizing local impact* – From your experience, what strategies
can help make SFD more meaningful in regions where the FOSS
community is still in its early stages?
3.
*Flexibility* – If I cannot secure a large hall, what creative
approaches (smaller venues, hybrid formats, outdoor spaces, etc.)
have worked for you?
I want this to be a strong and inspiring start for the FOSS community
in Syria, and I’d be grateful to learn from your experiences.
Thank you in advance for your support and guidance.
Best regards,
Fares
Aleppo, Syria
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