[wellylug] FW: Building Bridges to community

[Centurion Computer Technology Ltd]

Might be a good thing to forward on to NZOSS.

On Thu, 2003-02-06 at 08:26, Jamie Dobbs wrote:
> Had this sent to me today. I really do not have much of an idea how I
> can answer the questions that Michael is asking - would someone care
> to respond on the groups behalf? 
> Perhaps we could discuss on Monday night and someone could respond to
> him.
> 
> BTW - How many people will be coming on Monday night? Remember that
> we are back at our usual venue of the Johnsonville Community Centre.
> 
> - Jamie -
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael [mailto:m.francis at accesscomm.ca]
> Sent: Friday, 7 February 2003 9:24 a.m.
> Subject: Building Bridges to community
> 
> Hi Jamie,
> 
> greetings from the great white North
> Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
> 
> I am dropping you a quick note in the hopes that I can get some sort
> of 
> overview of FLOSS type activitities In NZ
> 
> Here in the middle of the Canadian West our local lug last November
> organised a very large two day public expo for all things Linux Open 
> Source etc.
> 
> Regina is a small city approximately 180,000 and our lug has around
> 400 
> members, We managed to beeat up on IBM,SUN,HP, to cough up most of
> the 
> money to put on the show. We rented a hotel convention center and had
> 
> over 2,000 people come through the doors in two days.
> 
> It has helped us build some bridges into our our local community and 
> some allies are starting to help us out.
> 
> The Regina and District Labour council have provided us with a a free
> 
> class room space in their Union center and we are slowly educating
> the trade unions and non -profit community groups about the benifts
> of switching from the dark side and as a result creating work and 
> opportunities for our LUG members.
> 
> This week we have had a NZ guest working with us on Labour issues
> here
> a Ross Teppet, who is the National Education Officer for EPMU in New 
> Zealand. I managed to spend a couple of hours with him and started
> the FLOSS re-education process and he was blown away by some of the 
> things we are doing here regarding seting up training programs and 
> regular install fests.
> 
> and he has expressed a wish to see if he can help start similar
> programs 
> in NZ
> 
> So I guess what i am asking is how involved with the their local 
> communities are the NZ LUGS and are there NZ FLOSS advocates
> that are becomming interested in working with thier local communities
> Ross is still touring North America for about month and I am hoping
> to 
> develop some contacts for him for when he returns.
> 
> The labour movement is starting to get a clue here in Western Canada
> so much so that they have found me $300,000 of funding to help them 
> convert their Labour councils from mostly M$ to FLOSS stuff
> 
> and we are developing very much that first precept of 
> 
> Mutual Growth Through Co-operation
> 
> anyway as Ross put he would love to get the same kind of community
> based 
> learning stuff on the go in NZ.
> 
> So see if you can put some feelers out into the NZ Lugs for
> individuals 
> that are interested in moving forward into thier communities.
> 
> I am one of the founders of www.canopener.ca is there a NZ working
> group 
> of FLOSS activists yet?
> 
> anyhow nuff for now
> cheers
> m
> 
> 
>   .-.   Wellington
>   /V\   Linux
>  // \\  Users       
> /(   )\ Group
>  ^^-^^
>         http://wlug.paradise.net.nz/
> 
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> 
> 
> 
-- 
	Daniel Reurich
	Centurion Computer Technolgy Limited
	
	Ph: (04) 565 1344
	    (025) 374 387
	    
	email: centurion at paradise.net.nz



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