Open Source in Africa

Convened under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in late 2002, the ICT Policy and Civil Society Workshop in Addis Ababa evolved into a discussion of the connection between civil society, economic development, and access to technology.  The ongoing dialogue that grew from the conference led to the creation of the Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA).  The group uses open source software as a foundation for building public infrastructure, sparking innovation in economic and technological development on a local level, and sharing information across political boundaries.

FOSSFA uses the idea of open source software on a number of fronts.  The group encourages the adoption of clearly defined open source principles by national governments in Africa and around the world as a means of sharing both knowledge and technology.  To these ends, the organizations serves as a liaison between national governments, non-governmental organizations, and communities.  On the local level, FOSSFA provides tech support to businesses and programs, helping users find flexible and innovative ways to use software while working to incorporate open source software into sustainable economic growth, empowerment of minority groups, and the achievement and the Millennium Development Goals.

While sparking economic development and improving dialogue between nations, FOSSFA hopes that the synthesis of economic growth, greater access to information, and increased governmental collaboration with nonprofit groups and other countries will lead to greater transparency and will strengthen democratic civil institutions.

The example of FOSSFA stands in sharp contrast to other debates over the continent’s access to technology or research such as the controversy surrounding plans to import GMO crops to Zambia and, more infamously, the legal battles that emerged from efforts to make low-cost pharmaceuticals widely available.