Sharing Knowledge with Free Software Macedonia
24th January 2007
Every second Tuesday of the month, Free Software Macedonia (Слободен cофтвер Македонија) holds a meeting/workshop project called Share Your Knowledge (Сподели знаење) in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, Saints Cyril and Methodius University.
This Tuesday, Geekcorps Director, Wayan Vota was a special guest of the group on the topic of International Careers in Free and Open Source Software. You can download the slides here (PDF). The presentation was followed by a lively discussion of the different opportunities and constraints of FOSS in Macedonia
If you would like to learn more about FOSS in Macedonia, be sure to join the FSM listserv.
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On January 2, 2007, IESC Geekcorps’ work in Mali and Geekcorps Director Wayan Vota were featured on 100.1 KRUU-FM’s “Open Views” program hosted by DJ Sundar Raman. “Open Views” is an exploration of open-source and free-culture movements around the world, stretching beyond the limits of software. The show’s purpose is to provide a view into the rich world of collaborative development, open ideas, independent media, and new business models. 
With funding from the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, IESC Geekcorp’s Access to International Markets through Information Technology (AIM-IT) Program facilitated the participation of a delegation of 17 Lebanese ICT firms at the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (Gitex 06) in Dubai. This is the largest Information Technology exhibition in the Middle East.
Geekcorps was recently featured on CNN’s Business 2.0 segment entitled “Companies with Heart.”
Geekcorps Mali’s most resounding skills-transfer success was with local volunteer Moussa Keita and BottleNet. By training Moussa to install the WiFi technology across Mali, Geekcorps Mali helped him launch his own enterprise. That company, Zirasun, now provides a variety of technology services as it too passes on technology skills. 
On November 15, our very own Wayan Vota, Director of IESC Geekcorps, accepted an Accenture Economic Development Award at the Tech Museum Awards on behalf of the Geekcorps Mali Community Radio project and the Geekcorps Desert PC Communications System. The Tech Museum Awards is an international Awards program that honors innovators from around the world who are applying technology to benefit humanity. To learn more, watch the Geekcorps Tech Museum Award video and listen to an interview with Mr. Vota.
Cybertigi, based in Mali, is a project aimed at extending the ICT services available in relatively urban centers outward to village sized (and smaller) communities. The goal is to design and build a system which addresses the basic communication demands of rural communities, and construct it in such a way that it can be an autonomous, entrepreneur-based, and commercially viable system shortly after its implementation.
The Geekcorps BottleNet Antenna is a low-cost antenna that can be used for television and WiFi. The antenna uses materials that are easily available in Mali, including plastic water bottles, used motorcycle parts, window screen cuttings and coaxial cables. This approach minimizes the technical skills needed to build the antennas and significantly reduces costs.
Aboubacrine Touré admits to having become somewhat of a local celebrity in Bourem Inaly, a remote community about 30 kilometers west of Tombouctou on the Niger river in northern Mali. While he is the director of the local community radio station, Radio Beeray (Respect), he is best known throughout the region as the host of Journal of Journals, a weekly radio news program that airs every Sunday night.
Papou Coulibaly is young boutique owner in Ouélessébougou. Previously, Geekcorps partnered with Papou to create a Cybertigi - an Internet access point for the local community via a wireless link to a Community Information & Learning Center (CLIC).