InWEnt Partners with APDIP to Build Capacity on Free and Open Source Software
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The benefits offered by free and open source software (FOSS) have been particularly useful for developing countries around the world. In particular, by making information and communications technology (ICT) more affordable, reducing software piracy, and allowing localization of software applications to meet diverse needs.
FOSS, with the freedom to access source code and study it is an important part in building the capacity and empowering a community to bring it into the information and Internet age. Yet, in many developing countries, the lack of local capacity to implement FOSS solutions is the greatest barrier to FOSS adoption and its increased use.
APDIP initiated the International Open Source Network (IOSN) in 2003 to build FOSS capacity, as well as serve as a clearinghouse for information, support research and development, and promote networking. Today, IOSN has a network of sub-regional centres of excellence – IOSN ASEAN+3, IOSN PIC (Pacific Island Countries) and IOSN South Asia, based in Manila, Suva and Chennai respectively, and over 2,400 members.
InWEnt – Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung (Capacity Building International, Germany) is partnering with APDIP through IOSN to: (i) build capacity of FOSS advocates and trainers; and (ii) to foster sub-regional collaboration of FOSS developers, researchers and small and medium IT enterprises (SMITES).
In the next few months, APDIP, InWEnt, IOSN Secretariat and IOSN ASEAN+3 will be building the capacities of FOSS advocates and trainers in the ASEAN+3 region to provide high-quality, low-cost training to users. Two sub-regional GNU/Linux training of trainers courses will be held in Bangkok, Thailand and Manila, Philippines. Both are two-week intensive courses that introduce trainers to open content GNU/Linux system administration training materials and low-cost Linux Professional Institute (LPI) certification examinations.
Trainers will sit for an LPI Level 1 examination after a 10-day training course. In conjunction with this, an LPI proctor trainer will provide training and certification for local proctors to conduct LPI examinations. Once certified, these independent proctors will be able to administer low-cost paper-based LPI examinations for local organizations in their respective countries.
Using GNU/Linux open standards and a standard community-driven skills certification opens up the market for multiple providers of FOSS GNU/Linux solutions. Independent proctors also opens up the market for providers of training and training materials. Proctors can provide low-cost paper examinations to commercial and non-commercial organizations, as well as to the local FOSS community. These examinations coupled with open content training materials can lower the costs of training and certification per person to as low as USD100 or less.
To promote FOSS development in the growing SMITES sector, IOSN ASEAN+3 with support from APDIP, IOSN and InWEnt will be organizing a workshop in the Philippines for developers to provide orientation and technical trainings and FOSS architecture and community management skills to SMITES not yet working with FOSS. This workshop will also provide opportunities for networking and sharing of experiences.
Find out more by clicking on the related links below.
Related Links
GNU/Linux Training of Trainers, Bangkok, Thailand, 28 August – 9 September 2006
GNU/Linux Training of Trainers, Manila, Philippines, 9 – 21 October 2006
InWEnt – Capacity Building International, Gemany Website
Last modified 2006-08-31 08:49 AM
