Free/Open Source Software and Non-Profits

True freedom is an understanding of the choice, and ability to implement one or the other depending on the needs at hand, and - in some cases - a combination of both may be necessary. Our belief is that FOSS has great potential as a formula for the future of social software development and for the non-profit sector. We view this event, as an opportunity to create a situation of choice for organizations that are low-resourced, low-income and/or are challenged by their immediate infrastructure.

FOSS solutions have the potential to allow non-profits to work with legal and secure software that can be integrated with legacy systems. They can provide models of technology implementation for low-resourced organisations that are using old equipment (refurbished computers). They can provide access to software that is localised in terms of language as well as in terms of the specific context. They can also be adapted to specific organisational or project needs. In the long term, these factors may make FOSS a more sustainable and economically viable model for non-profits in the Asian context.

Despite the fact that many organisations in the region agree on the concepts and factors outlined above, and understand that FOSS solutions have the potential to meet the specific needs of the non-profit sector, its actual use beyond the server room remains scarce.

It is still extremely important to raise awareness amongst leaders and decision makers within the voluntary sector as to the reality and potential of FOSS. However, we are finding through experience, that the immediate stumbling block for progressive and experimental voluntary sector organisations who want to implement FOSS is the lack of local technical expertise available in this area. We strongly believe that the longer-term challenge in the wider adoption of FOSS is the development of local practical implementation capacity. Without this, the use of FOSS - whatever the reason be it economic, linguistic, ethical, security or for customisation purposes - will inevitably remain restricted. A crucial catalyst for this will be the growth of peer exchange and on-going learning amongst technology implementers working with non-profits across the region.

We believe it is an ideal time in South and South East Asia to significantly invest in building skills and strengthening ties at the practical level. These foundations will allow such actors to intersect with other more policy and conceptual oriented networks and will encourage the spread of such technology adoption on the ground.