SFD 08: How good!!!

Its been 4 years we as FOSS enthusiast of Nepal are celebrating Software Freedom Day. I remember my first SFD in 2005 organized in Yala Maya Kendra where i came as a coordinator of KUOSC team. We had collaborative program with Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya. I was unaware of the kind of program we will be having as i for the first time was visiting such event. It was very informal and friendly.

Similar trend continued...

In 2006 we had a very long event planning and had very good event on SFD.. upto our expectation...

In 2007, we did the most well organized SFD till then(till 2007). We also achieved the title of one of the best SFD. Few of new things on SFD 07 were Freedom Toaster, Live tux...

In 2008 , with just a week of massive preparation we most successfully conducted the Software Freedom Day. In many way this SFD was better: Our energetic guest: Hon. Minister Ganesh Shah, expert session, discussion on SW design pattern, Open source hardware and robotics presentation, launching of our own initiative "nirvikalpa",initiation of web portal "Prasfutan"- for local creative minds to share their creativities- poem, art, songs,music, article and whatever to the e-community and e-audience, best documentaries, open art, signature campaign, same live tux, visit of all apex body under Nepal Government we are concerned to. and what not......

The tshirt was also cool. also the posters and all artworks seen all around the venue. I really enjoyed the event. I appreciate the work of all volunteers. It was very informal. I enjoyed the documentaries and was happy to share my small documentary on LTSP deployment.

Three things I loved most:

1. Overwelming response and appreciation with round of applause while mentioning the name of my/our initiative "Nirvikalpa". How the name was flipped from "Vikalpa" to "Nirvikalpa". First we named it Vikalpa as a collection of s/w alternative to proprietary softwares. But later we realize that its not the alternative but the way to go. Thus We named it "Nirvikalpa". Thanx Bibek Paudel for giving it the final name which everyone appreciates.
2. The Minister's speech and his response. His eagerness to be close to the peoples. I really got influenced with his speech. I have never seen such active person as minister in Nepal.
3. The Kathmandu Declaration 2065 with the reason why we are compelled to launch the declaration. I remember the discussion on the site of election commission in our general mailing list....- for the people absent, the reason was: election commission's website says "please use Microsoft Internet Explorer to view this site" while we use any other web browser apart from M$'s IE. With the Money we are paying as tax, govt. office like election commission is not allowing all citizen view the election results and other informations. It violates the right of access to information of we citizens.

Apart from all these things, we did a brilliant citizen-journalist (amature journalist) work. we captured the videos and were able to make a news report/release. We dropped the footage and news at avnuesTV, Sagarmatha TV and channel nepal and news to annapurna post, the himalayan times and gorkha FM. Gorkha FM did a best job by announcing the news in every hour's news bulletin.

I really like to write more but..... i am very very tired......

thats all.....for now.

Nirvikalpa