C@ELONFIC;E C<8IE>I8G?@:; ;<8I:8E;@;8K<#JLGGFIKFJJ :8K8CFE@898:B@E Free software entered the election battlegrounds of the autonomous Italian island of D@:IFJF=KËJ8IDJ6 Sardinia February 15-16, 2009. A petition started by Associazione Apritisoftware! called When the Catalan minister of educa- for candidates of the Sardinian regional council and its president to support free soft- tion, Ernest Maragall, announced in ware and digital liberty in Sardinia. The petition was part of the “Caro Candidato” May 2008 that a hundred schools in (“Dear Candidate”) campaign initiated by the Associazione per il Software Libero (Free this Spanish autonomous region Software Association). The national organization encourages the public administration would migrate to the government- to use free software, adopt open formats, release software produced by or for the public sponsored Linkat GNU/ Linux, Linkat administration and publicly funded research under open source licenses, use free soft- developer Jordi Massaguer was sure ware in educational services, oppose software patents, and outlaw the practices of that within two years all remaining “Trusted Computing,” which limit the freedom of citizens. Catalan schools would follow. But in Eleven of the Sardinian candidates February 2009, the Catalan president, signed the petition and three of them José Montilla, and Microsoft’s CEO were elected. All three, namely Luciano Steve Ballmer signed a collaboration Uras (Rifondazione Comunista), Marco contract to promote digital content Meloni (Partida Democratico), and Adri- use in the region’s classrooms. Micro- ano Salis (Italia dei Valori), represent soft agreed to supply touchscreen PCs left-wing parties. In the 2008 national election, 101 candidates joined the Associazione and content that, according to Micro- per il Software Libero’s campaign: 14 of the candidates were elected, 2,148 voters soft, can be used in a platform-inde- showed their interest by signing a petition, and 151,042 people visited the campaign’s pendent fashion. Linux developers website. The Association created a permanent platform to be used in all future elec- working within the Catalan govern- tions in Italy (European, national, and local). The platform establishes cooperation ment said they weren’t involved in with anyone who agrees with its objectives, from local groups to organizations active the decision and weren’t informed in other European countries. about an official change of strategy. http://elezioni. softwarelibero. it/ visualizza/ partiti (Italian) http:// www. linux-magazine. com/ http://carocandidato. org/ (Italian) online/ news/ strike_against_free_soft- http://www. apritisoftware. it (Italian) ware_microsoft_enters_catalonian_ http://softwarelibero. it/ abbiamo_vinto_it (Italian) schools/ 12 ISSUE 102 MAY 2009
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