Brazilian hacker Felipe Fonseca writes about attending a meeting about free software (as "open source") at the UN headquarters in New York and writes, among other things:
"... almost nothing that I heard on those three days was new. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Some stories are worth being re-told, and some questions are not supposed ever to be answered. Witnessing the same types of discussions that we have had regularly twenty years ago in Brazil now making it through to the United Nations is a reminder not to give up. On the other side, though I see the fantastic potential of having the UN pushing for open source practices amid its agencies, member-states and other organisations, it is also a bit sad. I mean, if that support was there twenty years ago, the movement wouldn't have lost so much talent to corporations that are not at all aligned with openness (or the SDGs, or even the concept of “good”). Many innovative and committed people have dropped out because it became impossible to counter proprietary for-profit corporations and still make a decent living. Some of the best among us were recruited by the very corporations we used to challenge and counter. And I believe that process is irreversible."
and
"n my intervention, I wanted to draw attention to a particular sequence of events that happened twenty years ago. I didn't get to mention all of them, but list below:
1. Gilberto Gil is a Grammy-awarded musician with a lifelong interest in technologies and their effects on humanity and the planet. In 2003, he became the Minister of Culture in Brazil. He practically started his tenure participating on a panel during an international festival about Tactical Media. On the occasion, he was surrounded by two other panellists with very diverse views about the internet and digital technologies. John Perry Barlow saw the internet as a place outside the real world, which should not be bothered by governments and regulations. Richard Barbrook had the view that the internet had been created with public funding, and for that reason, there should be considerations about equality and inclusion in its implementation and governance. Gil answered to that tension, basically saying that both were right, and that such difference should be resolved dynamically. He used the image of capoeira movements - a mix of play and fight, of dance and confrontation, of overcoming differences with good spirits. 2. Some months later, Gil played his guitar at the UN General Assembly, making tens of delegates dance along. On the occasion, even the then Secretary-General played percussion with him. I’m aware that this may not seem that relevant regarding open source technologies. The important point here is that he was inspiring people to address contemporary challenges with good mood, and a profound understanding of the role of culture. ..."
It's a good and thought-provoking read:
https://is.efeefe.me/stuff/open-for-all