Hello,

For four decades the Free Software community has been working to empower users to control technology and to help our society understand how Free Software contributes to freedom, transparency, and self-determination.

On 27 September, the Free Software community will celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the announcement of the GNU Project. In Europe, the GNU Project is celebrating this day with a hacker meeting in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, which will be attended by the President of the Free Software Foundation Europe, Matthias Kirschner, among others.

GNU is an operating system made entirely of Free Software to enable people to use, understand, adapt, and share software. Usually combined with the Linux kernel, GNU forms the backbone of the Internet and now powers millions of servers, desktops, and embedded computing devices.

In addition to its technical advances, GNU pioneered the concept of "copyleft", best exemplified by the GNU General Public License (GPL).

GNU markedthe start of the software freedom movement. Today it is a global and broad movement whose participants range from small local enterprises to large global companies, civil society organisations, and thousands of professionals working towards a world where the four freedoms are guaranteed: users are free to use software and adapt it to their needs, and are able to understand and share it. These rights support other fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and privacy.

This movement provides important safeguards for democracy. Free Software contributes to the interaction and participation of interested stakeholders and our society in general, empowering people to use software to create solutions to their problems, contributing to the creation of trustworthy systems, enabling technology that serves us rather than technology that controls us.

At FSFE, we have prepared a Press ReleaseKit for this milestone, consisting of:

* A Press Releasewith background information full of links where you can find more information about this topic.

* Quotes from relevant members of the Free Software community (if you need to contact them, let us know so we can give you their contact details. They are already aware of thisand have agreed to it).

* Information about why Free Software is essential to a democratic society.

You can find the Press ReleaseKit here: https://download.fsfe.org/GNU40/

Best regards,

*Ana Galán press@fsfe.org mailto:press@fsfe.org** +49 157 92 34 72 12*

== About the Free Software Foundation Europe ==

Free Software Foundation Europe is a charity that empowers users to control technology. Software is deeply involved in all aspects of our lives; and it is important that this technology empowers rather than restricts us. Free Software gives everybody the rights to use,  understand, adapt and share software. These rights help support other fundamental freedoms like freedom of speech, press and privacy.

The FSFE helps individuals and organisations understand how Free Software contributes to freedom, transparency and self-determination. We enhance users' rights by abolishing barriers to Free Software adoption, encourage people to use and develop Free Software, and provide resources to enable everyone to further promote Free Software in Europe.

https://fsfe.org