<nettime-ann> Press release: Free Knowledge Institute promotes sharing of knowledge

[Hinde ten Berge <hinde@xs4all.nl>]

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Press release: Free Knowledge Institute promotes sharing of knowledge

SELF team Netherlands matures into foundation

                    Amsterdam, January 14 2008

Coming Wednesday a new foundation is launched aiming to stimulate a 
society in which technology, educational materials, and cultural and 
scientific works can be freely shared. The organisation receives the 
support from the Internet Society Netherlands, an association for 
internet professionals.

The Free Knowledge Institute (www.freeknowledge.eu) is an initiative 
from three Amsterdam-based professionals who currently work for Internet 
Society Netherlands. In the past years the association coordinated the 
large-scale EU-project SELF which embraced the same objectives. The need 
to share knowledge freely has become so important that the institute now 
turns into an independent organisation.

"More and more governments realise the benefits of free knowledge and 
free information technology", says Wouter Tebbens, the president of the 
new institute. The Free Knowledge Institute intends to be a knowledge 
partner helping to show the way in available free knowledge and 
technology. "That way, we can elaborate on the existing pool of free 
knowledge and free software, which is growing enourmously. Look at 
projects such as Wikipedia, Linux, and the internet itself", Tebbens 
states. "Why reinvent the wheel yet again?"

Its main lines of activity are Free Knowledge in technology, education, 
culture and science. Free Knowledge in education focuses on the 
production and dissemination of free educational materials; Free 
Knowledge in IT mainly refers to free software, open standards and open 
hardware; Free Knowledge in culture includes open content; and Free 
Knowledge in science includes open access and anti-privatisation of 
scientific knowledge.

The actionplan 'Netherlands Open in Connection', initiated by the Dutch 
ministries of Economic Affairs and Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK), 
reflexs the momentum of sharing knowledge. State secretary Bijleveld 
from BZK emphasized in December 2007 that sharing of knowledge is 
essential for further progress and development of society. The state 
secretary committed to pay more attention to the valuable use of free 
software and open standards in education, government and business.

On Wedneday January 16th, 2008, the new foundation will be presented 
during a large new years reception in the former Volkskrantbuilding at 
the Wibautstraat in Amsterdam.

--------------------
Not for publication:

The launch of the Free Knowledge Institute will take place on Wednesday 
January 16th 2008 from 4pm to 7pm in the former Volkskrantbuilding at 
the Wibautstraat 150 in Amsterdam.

Free Knowledge Institute
http://freeknowledge.eu
+31 20 8910319
Wibautstraat 150
1091 GR Amsterdam
access[at]freeknowledge.eu

Contactinformation initiators:

Free Knowledge Institute:

     * Wouter Tebbens, president
       +31 6 22500981
       wouter[at]freeknowledge.eu

     * Hinde ten Berge, vice-president
       hinde[at]freeknowledge.eu

Contactinformation Internet Society:

Michiel Leenaars, director
+31 6 27050947
michiel[at]staff.isoc.nl


*** About ISOC.nl:

ISOC.nl is the Dutch chapter of ISOC. ISOC was founded in 1992 by the 
people who invented and built the internet "to assure the open 
development, evolution and use of the Internet for the benefit of all 
people throughout the world." ISOC works on facilitating a progessively 
better cooperation of internetprofessionals, organisations, governments, 
universities and companies towards a better internet, and to further 
extend the use of the internet for society. The Dutch branch of this 
truly global organisation, ISOC.nl, was founded in 1997, and is among 
the largest and most active of its kind in the world.

ISOC.nl is actively involved in achieving and promoting internet 
standards, researching the use of the internet in democratic and 
governmental processes and keeping the discussion within and around the 
internet community alive.

More information: http://isoc.nl/

*** About the SELF Project:

SELF is an international project aiming to provide a platform for the 
collaborative sharing and creation of free educational and training 
materials on Free Software and Open Standards. On the one hand, the SELF 
Platform is a repository with free educational and training materials on 
Free Software and Open Standards. It is also an environment for the 
collaborative creation of new materials. Inspired by Wikipedia, the SELF 
Platform provides the materials in different languages and forms. The 
SELF Platform is also an instrument for evaluation, adaptation, creation 
and translation of these materials. Most importantly, the SELF Platform 
is a tool to unite community and professional efforts for public benefit.

The SELF Platform is inititated by ISOC.nl in collaboration with an 
international consortium of universities and non-profit organisations in 
Europe, Asia and Latin America. The European Commission supports the 
SELF Project to set up the platform and to produce the first materials.

More information: http://selfproject.eu
Beta platform: http://beta.selfplatform.eu
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