Mexico: Young people develop free software - Radio Nederland

Four young Mexicans have developed a free software and operating systems in full defiance of large companies such as Microsoft, Apple and Mac.

Carmen Alcazar, Ivan Martinez, Odin Mujica and Jacobo Najera have enabled, also carried the indigenous languages-Wikipedia, the free in digital format via the Internet encyclopedia.

The initiative is not new. A group of young people in dozens of countries, had developed a system of free access, free of charge and intended dissemination free of charge everything known to mankind.

Free software and the democratization of knowledge
"Joint projects we work against the grain of the private, proprietary software". Our alternative is a free software, communication must be free, without restrictions, without money from through. Do not pay for share gives you freedom. "Everything is done on a voluntary basis by many people to give humankind an alternative, an encyclopedia, an operating system", say the Mexican creators,

According to our interviewed, "There is a philosophy behind this movement." Internet became a social phenomenon; It is beyond the technological. It is a public space, it is a social networking space.

Wikimedia in indigenous languages
"Wikimedia Mexico is part of a global Wikimedia project to share knowledge with everyone, whether in the form of encyclopedia, legal documents, news, and so on." Global Wikimedia has representations in several countries. There are five chapters, i.e. five countries in Latin America: Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Venezuela and Mexico. "We are the fifth country involved," narrate enthusiastically young scientists.

"We have goals, action plans, workshops, links to educational institutions to enrich the content and spread it." "We invite you all to participate with their photos, their knowledge", tell us.

One of the projects involving our interviewees is the translation into indigenous languages, not only of the operating systems of computers but Wikipedia.

"Recently the United Nations determined that internet access is a universal right".

How have reacted indigenous communities about the possibility that gives them internet in their own languages? "The translation to the maya made three people." They traveled to communities to show the achievements Indians, teach them the operation, use and they themselves sought the words in your language to translate it. "It is very important that people participate and grabbed software, who feels that it is it benefiting you."

Ivan Martinez says: "Translate Wikipedia into nahuatl." We have received many critics who say that communities have more pressing than internet needs, but our experience is that it has had very good acceptance among children and young people. We are aware of the socio-cultural reality of the indigenous communities of Mexico. We also know that there are already digital natives (i.e. who were born in the era of the internet and know use) who speak indigenous languages and who have the fortune of access to computers. They mix tradition with their digital knowledge. "At the time that they have a free software in their own language, an encyclopedia in his own language, has a window to the world, a new tool and that much encouraging them to participate."

Hello democracy, goodbye record
July 4, 2012 in the European Parliament, in voting, the fight against counterfeiting (ACTA) trade agreement was rejected. Delegates from the Green parties showed banners saying "Hello democracy, goodbay Act".

On 12 July, the Ambassador of Mexico in Japan Claude Helle, signed the Act on the backs of the Mexican Senate.
Critics of Act (by acronym in English) claim that it is a way to censor internet and the agreement responds to the very interests of the big entertainment companies. They prepared a video that explains in a nutshell is that agreement

According to the creators of Act and its derivatives such as the soup law or law Doring (Act version a la mexicana), its purpose is to combat counterfeiting and piracy in the field of trademarks, inventions, intellectual and artistic works especially on the internet in an efficient manner.

Finally the guys claim that "we are aware that these laws should not apply, should not be run, should not be allowed." Internet was born free, and thus should be. It must not be monitored, it should not have any restrictions; "it is a means for communication."   Listen or download the interview