Dear All,

Richard M Stallman, Leader of the Free Software Movement, will be visiting Kochi on 10th January 2008.

He will deliver a talk on `Free Software in ethics and in Practice' at the Union Christian College, Aluva, Ernakulam (UC College) campus on January 10 at 10 am.

The talk will be followed by a question answer session and a press conference.

The talk is being organised by the Union Christian College and Free Software Foundation of India.

All are invited.

Stallman is the founder of the Free Software Foundation (FSF) which is dedicated to promoting computer users' rights to study, copy, modify and redistribute computer programmes. `Free as in freedom' being its credo, FSF promotes the GNU operating system widely used today in its GNU/Linux variant, based on the kernel Linux developed by Linus Torvalds. Worldwide, there are more than 20 million users of GNU/Linux systems today.

Stallman used what came to be known as `copyleft' to protect the ideal of his movement and enshrined the concept in the widely used GNU General Public License. His accomplishments as a programmer include the text editor Emacs, the compiler GCC and the debugger GDB, all of which are part of the GNU project.

The maverick crusader, who prefers to be called `rms' wrote in the first dictionary of hackers that `Richard Stallman is just my mundane name, you can call me rms.'

The need for free software is crucial for a developing country like India where there is a constant struggle for cost-effective solutions. Free software can also help bridge the country's digital divide by encouraging collaboration and community work among programmers and users.

How to reach UC College, Aluva, Kochi:

By Train

* The nearest Railway Station is Alwaye. UC College is around 3 kms from there on the side of Alwaue-Parur Road.

By Road

Distances from Various Locations

From

1. Ernakulam - 15 kms to Alwaye and 2 kms from Alwaye on Alwaye-Parur Road 2. International Airport - 8 kms to Parur Kavala and 1 km Right to College from Parur Kavala 3. Thrissur - 40 km towards Parur Kavala and 1 Km right to College from Parur Kavala on NH 47 4. Coimbatore - 185 km towards Parur Kavala on NH 47 5. Bangalore - 510 km towards Parur Kavala on NH 47

By Air

* Reach International Airport Kochi and from there 8 kms towards Alwaye Parur Kavala Junction and 1 Km right towards Parur.

For more information please contact Mr. Bruce Mathew : +91 9447 209932 brucemathew@gmail.com

~vimal