New Delhi, July 11:

Software developers, academics, development groups and decision makers from Central Asia and Afghanistan met in the Tajik capital Dushanbe to see how the Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) could be of help to the region.

FLOSS is a software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction. Unlike proprietary software, it can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with certain restrictions to ensure that end users have the same freedoms as the original authors.

It is widely seen as a new way of empowering the less affluent and developing societies. The July 6-7 meet focussed on developing national strategies on FLOSS in Central Asia. About fifty Software developers, academics, development organisations and governmental decision makers and other information and communication technology (ICT) experts from Central Asia and Afghanistan attended it.

It was organised by UNESCO along with the Global Internet Policy Initiative, Taji-kistan, and the Open Society Institute, Tajikistan. “The meet is expected to increase awareness about FLOSS and to contribute to capacity building in the use of FLOSS for development purposes.”