LATEST PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Free Geek Receives International Award for Promoting FOSS

October 15, 2007

Free Geek has been awarded the international Chris Nichol FOSS Prize for "doing extraordinary work to make FOSS accessible to ordinary computer users." The award is given annually by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) to acknowledge organizations working with FOSS, Free and Open Source Software that is free to users and has an open source code so any user can view and modify it.

FREE GEEK is a 501(c)(3) not for profit community organization in southeast Portland that recycles used technology to provide computers, education, internet access and job skills training to those in need in exchange for community service. Volunteers at Free Geek earn free computers and local community organizations are granted computers that are loaded with FOSS, thus introducing hundreds of people each year to such software. Free Geek shares the 2007 award with NepalLinux.

Free Geek was one of seven finalists for the award, and the only finalist from the U.S. Other finalists were from Spain, Argentina, South Korea, Brazil and Nepal.

"This is a wonderful honor and opportunity," Seamus Campbell, chair of the Free Geek board of directors said. "I'm thrilled that our organization has been recognized by the jury. The APC, and the other prize nominees, are exactly the kinds of groups that Free Geek should be connecting with--a global community of like-minded individuals, with shared goals of social, ecological, and technological justice. "

The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) launched this award in memory of Chris Nichol, a tireless activist and supporter of FOSS promotion who passed away in 2005 at age 29. The APC is an international network of civil society organizations dedicated to empowering and supporting groups and individuals working for peace, human rights, development and protection of the environment, through the strategic use of information and communication technologies, including the Internet. APC is an active participant in high level international information and communicative technologies policy discussions with the United Nations.

Earlier this year, Free Geek was selected a recipient of a Spirit of Portland award by Mayor Tom Potter, and it has been named a "Founder of the New Northwest" by Sustainable Northwest and an E-chievement Award from National Public Radio's E-Town.

• APC: www.apc.org
• Nepalinux: www.nepalinux.org

Contact:
Alison Briggs
Outreach Committee Member
"ali AT freegeek DOT org"

PREVIOUS PRESS RELEASES

• August 20, 2007Washington E-Waste Meeting
• March 1, 2007 Free Geek Supports Regulation of E-Waste
• December 13, 2006 FREE GEEK RECEIVES SPIRIT OF PORTLAND AWARD
• December 8, 2006 OVERWHELMING COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO BREAK-IN
• November 18, 2006 FREE GEEK BURGLARIZED

AUDIO/VIDEO FILES

• KBOO Wednesday Radiozine (2007) Staff member Shawn Furst and volunteer Michael Kaufman spoke with Michelle Schroder Fletcher about Free Geek and its great volunteer opportunities, and also talked a bit about Leo Westwind. (link to MP3 and streaming audio)
• Welcome to Free Geek (2005 - short version) Marie Deatherage and Reverend Phil Sano created this video overview of our facility, program, and culture. Available in Ogg, Mpeg, and Flash versions. Look for the 12-minute version soon, or pick up a DVD at our thrift store.
• Radio PSA This sweet 30-second piece was designed to be a radio ad. It's informative and will make you giggle. A nod of the head to Free Geek Vancouver, BC for this one! (.wav format)
• Free Geek Street Fair (2005) Ed Stastny's video of our 2005 Geek Fair. Geek Fair is our annual street party celebrating reuse, recycling, our staff and volunteers, and like-minded organizations. (Flash format)
• (2005)Free Geek founder Oso Martin speaking at City Club in the summer of 2005. (about 8 minutes, MP3 format)

Stuff on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Donate to Free Geek!