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- <title>About Free Software Foundation Europe</title>
- <meta content="More information about FSFE, including, principles, decision making and structure." name="description" />
- <meta content="co-operation across cultures digital society freedom political interest democracy transparency pluralism consistency reliability focus self-conception principles decision making structure consensus compromise" />
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- <p id="category"><a href="/about/about.html">About</a></p>
- <h1>About FSFE</h1>
-
-
- <h2>Self-Conception</h2>
-
- <p>We, the people of the <a href="/">Free Software
- Foundation Europe</a> (FSFE), see ourselves as Europeans from
- different cultures with the shared goal of co-operation across
- cultures and of developing a common culture of co-operation from a
- regional to a global level.</p>
-
- <p>We form a non-profit non-governmental organisation and network that
- itself is part of a global network of people with common goals and
- visions. We are not representative of anyone, except ourselves and our
- work. Our common work and dedication to freedom in all aspects of
- digital society is what defines us.</p>
-
- <p>With the Free Software community growing faster every day, it
- becomes more important to keep the vision of Free Software healthy,
- solid and alive. In some cases, increased political interest in our
- issues also creates desire to exploit them for particular personal
- interests, regardless of the medium- and long-term effects.</p>
-
- <p>Therefore, the central component of our work is keeping the legal,
- political and social base of Free Software strong, secure and free of
- particular interests. This requires deep understanding of Free
- Software and related issues. Above all, it requires being primarily
- committed to the long-term vision.</p>
-
- <p>We understand this sometimes means having to accept short-term or
- even medium-term disadvantages in order to remain true to our
- principles, which may be hard to communicate and occasionally even
- unpopular.</p>
-
- <h3>Principles</h3>
-
- <p>We feel strongly committed to the principles of democracy,
- transparency, pluralism, consistency, reliability and focus.</p>
-
- <p>In the light of substantial legal responsibilities and the need to
- remain decisive even in difficult times, our structure aims to
- implement the above principles as well as possible.</p>
-
- <h3>Structural Overview</h3>
-
- <p>Voluntary work and contribution
- is the fundamental on which everything rests. Different levels of
- involvement exist; level of involvement is primarily a personal
- decision.</p>
-
- <p>Everyone is welcome to occasionally, regularly or permanently
- participate in the activities of the Free Software Foundation Europe
- (FSFE) and make its activities their own.</p>
-
- <p>If you wish to become part of the Free Software Foundation Europe, you
- can join one of our teams -- either geographically or by focus --
- and take responsibility to work and act in the name of the FSFE. </p>
-
- <p>The country-based teams are generally co-ordinated by the members
- of the association (see below) responsible for these countries. The
- other teams are either co-ordinated by members of the association,
- members of the teams or members of an associated organisation (see
- below).</p>
-
- <p>If you wish to become part of the Free Software Foundation Europe,
- but do not have the time to do work, you might also choose to <a
- href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate">make a donation to FSFE</a> or become a <a
- href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate">fellow</a> of the FSFE.
- </p>
-
- <p>If your association pursues similar goals to those of the Free
- Software Foundation Europe and wishes to establish formal
- co-operation, it can become an <a href="/associates/">associate
- organisation</a> of the FSFE, thus becoming part of the FSFE
- network.</p>
-
- <p>The skeleton of the Free Software Foundation Europe is the formal
- and legally established <a href="/about/legal/">association</a>.
- Membership in this association
- requires the highest commitment, measured in years of dedication and
- the responsibility to put long-term consensus over personal
- opinion.</p>
-
- <p>The FSFE association is fundamentally democratic. All parts of the
- FSFE - members of the association, members of the teams, as well as
- <a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate">fellows</a> and members of associate
- organisations - are welcome to actively take part in the decision
- making process for the areas of work they participate in.</p>
-
- <p>Members of the association are often proposed by other members, or
- propose themselves.
- They are
- then approved by the general assembly of the FSFE association.</p>
-
- <p>Although voluntary contributions in terms of work and resources are
- the grounds of our work, we recognise that some of these tasks cannot
- be undertaken as part-time activities and therefore require full-time
- work.</p>
-
- <p>Employees of the association are held to the highest standard and
- often take on tasks such as coordination of our activities, which
- would be difficult to do as a volunteer.</p>
-
- <p>The main criterion for any employment are the needs of the Free
- Software Foundation Europe in terms of successfully pursuing its
- goals. Whenever possible, we try to hire a person for each job that
- has already done the job without getting paid - either within the
- FSFE structures or outside - because knowledge, dedication and
- initiative are virtues of the FSFE.</p>
-
- <p>Ideally we will allow someone to dedicate themselves fully to a task
- that was already important enough to them to contribute much of their
- available resources.</p>
-
- <h3>Decision Processes</h3>
-
- <p>The people of the Free Software Foundation Europe believe in
- consensus. We also believe it is occasionally necessary to make quick and
- decisive actions. Our working teams, both geographical and focus
- teams, are encouraged to act within their area. The FSFE
- association also has an executive council which can act quickly and
- the composition of which is determined, monitored and controlled
- through votes of the members.</p>
-
- <p>This approach was adopted in search of a structure that will allow
- transparency, pluralism and participation, at the same time remaining
- as lightweight as possible. It also encourages participants in our
- working teams to act autonomously and to seek participation in the
- teams acting in areas of their interest.</p>
-
- <p>It ensures the possibility of participation by all parts of FSFE,
- allowing the Free
- Software Foundation Europe to act quickly when necessary and maintain
- a strong organisational long-term consistency.</p>
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