A good question for the 2011 Free Culture Forum: now that internet has done so much for us, what can we do in return?
2011 has seen viral uprising of civil society in many parts of the world, from the Arabic revolutions to the ongoing global movements for political and economic change. Internet and digital networks have been crucial to make all this happen: to let people gather, share knowledge and ideas and to mobilise in an entirely decentralised way.
In Spain, where file-sharing is defined as legal, civil society mobilised fiercely in 2010 to defend a neutral internet. The Manifesto in Defense of Fundamental Rights on the Internet was signed by 150.000 internet users every day, and a number of other online initiatives emerged, allowing citizens to become part of the movement – which they did on a large scale. Eventually, the “Sinde Act”, an amendment which potentially would lead to a number of sites being closed down, was voted down in the House of Representatives. This was a victory for the citizens and the so called #15M movement.
The 2011 Free Culture Forum is about to take place in Barcelona, 27-30 October. Participants will analyse the Spanish example as being the starting point of a R-evolution, and investigate its potential at a global level. What can we do to defend the right to share via internet? What new sustainable models can we set up for the creation of culture? How can we improve the efficient use of internet to achieve direct participation? These and other questions will be discussed, leading to recommendations and tools to potentiate a R-evolution.
The forum is free and open to anyone who is interested in these issues. Find out more about the 2011 FCForum: Networks for a R-evolution here.
Free Culture Forum is supported by ECF/LabforCulture.
