Fair Trade Software Event

UK meets NL is organising a unique event on Fair Trade Software in conjunction with the Fair Trade Software Foundation in Rijswijk on Wednesday, 9 March 2011.

Fair Trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach which aims to promote sustainability and help producers in developing countries; it focuses on exports from developing countries to OECD countries. To date products covered by Fair Trade principles have been consumables such as food, drink or clothing.

Fair Trade Software is a new initiative getting under way in the Netherlands and the UK.

Modern software is highly modular, and the production process allows for components to be written in developing countries whilst the overall end-product is designed, assembled and delivered in the OECD country.

This new way of working is becoming possible thanks to two things:

->  Open Source technologies and the Open Source philosophy of Internet teams ("communities")

->  increasing availability of necessary telecommunications links to and within developing countries.

This is not charity or low cost outsourcing - it is for-profit and can be regarded as leveraged aid. The structural results will be sustained economic partnership with, and technology transfer to, entities and individuals in developing countries. As with the use of Open Source software, the Fair Trade Software model can become part of corporate social responsibility - a trade system based on justice & fairness will be better for everyone.

The talk will describe current status and plans. Debate with the audience is invited.

This will be a business focused presentation. Places are limited to 70 attendees. Refreshments will be provided from 18:00, the talk will start at 19:30 followed by further refreshments and networking opportunities.

About the speakers:
Neil Carmichael is the former General Manager of Shell Business Development Central Asia BV, and country manager of Shell Turkmenistan & Azerbaijan. By education a mathematician & petroleum engineer Neil has had extensive experience of new business initiatives in developing countries.

Andy Haxby is the founder of Dutch IT services firm Competa IT BV. Andy has participated in international and Open Source IT projects since 1979.

Together they created the Fair Trade Software Foundation.

About UK meets NL:

UK meets NL was founded by Ilse van den Meijdenberg with the aim of promoting trade links between the UK and the Netherlands. UK meets NL among other things frequently organises events in both the UK and the Netherlands, ranging from informal networking events to seminars.

For more information, please see www.ukmeetsnl.com, To register, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or call + 31 (0)416 340777