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<p>Hello,</p>
<p>Thanks Nico for the answer.</p>
<p>Indeed, languages can be a barrier, as much as the fact that we
are small communities (the Belgian French, Flemisch and German
communities). In October 2000, more than 20 years ago, we gathered
in a room on the VUB campus in Brussels to setup a « Belgian Free
Software association ». <br>
</p>
<p>About 35 people were present, under the leadership of Herman
Bruyninckx, a then assistant professor at KUL and myself. We have
started a group that called itself openbe but very soon, people
started to fight to know if we would support free software (the
people liking the GPL or copyleft spirit) or open-source software
(the people liking the BSD spirit). We have had many meetings to
try to setup an association and we have decided that it was too
difficult as we were too small.</p>
<p>I have then joined the French speaking AFUL and APRIL
association, noting that they were theoritically international and
French speaking but in practice more French than international. <br>
</p>
<p>In parallel, the BXLUG user group has started, and is still
living, but it is a team of people more interested and active with
the organization of install parties and very important reciprocal
help than with lobbying activities. <br>
</p>
<p>In 2012, I have started the organisation in Brussels of the RMLL
(rencontres mondiales du logiciel libre) a French annual
conference that started in Bordeaux in 2000 to gather annually
free software developpers and users (unlike Fosdem that wants to
gather only developpers, hence the name). RMLL had been organized
outside of France for the first time in Geneva in 2012. Brussels
was the second out of France gathering. At this occasion, the
association Abelli has started and since lives. It has organized
other activities (associalibre, educalibre) since 2017.</p>
<p>Hope to read you soon,</p>
<p>Nicolas<br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Le 13/11/22 à 09:20, Nico Rikken a
écrit :<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:6bd9f0ac-a9cc-4b42-a067-87b531cd11cd@fsfe.org">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">Hi Sébastien,
Thanks for the initiative! No there isn't a local group Belgium or even ones with a smaller regional scope. I'd be happy to help start something up if needed and similarly I think the FSFE Core team can assist.
I kept hoping for a Belgium initiative to pop up, that is why we kept the BNL meetup at FOSDEM around.
I'm mostly curious how you'll deal with language barriers. In the Netherlands group we switch to English if needed. Then again, this is something for you to find out what works. Similarly for physical vs online meetings. The Big Blue Button instance from the FSFE works very well for us in the Netherlands as we're spread out over the country.
With my limited Belgian connections I created this page to list groups and organisations of relevance: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/LocalGroups/BNL/BE/Landscape">https://wiki.fsfe.org/LocalGroups/BNL/BE/Landscape</a> That might also be groups to reach out to find other supporters. I saw Nicholas already mentioned some groups as well. I'm even in some now to promote the Router Freedom related consultation by BIPT: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.bipt.be/operatoren/publication/raadpleging-over-een-ontwerpbesluit-betreffende-de-identificering-van-het-netwerkaansluitpunt-voor-de-breedbanddiensten-en-tv-diensten">https://www.bipt.be/operatoren/publication/raadpleging-over-een-ontwerpbesluit-betreffende-de-identificering-van-het-netwerkaansluitpunt-voor-de-breedbanddiensten-en-tv-diensten</a>
Deadline is the 17th so it is still possible to write to the consultation. Sam, Lucas and I have been busy with this for now. Would be really good to have a local group for the future.
We'll have our Dutch local group get-together next Wednesday, you are more then welcome to join.
I really hope something comes of this, if only something small.
Best,
Nico Rikken
Coordinator Netherlands
</pre>
<br>
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</pre>
</blockquote>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<strong>Nicolas Pettiaux, phd</strong> - gsm +32 496 24 55 01 -
communication sécurisée <a rel="noreferrer"
moz-do-not-send="true">@npettiaux:matrix.org </a><br>
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l'éducation démocratisée. <br>
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