Chaos Communication Camp 2023: back to the grounds!
One of our favourite events was back this summer: Chaos Communication Camp 2023! This event brings together technologists, activists, and enthusiasts to discuss, share, and celebrate technology, privacy, and freedom in Brandenburg, Germany. This year, the Free Software Foundation Europe joined the campers as part of the 'Bits und Bäume' village.
For five days, from the 15th to the 19th of August, this open-air event in Zehdenick brought together 6000 people from all over the world to exchange technical, social, and political ideas. In the Bits und Bäume village, the FSFE crew set up a booth with comfortable air cushions for people to talk, read, and discuss Free Software. This relaxed and welcoming environment encouraged participants to network and interact within the Free Software community.
As well as taking part in fruitful discussions and listening to interesting presentations, our team at the camp also took to the stage to share some of our initiatives with the participants.
FSFE talks, workshops, book reading ...
Under the title "Sharing the Power of Appreciation: I Love Free Software Day", Bonnie Mehring gave an in-depth explanation of FSFE's I Love Free Software Day, highlighting the importance of this event to raise awareness and gratitude for Free Software contributors. Although this initiative has been going on for over a decade, this was the first time there had been a public talk about its history, the importance of the day, past activities, and future activities.
Youth Hacking 4 Freedom, FSFE's coding contest for young Europeans, was also presented at CCCamp, in this case on the Youth Hackt stage. This presentation showed the importance of involving young people in Free Software, encouraging them to be part of the movement, and helping them to meet like-minded people and make friends during the competition. The second round of the contest is currently underway, while the third round will be announced by the end of the year. To stay tuned, please subscribe to the yh4f-info mailing list.
At the Bits und Bäume workshop tent, Tobias Diekershoff explained the REUSE tool. This interactive session showed attendees how to use this set of tools as well as its benefits for managing and sharing Free Software projects. REUSE defines a standardized method for declaring copyright and licensing for software projects, emphasising the importance of proper licensing and documentation.
Last but not least, we also have an event with the little "campers". A captivating book reading session of the book" Ada and Zangemann" in the Family Village. This heartwarming story introduced young and not-so-young readers into the world of technology, tinkering, and software freedom through the adventures of Ada, a young hacker who learns to control and understand technology.
...and Free Software Sing-along
True to our tradition, we organised the Free Software Sing-along, a delightful and fun activity that served as an easy entry point for newcomers to learn about and engage with the Free Software Foundation Europe. Three sessions were held, each with musical accompaniment. Participants enjoyed singing along while connecting with like-minded people.
The FSFE at the Chaos Communication Camp
FSFE's active participation in Chaos Communication Camp 2023 as part of the 'Bits und Bäume' village left an indelible mark. The engaging talks, workshops, book readings, and singalongs helped raise awareness and educate participants about the importance of software freedom, by promoting the values of Free Software at the Chaos Communication Camp.
The event was a lot of fun and wouldn't have been possible without the dedication and commitment of our volunteers. Thank you for joining us at the Chaos Communication Camp 2023! ❤️❤️❤️