Press Release - Orientation/Awareness Workshop on Open Source Softwares

KARACHI, March 20, 2006: NGO Resource Centre (A project of Aga Khan Foundation), in collaboration with Open Source Resource Centre of Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) organized a one-day workshop on Orientation/Awareness of Open Source Software at NGORC office here Monday.

Mr Sufyan Kakakhel and Qandeel Aslam of PSEB were the main facilitators of the workshop, which was attended by the representatives of various civil society organizations.

The participants were given an overview and orientation of the software with hands-on training at the Computer lab of NGORC. The participants took keen interest in the software, that are available free of cost.

The participants were informed that the software provides similar facilities of costly commercial software, under which one can make every type of documents.

The software users have the freedom to run the programme for any purpose, to study and modify the programnme, and to redistribute copies of either the original or modified programme without having to pay royalties to previous developers.

Many organizations that want to use licensed software, but do not have enough budgets to pay for licenses of costly progrrammes, can easily use these softwares and perform all the functions free of cost.

Manager, Development Communication, NGO Resource Centre Sabahat Saeed Khan presented welcome address and later distributed the certificates among the participants.

Representatives of the following organizations took part in the workshop:

Teachers Resource Centre, Institute of Social Research and Development, Initiator Human Development Foundation, Women’s Development Foundation, Institute of Development Studies and Practices, Sindh Graduates Association, National Forum for Environment and Health, Mafad-e-Niswan Trust, Takhleeq Foundation, Participator Development Initiatives, Church World Service – Pakistan/Afghanistan, ZVMG Rangoonwala Trust, Young Umer Welfare Trust, Pakistan Press Foundation, All Pakistan Women’s Association, Education Foundation, Health and Nutrition Development Society, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Pakistan Institute of Living and Learning.