This is an archive of a past conference. Visit the latest LibrePlanet conference site.

March 22nd-23rd
MIT, Cambridge, MA

Call for Sessions

The deadline for submission passed on November 22nd at 5 PM EST. You may make a late submission if the FSF has already been in contact with you about it. If you'd like to make a late submission and have not been contacted, please email campaigns@fsf.org.

This year, the theme of LibrePlanet is "Free Software, Free Society." How can free software protect journalists, whistleblowers, activists, and regular computer users from government and corporate surveillance? How can free software, or free software values like copyleft, community development, and transparency, be used by people fighting to create free societies around the world? What challenges are standing between us and our goal of free software ubiquity? With your help, we'll tackle these questions and more at LibrePlanet 2014.

LibrePlanet 2014 will be held thirty years after the GNU System was launched. This is the perfect opportunity to take stock of where we've been and where we're headed as a community. We're looking for session proposals that embody the grassroot spirit of free software by:

  • Sharing a story of how free software has been applied for social benefit
  • Tackling a threat or organizing challenge facing the free software movement
  • Demonstrating a new and exciting piece of software or development within an existing software project
  • Engaging youth, the future of the free software movement. We're looking for proposals for all age groups, from young children, to high school age, to college students
  • Thinking critically about challenges and opportunities facing the movement, and charting a path to victory
  • Bringing a key part of free software history to life
  • Giving newcomers a way to learn about free software principles and philosophy, and/or giving newcomers a way to start using free software in their daily lives

 

The most successful proposals will:

  • Feature a diverse array of presenters, including those:
    • of underrepresented genders and races
    • of different nationalities
    • of different levels of experience
    • from different types of institutions and organizations
  • Be engaging and dynamic
  • Strive to be accessible to a diverse audience of both emerging leaders and long-time activists
  • Stimulate and provoke discussion

There is also a place on the proposal form to indicate if you would like to participate in the conference in other ways in addition to your session – by framing and moderating a panel; facilitating a caucus space; sharing media-making skills; or blogging about the conference. Please let us know about the community-building skills you have to share!


Session information

Individual presentations

Presentations are typically 45 minutes in length. This is an opportunity to talk about your software project, organizing effort, licensing knowledge, or just something you've learned from using free software, with time for discussion. Describe your proposal, your background, how it relates to the conference theme, and what you hope participants will gain from your presentation.

Panels

Panels are typically 1 ½ hours long and are composed of three or more people who want to engage deeply with a particular question, challenge, or theme. Describe your proposal, how it relates to the conference theme, and what you hope participants will gain from your presentation. We encourage you to propose a full list of panelists from diverse backgrounds. In addition to you own biography, please use the "Presenter bio(s)" field to include biographical and contact information for each panelist and indicate whether you have approached them about participating in your panel. If accepted, we will work with you and connect you with similar proposals. In some cases we may combine proposals or add speakers to a proposed panel.

Workshops

Workshops are generally 1 ½ hours long and are submitted by one or more people who have an intersectional, interactive presentation to share. Workshops take many formats – from software or hardware demonstrations, to workshops for new contributors, to skillshares and tutorials. If you are submitting a proposal for a workshop, please describe the goals and take-aways for the session. In addition to you own biography, please use the "Presenter bio(s)" field to include biographical and contact information for each panelist and indicate whether you have approached them about participating in your workshop.

Strategic Action Sessions

Strategic action sessions are generally 1 ½ hours long and provide a space for activists to learn from each other’s organizing work and share strategies, successes, and challenges. Examples of strategy sessions might include: starting a local user group, discussing how to message free software to political activists, sharing PR best practices to promote free software, among others.

The working title for your proposed session. If your session is accepted, we will contact you to finalize the title and description.

Would you like to participate in the conference in other ways – by framing and moderating a panel; facilitating a caucus space; sharing media-making skills, or blogging about the conference? Please let us know about the community-building skills you have to share!


Identity and demographics

LibrePlanet is committed to increasing the diversity of the free software movement, and to making the diversity that already exists more visible. To that end, our CFS process takes demographic information into account in order to build a program that features as many different voices and perspectives as possible.

We ask you to please share any demographic information about yourself that you are comfortable sharing. We have provided a "How do you self-identify?" text field to allow you to self-identify in any way you wish, in addition to or instead of using the checkboxes below.

Your proposal will not be judged negatively if you decline to answer any of the following questions.

Social identities to write in the optional "How do you self-identify?" field may include race, ethnicity, age, class background, ability/disability, national origin/citizenship status, gender, sexuality, religion/spiritual practice, geography/regional affiliations, education, types of work, etc.

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Miscellaneous

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We are unable to provide honorariums or speaker's fees to presenters at LibrePlanet. However, presenters are eligible to apply for travel scholarships which may fund or partially fund transportation and hotel expenses.

We will not publish or share your information with any party outside the FSF. See our privacy policy for more information.

Please hit save when you complete the form, then check your email for a confirmation. Your session proposal will not be submitted until you confirm.

Thanks for submitting a proposal!