[FSUG-Bangalore] Invitation for civil society summit: planning meeting on 4 december

[OpenSpace]

Dear Friends from BLUG and fosscom,

Hello and greetings.

This is to invite you to a planning meeting for the next civil society
summit.
Free and Opensource Software could form an important part of the
deliberations, and we would like you to help us right from the start with
the design of the summit itself.

The first of this series of meetings is scheduled
at 2pm
on 4th December 2009
at Centre for Internet and Society (above Wockhart's Hospital on Cunningham
Road) in Bangalore.
For last minute details on the directions to the venue please call the CIS
numbers
Centre for Internet and Society,
No. D2, 3rd Floor, Sheriff Chambers,
14, Cunningham Road,
Bangalore - 560052
Ph: +91 80 4092 6283
Fax: +91 80 4114 8130
( Map<http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=centre+for+internet+and+society+bangalore&jsv=128e&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=61.070016,113.203125&ie=UTF8&cd=1&latlng=12988395,77594450,9857706471034889432&ei=5QXRSKLrNYvAugPX4YSAAg>
 )

Sunil Abraham of CIS has kindly agreed to be our host.

For any more details please contact openspace : 60 at openspace.org.in or call
us at 080-23534797;  918088506595

With best wishes

Anita and Edwin
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Civil Society Summit: The state of the Indian Republic @ 60
22–24 January 2010, Bangalore, India

 The Civil Society Summit is a premier *knowledge and networking* event of
civil society in India. It is to celebrate continuing freedom struggles in
India, and to recognise present day freedom fighters. Its primary goal is to
bring together leading thinkers and practitioners in development and human
rights with their counterparts in different sectors to

   - *Inform* civil society actors about the developments in knowledge,
   cutting edge technology and tools through keynote addresses.
   - *Inspire*, by having living legends (such as Right Livelihood Awardees,
   senior social activists, business people and public servants) interact with
   upcoming leaders though round tables.
   - *Innovate *by* *providing space and opportunity for diverse actors—from
   corporate sector, government, media, sports, medicine and the civil
   society—to interact, and find areas of synergy and synchronicity in panel
   discussions.
   - *Coordinate* in action by providing opportunity for sharing information
   on their activities and synchronising them through group discussions.

 The summit will be in Bangalore, India from 22–24 January 2010. It is
special since on 26 January 2010, India completes 60 years as a sovereign
republic. The Civil Society Summit will discuss the state of our republic 60
years after we promised

 *‘to secure to all its citizens: JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; EQUALITY of
status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring
the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation.’*

 The Republic Day is in some ways even more special than the independence
day. The independence day (15 August) was selected by the British to be on
the anniversary of the day they won World War II. R-Day (26 January) was
chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the Quit India day. Till R-Day the
Monarch of England was the head of state. From R-Day, it was our president.
Till R-Day, the feudal British law of graded social inequality was the law.