Sri Lanka
Updates via http://del.icio.us/mbauwens/P2P-Sri-Lanka
Free Software
Staus report and extensive directory: http://www.iosn.net/south-asia/countries/sri-lanka/wiki/
FOSS organisations:
Kaeru:
"The two principal organisations working on OSS are Lanka Linux User Group (LKLUG) at http://www.linux.lk which can be contacted via Anuradha [email protected]. Its members come from a wide range of backgrounds. (FSF-type hackers, Linux enthusiasts, professors, academics, liminaries ofrom the Sri Lanka software industry.) Then, there's the Colombo University-based Lanka Software Foundation at http://www.opensource.lk It's headed by Dr. Sajiva Weerawarna, an OSI board member doing world class work on Apache. Contact Sanjiva [email protected]
Floss.lk is a network linking the organising of the National Free and Open - Source software week in early September 2005. See http://www.foss.lk and contact via Pradeep - [email protected].
A closer look: LSF
Lanka Software Foundation (LSF) is a non-profit foundation whose mission is to encourage Sri Lankan developers to participate in global free and open-source software projects. It was founded by Sanjiva Weerawarana and Jivaka Weeratunga. [email protected] [email protected] This is being done "in order that Sri Lanka's IT industry can become a driving force in the global computing industry". Acts as a medium to direct and coordinate funds and resources for the development and enhancement of knowledge and research in open source related fields with the Sri Lanka IT Industry"
FOSS Individuals
Kaeru:
One of the notable people working on FOSS in Sri Lanka is a Danish Buddhist monk by the name of Venerable Mettavihari; who has been doing some fantastic work especially in schools. Contact [email protected] or or Bhikkhu Mettavihari A new Tux Group was formed by Venerable Mettavihari with the help of many GNU/Linux enthusiasts in Sri Lanka.
Ruvan Weerasinghe (UCSC) http://www.ucsc.cmb.ac.lk [email protected]
Chamindra De Silva (LSF / Virtusa) [email protected]
Anuradha Ratnaweera (LKLUG / Virtusa) www.linux.lk/~anuradha/
Sanjiva Weerawarana ( LSF / IBM ) [email protected] http://www.bloglines.com/blog/sanjiva http://www.wso2.com/
Wasantha recently announced plans to make Grappix user-friendly to use, and says he to "categorize all the graphic applications accordingly". He also managed to change the default webpage where he plans to include links to official sites of the graphic applications that have been added to this distribution. Screenshot: http://dhost.info/mygimp/images/tmp/grappix.jpg
Anuradha Ratnaweera says, "We are making steady progress on the FOSS week activities in Sri Lanka (in early September). The events are going to be more "official" with the blessing of the government."
Chamindra de Silva and http://www.linux.lk/~chamindra -- points out that "as a developing nation Sri Lanka still has low IT penetration in rural areas (though we have high literacy rates), however this is picking up rapidly and people are more open to adopting FOSS platforms as they have no legacy exposure. Microsoft has recently become very aggressive in schools/universities and their programs seem to be even reaching our curriculum."
He adds: "Unfortunately right now we do not have similar programs on FOSS for our developing nation. The upcoming FOSS Week in Sri Lanka this September (see http://www.iosn.net/country/sri-lanka/events/FOSSWeek2005 ) ending on the Software freedom day is targeted also at schools/universities. We hope to have a roadshow for rural areas. You are probably aware this is entirely a volunteer effort."
In a blog [The Rodent's Burrow Maunderings Rodentical, http://ken.coar.org/burrow/index?citations=Sanjiva+Weerawarana#875 ] lists a number of players in the Apache field in Sri Lanka, whose work has been recognised by the Apache Software Foundation:
It notes, "Back in January I was honoured to be one of the people handing out recognition plaques to ASF contributors in Sri Lanka. Here are their names, affiliations, and areas of contribution, as provided me by Sanjiva Weerawarana"
More Information
More links on Sri Lanka's FOSS initiatives are on the IOSN site at http://www.iosn.net/country/sri-lanka/ In particular, see http://www.iosn.net/country/sri-lanka/contribution http://www.linux.lk/~chamindra/docs/SriLanka.pdf