Idlelo 2012

The primary goal of the IDLELO 5 conference is to increase the awareness, integration and adoption of free and open source software (FOSS) in Africa.  The theme of the IDLELO 5 conference emphasizes how FOSS solutions are being used to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by 2015. Whether we work as individuals or with a multilateral or bilateral donor, an international corporation, consultancy or nonprofit group, members of the community should all be contributing toward an unprecedented worldwide effort to reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

The conference will be chaired by Mrs Omobola Johnson, Honourable Minister of Communication Technology of the Federal Republich of Nigeria. The Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa - FOSSFA, IDLELO and the national host - the Open Source Foundation of Nigeria (OSFON) have rolled out a package to take care of all intending participants.

IDLELO is a Southern Africa word meaning "Common Grazing Ground". Idlelo captures the essence of FOSSFA's existence as well as the fundamental objective of the conference. The Conference is a forum for inclusive deliberations, assessments, strategies, and implementation of ICT policy, innovation, and trends. Idlelo, over the past four editions, has proved its necessity and has established beyond doubts that it is the one African event for FOSS practitioners, developers and advocates as well as governments to showcase results, share experiences, exchange challenges, review progress on the continent in diverse domains and chart a way forward for the following years.

IDLELO 5 will be the forum to share our experiences working toward the Millennium Development Goals. IDLELO 5 is a one-stop shop for everything in African FOSS development – a space where open source activists can share ideas and find the information we need to work more efficiently and effectively with FOSS. IDLELO 5 will be a unique opportunity for those on the front (FOSS) lines of the global fight against poverty to tell policy-makers what is going on in the field – which approaches have proven successful, and what challenges remain in your work to end poverty and hunger; improve health care, education and gender equality; and build sustainable global partnerships.