GNU and Free Software Speakers
We often get requests for speakers who can represent the GNU Project
and/or the free software movement at a conference, event or panel
discussion. You can use this page to find someone to speak on behalf
of the GNU Project and/or the free software movement. Speakers are
listed in alphabetical order by last name. If you would like to
invite one of these speakers to an event, please contact the speaker
directly via email.
This page ends with advice to people who would like to
become speakers
.
The Speakers
- Biography
-
Véronique Bonnet teaches philosophy. She was president of April
from 2020 to 2022.
- Topics
-
Véronique can address the following topics:
- Presentation of the history, concepts and stakes (social,
legal, political, etc.) of free software
- Political and institutional fights around free software
- Threats to free software: DRM, software patents, bundled
sales/racketware, etc.
- A philosophical lecture about the ethics of free software
- Presentation of GNU philosophy
- Languages
-
Véronique speaks French.
- Biography
-
Loïc first got involved in free software in 1987. He is now a
senior developer who has contributed to many software projects. In
January 2001 he initiated Savannah to improve the infrastructure of
the GNU Project. Loïc also does volunteer work for free software
organizations, mostly in Europe, to protect free software from legal
threats and promote cooperation and freedom.
- Topics
-
- Development of free software
- Free software and hacktivism
- The infrastructure and dynamics of the GNU Project
- Free software solutions for information retrieval
- Languages
-
Loïc speaks French and English.
- Biography
-
Nagarjuna G. is one of the
founding members of the
FSF India
and currently serving as its Chairperson. He held a faculty position at
Homi
Bhabha Centre for Science Education, TIFR
in Mumbai. He is an author
and maintainer of the GNU project
GNOWSYS
, and leads the
Gnowledge Lab
in Mumbai. He
holds M.Sc.(Biology), M.A. (Philosophy) from
University of Delhi
and Ph.D. from
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
in the area of Philosophy of Science.
- Topics
-
Nagarjuna G. is willing to deliver speeches about the following topics:
- Introduction to Free Software Movement (Why Free Software?)
- Roadblocks to Free Society
- Why Free/Open Document Standards is Mandatory and not an Option
- Free Knowledge, Free Software and Free Society
- On the Fundamental Right to Read, Write and Execute
- Free Software for Education
- Languages
-
Nagarjuna prefers to give speeches in English, but if the situation
demands, he can also manage in Hindi and Telugu.
- Biography
-
Ricardo Galli is an advocate of free software. He holds a PhD in Computer
Science and he is a professor of the University of Balearic Islands. He
has more than 40 scientific papers, some of them devoted to free software
issues. He has been teaching Operating System subjects based exclusively
on free software and GNU/Linux since 1993. He has released several Free
Software programs (cpudyn, llaut, wp-cache, etc.). He research interests
include Small Worlds graphs, the impact of free software on the regional
economy and ethics applied to the use of software in research and high
level education.
- Topics
-
Ricardo Galli is willing to deliver speeches about the following topics:
- Definition and ethical aspects of free software.
- Economic impact of free software.
- Free software and Informatic Profession.
- Ethics, software, patents and copyright in the Information
Society.
- Free software as an opportunity to [technologically]
peripheral regions.
- Languages
-
Spanish, English and comfortable with Catalan speaking audiences.
- Biography
-
Joshua Gay was the editor of the
book
Free Software, Free Society
. He is active in and familiar with a
number of free software and free culture communities.
- Topics
-
Joshua Gay can speak about:
- How you can help: Strategies for communicating and
organizing around free software ideals
- Why software should be free
- Introduction to the GPLv3 and free software licensing
- Languages
-
English
- Biography
-
Georg C. F. Greve is a Physicist
(German Diploma from the
University of Hamburg) with experience in the areas of medical
science, physical oceanography, biophysics and nanotechnology,
although computer science has always been a focal point.
Example activities are his authorship of the monthly GNU forum “
Brave GNU World
” and the
program GNU Xlogmaster. He is also initiator and president of the
FSF Europe.
- Topics
-
Topics Georg Greve can speak about include
- Visions for free software and the FSF
- Background, concept and future of the
FSF Europe
- History, background and philosophy of free software and
the
GNU Project
- "Copyright in the internet age": implications for
copyright of the digital revolution.
- Commercial, practical and sociological aspects of free
software and the
GNU Project
- The Brave GNU World
- Languages
-
Greve speaks English and German fluently, and can deliver speeches in
either language.
- Biography
-
Peter is the Program Chair for Bachelors & Masters IT programs
at Abu Dhabi Men's College in the United Arab Emirates. Peter's first
experience with GNU/Linux was a Caldera CD in 1999. This experience
has given him a profound appreciation for the recent advances in
auto-configuration of X-Windows. Peter has been a leading proponent of
Free Software at ADMC since joining in 2004.
- Topics
Peter can speak about the following
- The Economics of Free Software
- Free Software in the Technical College
- Languages
Peter can deliver talks in English. He remembers half of the
French he took in high school, and can order Lebanese food in
Arabic.
- Biography
-
Federico Heinz is a latin-american programmer and free software
advocate living in Argentina. He is a co-founder of
La Fundación Vía
Libre
, a non-profit organization that promotes the free flow of
knowledge as a motor for social progress, and the use and development
of free software as a powerful tool towards that goal. He has helped
legislators such a Argentina's Ing. Dragan, Dr. Conde and Peru's
Dr. Villanueva draft and defend legislation demanding the use of Free
Software in all areas of public administration.
- Topics
-
Federico can speak to audiences on a range of topics around Free
Software, including:
- general aspects of free software and the free software movement
- Free software's role for poor and developing countries
- Free software in the public administration
- Free software as an enabler for sustainable development
- Free software in education
- Languages
-
Federico speaks fluent Spanish, English and German, and can deliver
speeches in any of these languages.
- Biography
-
Kefah Issa is a software programmer, he holds a BSc degree in
electrical engineering from the University of Jordan. He is an
activist and an advocate to free software in the Arab World,
participating in many events. He got extensive experience in
delivering commercial software solutions across a wide range of
applications. Kefah wrote a document in Arabic, “Free Software
Whitepaper”, introducing free software and detailing the various
strategic reasons why it should be considered.
- Topics
Kefah can speak about the following topics:
- Definition and Ethical / Moral aspects of free software.
- Economic and Social Impact of free software.
- Strategy and helping decision makers on why should free software
be adopted for Governments,Educational Organizations, and Businesses
in general.
- Languages
-
Kefah T. Issa speaks Arabic and English he can give talks in both.
- Biography
-
Jose E. Marchesi is a long-term GNU hacker. In 1999, he founded
GNU Spain
, and he later assisted in the creation of
GNU Italy
and
GNU Mexico
. He maintains several GNU programs such as
sed
and
GNU Recutils
and is a
member of the GNU Advisory Comittee.
- Topics
-
Jose can address the following topics:
- Free Software
- The GNU Project
- Languages
-
Jose gives speeches in Spanish.
- Biography
-
Alex is one of the founding board members of
FSF Latin America
. Since early 1990s,
he has been free software user, then volunteer developer, then
evangelist and professional toolchain developer. He holds Computing
Engineering (1995) and Master in Computer Sciences (1998) degrees from
the University of Campinas, where he pursues a Doctorate degree in
Computer Sciences.
- Topics
-
- Free software philosophy and the GNU project
- Moral, economic and legal aspects of software freedom
- GPLv2, GPLv3, and some other licenses
- Copyright, patents, Digital Restrictions Management and other
threats to your freedoms
- Free software in Latin America
- Languages
-
Alex is a native Brazilian Portuguese speaker and a fluent English
speaker.
- Biography
-
Javier Sepulveda is the founder and executive director of
VALENCIATECH
, which runs GNU/Linux
servers using free software exclusively. He was a professor of
computer science for over ten years, and has worked as a programmer,
systems administrator, and consultant. He donates his time to the
GNU Project
, the
Free Software Foundation
, and the
Asociacion de Usuarios de
GNU/Linux de Valencia
. He lives in Valencia, Spain, with his wife
and two children.
- Topics
-
- The free software movement and the GNU/Linux operating system
- Free software and education
- Languages
-
Javier can give speeches in Spanish and English.
- Biography
-
Richard Stallman
is the founder
of the
GNU Project
,
launched in 1984 to develop the
free
operating
system, GNU.
In October 1985 he founded the Free Software Foundation, and served
as its president until September 2019.
Richard Stallman is the principal author of the
GNU C Compiler
,
the
GNU symbolic debugger
(GDB)
,
GNU
Emacs
, and various other GNU programs.
- Topics
-
Richard Stallman has prepared speeches on the following topics:
Audio and video recordings
of these and other speeches by Richard stallman.
Dr. Stallman is also available for press interviews and panel
discussions concerning all aspects of the GNU project and the Free
Software Movement.
- Languages
Dr. Stallman speaks
English, French, and Spanish fluently, and can deliver speeches in
any of those languages.
If you have been working for some time in the free software movement
and you would like to become a speaker, here are some suggestions.
- Carefully read the materials in the
philosophy
,
gnu
, and
licenses
directories.
- Arrange some opportunities to give speeches, perhaps to local
organizations in your area.
- When you feel you are ready, record a speech
and
email us
to send us the
recording. We'll then give you feedback and perhaps decide to list
you as a speaker.
If you can present the free software ideas clearly in a foreign
language, you can surely do it even better in your first language.
Thus, if we get a good recorded speech in a non-native language, we
can list you as a speaker for that language and for your first
language too.
However, the inference doesn't go in the other direction: we don't
know how well you speak a foreign language unless we check. Thus, if
you would like to be listed for speeches in languages other than your
first language, please show us recordings in those other languages.
-
If you are not an experienced public speaker already, Toastmasters
International is useful for practicing and learning about speaking.
You need not pay great attention to their merit badges and degrees,
unless you find those important to motivate you. The most important
thing they offer is practice and feedback.