The Workshop
This three-hour workshop introduces the principles and challenges of free and open-source software and the digital commons: licensing models, project governance, technological dependencies, digital sovereignty and the business models that go with them. Participants piece the elements together to see how an open-source project is built and funded, and how it affects the wider digital world, including the proprietary software that depends on it.
Why It Matters
A large part of the world's digital infrastructure, including critical infrastructure, now runs on open-source code that is often maintained by a handful of volunteers. Understanding this largely invisible system is what makes it possible to grasp the security, strategic-dependence and digital-sovereignty stakes that organisations and states face.
Good to Know
The workshop is aimed at beginners and digital professionals alike. No technical background is needed: it explains concepts that can get technical (licences, forks, project governance) in plain terms so everyone can follow.
What to Expect
Working in small groups of 4 to 16, participants arrange the cards along causal links with the support of a trained facilitator. A creative phase then lets them personalise their fresco, before a discussion of possible solutions and commitments, both individual and organisational.