PARECON and the IT sector.

Two developments that I thought some of the technical folks on the LC would enjoy.

ParIT - ParIT (pronounced as 'parity') offers the technical services for individual users and small- and medium-sized organizations to migrate completely from costly off-the-shelf applications to freely distributed and free-to-modify opensource software. We provide installation, support, customization, and integration of free software in the following areas: Desktop computing; content management systems (CMS); accounting; point of sale (POS); and server environments.

As programmers, we are happy to discuss free software or Linux-based solutions for any of your operations.
ParIT began our first year of operations in early spring of 2006. The business name was registered in March of 2006, with incorporation in early April of 2006. Our name is derived from joining information technology (IT) to participatory economics (parecon)--which is a radically democratic form of community-based economics. Parecon is naturally suited to worker-owned co-operatives, enabling the worker/owners to organize under a set of principles that guarantees their participation in all decisions and ensures full worker equality.

We are actively involved in building an alternative economy that allows people to control their own destinies and improve their communities. A participatory economy (or 'parecon') is the goal, and a radically democratic worker-owned co-operative and Community Economic Development (CED) principles are the tools we are using. Our mission is to change the way the world thinks about software, the workplace and economics.

Koumbit - Koumbit is a non profit organisation whose mission is to promote the appropriation of free/libre and open source software by social groups in Quebec, in Canada and abroad. We work on the development of a collective software platform and we provide support for users of free software. Koumbit is a derivation of the Haitian Creole word Konbit which translates roughly to "association of people towards the realisation of a common goal".

Founding Principles
Collective management
We believe in a greater autonomy for people and collectives. We believe that it is essential for groups and individuals to manage by themselves their direction, life and authority.

Educational space
We believe that our organisation must not be a simple service company but must also integrate continuing education of workers and members to new technologies, but also along the principles of participative organisation like ParEcon (see below) and other horizontal organisational techniques.

Transparency
We believe that organisations should be transparant towards their members but also towards society at large. No organisation evolves in a void and all our actions have consequences. Therefore, it is essential that the public can follow on the actions and decisions of the different organisations that make society. We believe that the flow of information coming out of organisations must not be blocked, but be broadcasted so that citizens can take enlightened decisions on the issues that affect them.

Copyleft (free software)
We believe in developping Free/Libre and Open Source software. Free software is a matter of freedom (as in freedom of speech): everyone should be free to use software for any socially useful purposes. Software is not a tangible material object, like a chair, sandwich or oil, so it can be copied and changed easily. Those possibilities render software useful as such; we believe that software users must be able to appropriate those possibilities.

Self-sufficiency
We believe that our organisation must be self-sufficient and not depend exclusively on one big customer or state to finance itself. We are always looking for ways to diversify our sources of income and believe in partnership to develop durable and functional links with other organisations. Similarly, we offer technological solutions that empower people with their own tools within their organisations.

Solidarity
We believe that our organisation must support citizen initiative and the left behind of our society. We also believe that an organisation must build itself in support and respect of each other, their integrity and their dignity. We also believe that some sacrifices must be made so that the organisation doesn't harm mankind and nature as a whole. "Above all, do no harm".

Equity and equality
We believe that everyone must have the same chances not only at the start, but also during the race. We are trying to eliminate inequities between individuals and compensate those which are impossible to eliminate.

Participatory Economics
We believe in balanced job complexes, variable modes of decision, in participation of workers in the definition of their workplace, in participation of parties affected by the services of the organisation in its orientation. In short, we are strongly inspired by the participatory economics model enounced by Michael Albert.