Jordan Open Source Association Explains Social Values of Open Source at Intel Youth Enterprise

The Jordan Open Source Association explains the social values of Open Source to young social entrepreneurs at the Intel Youth Enterprise.

What you can do to tackle the problem of unemployment in Jordan? Young Jordanian social entrepreneurs are giving viable solutions and initiatives at the Intel Youth Enterprise.

Participants will utilize technology in different areas, including health care, education, natural resources and retail to play a significant role in tackling the problem of unemployment and helps to shape Jordan's economic growth.

"All these initiatives run on technology, but as they have such deep social impact, they need technology with a social spirit; Open Source", said Issa Mahasneh, president of the Jordan Open Source Association.

Constructing its presentation on three main factors, Mahasneh described the social values of Open Source, and explained why the future is open and why Open Source can help social entrepreneurs and their projects.

Based on a 2011 study by D. Pidsley, Mahasneh evaluated several values for Open Source, starting from open standards, innovation, collaboration and comunity, user led development and cost effectiveness. "These are not only related to technologies used", explained Mahasneh, "but this methodology is viable in any work and process of social enterprise".

Mahasneh stressed on the importance of open standards, and how openness itself is not only important, but vital to social impact. He presented the example of the lack of a standard document format that caused loss of life and damage to property, according to the Minister of Science and Technology of South Africa, "responding agencies and non-governmental groups were unable to share information vital to the rescue effort. Each was using different data and document formats. Relief was slowed, and coordination complicated", said the minister.

Sir Tim Berners Lee, creator of the World Wide Web WWW, was also taken as an example of openess in social project, "the Internet", said Mahasneh, "had its success for his openness".

Other open source initiatives that were mentioned included, Ushahidi an open source platform that was used for critical events around the world, lately it was used in the geo mapping issues in the Lebanese elections and to map sexual harassment in Egypt. "The open source nature of Ushahidi led to Innovation", explained Mahasneh, inviting participants to create their own ideas for the good of Jordan based on freely available open source projects.

The president of Jordan Open Source Association ended with some quick ways to enter the Open Source community and gain benefits from it.

Intel supported the program in partnership with the Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship (QRCE).

"This competition falls within Intel's programs for developing entrepreneurship, aiming at enabling the youth to overcome their social and economic problems, by giving young innovators and entrepreneurs the chance to develop their capabilities and execute their projects, which, in itself, will create new job opportunities for them and others," said Rula Habash, Intel Corporate Affairs Manager for Levant and North Africa.

Executive Director at QRCE, Farhan Kalaldeh, praised the competition's goals, stating that it has the potential to meet the challenges unemployment poses on Jordan, especially after the several, subsequent financial crisis the world is going through.