Three weeks ago, we kicked off the first-ever #Maintainathon at the United Nations, and memories are beginning to settle in.
Together with this group of highly experienced open source maintainers, we created a special moment at #UNOpenSourceWeek.
Their hands-on expertise shaped the conversations and brought real-world insight into building open digital infrastructure — work done by few, but essential to all of us.
(1/2)
Thanks to the @sovtechfund and #AlphaOmega I was able to attend #UNOpenSourceWeek 2025 
representing the @ThePSF and focusing on how maintaining, supporting, and securing #OpenSource is a non-negotiable part of worldwide Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). The trip was an inspiring reminder how many incredibly smart and talented people are working on this problem together.
Heading home after a long week of extra long days at #UNOpenSourceWeek. Physically exhausted but inspired and mentally charged thanks to the passion and commitment of the global #OpenSource community. We are all ready to make the world better for all. Onward and upward!
It's time for today's last (not least!) session - and the very last session of a packed #UNOpenSourceWeek.
Julian Stirling of the Humanitarian Technology Trust kicks off "Open Technologies in Healthcare" with a presentation on a 3d-printed #OpenHardware microscope.
Incredibly interesting, great example of open tech for social good, check out the website: https://httrust.org/.
And now some live-tooting from "Invisible Work, Critical Code – The Role of Maintainers in Open Source Digital Infrastructure", a session led by the Sovereign Tech Agency. Examples of public infrastructure: electric grids, railways, roads and bridges, and... sewers! And now for a provocative metaphor: "Open Source is a sewer". Let's see where this leads us! #UNOpenSourceWeek #UNOSW
Live-tooting from the "Securing the Supply Chain Through Global Collaboration" session at the #UNOpenSourceWeek side event at PwC. "In open source security is not your problem until it's your number one problem." Arun Gupta, Intel. #UNOSW #UnitedNations
Let’s shift the conversation—from launching tools to sustaining ecosystems.
#UNOSW #DigitalInfrastructure #UNOpenSourceWeek
(3/3)
Advocating to the worlds' governments for support of #OpenSource on the floor of the #UN as done over the last few days always brings joy, but today at #UNOpenSourceWeek we shift into less formal, practical mode, as we all get to demonstrate the real #FOSS spirit of working together toward global digital cooperation. Let's do it!
https://www.un.org/digital-emerging-technologies/content/open-source-week-2025
Unser Geschäftsführer Ralph Dehner war diese Woche auf der UN Open Source Week in New York!
Er vertrat dort nicht nur B1 Systems, sondern auch den Sovereign Cloud Stack (SCS) – ein Forum innerhalb der @OSBA
Die UN Open Source Week bringt wichtige internationale Akteure aus Open Source, digitaler Infrastruktur & dem öffentlichen Sektor zusammen.
Wir sind froh, Teil der globalen Open-Source-Community zu sein!
The #FDroid Board of Directors is pleased to announce our endorsement of the #UNOpenSourcePrinciples
These were introduced by Open Source United agency of the #UnitedNations, and were developed in partnership with a wide set of stakeholders across the #FOSS (Free and #OpenSource Software) ecosystem.
Also #UNOpenSourceWeek 2025 is taking place in New York, so make sure to tune into the online live video streams if that interests you!
More details here: https://f-droid.org/2025/06/18/united-nations-open-source-principles.html
#UNOpenSourceWeek friends, the best bagels in the city are at Ess-A-Bagel at 51st & 3rd Avenue, not far from UNHQ. If you like bagels or want to, you should give them a try. (No, I'm not on commission.)
I'm really enjoying being at the United Nations Open Source Week event! Here's a short post with a few highlights from the OSPOs for Good Day yesterday. #UNOpenSourceWeek
https://fastwonderblog.com/2025/06/19/united-nations-ospos-for-good-day/
5pm-7pm Thursday (tomorrow) I'll host an unofficial #UNOpenSourceWeek get-together in Manhattan
There's a public plaza with seating at 222 East 39th St., between Second and Third Avenues
https://apops.mas.org/pops/m060017/
next to a giant orange road safety mural
I'll bring some drinks and snacks and I'll be wearing an orange hat.
“It takes up most of the time to maintain this ecosystem. We’re all excited about innovation, we had hackathons — we need that of course. But understanding that it’s two sides of the same coin, and if we don’t maintain, we will never get to innovate in a healthy and sustainable way. That really needs to be nailed down in all rooms.”
/10 (end) #UNOpenSourceWeek
“We do public procurement. It’s not a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have. #OpenSource is what we’re all running on. No matter what product it is, it is the foundation. Using a mindset that is not 'funding' per se as in giving money once in a while for a short time, but understanding that this is something that needs continuous investment, and that it’s going to pay back in multiple ways. That is often still seen outside this room as a niche topic.”
9/ #UNOpenSourceWeek
“At the same time, we need to find ways to avoid volunteer burnout, more security issues arising from an absolute increase: AI is creating a lot of stress in the infrastructure layer. The goodwill of providing more support can backfire if we don’t take all this into account.”
8/ #UNOpenSourceWeek
“We also need to understand production logic in the sense of governance models. That’s often the most critical part. We cannot just top-down apply new models to communities that have worked in a decentralized, volunteer manner for a long long time.”
7/ #UNOpenSourceWeek
“The reality is also that money doesn’t solve all problems, unfortunately. It can create wrong incentives, it can increase stress and pressure, it can rip communities apart, it can do good in the short term but harm in the long term. We need to take all of these factors into account, if we want to channel support into our shared digital infrastructure, into #OpenSource communities.”
“It’s a global task: it doesn’t stop at borders; it’s not a geographical topic; it connects all of us; it’s one shared ecosystem. Understanding this nature, also the production logics of open source software is important for governments and all actors, if you want to do good in this ecosystem.”
5/ #UNOpenSourceWeek
“collectively, because that makes them better. We invest in infrastructure when it’s roads and bridges. We need to find out how to do this in the digital world. The blueprint we’re trying to create is like new government muscle: how can we take care of this in a way that is sustainable, secure, supports our values, & then share it? It doesn’t help if just one of us doing it, we need to do that collectively. This is why it’s great that we’re talking about this at the UN…”
