Free Software in Brazil:
Analysis & Interview with Marcos Mazoni

by Ryan & Isabela Bagueros, May 5 2008, San Francisco, California
Read in English: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
Leia em Português: Página 1, Página 2, Página 3, Página 4

(continued from page two)

Resistance to Brazil's Free Software Movement

It goes without saying that introducing a wholesale migration to free software and the development methodologies that accompany it would run into institutional inertia no matter where it was attempted. Introducing it within the public sector of Brazil, one of the largest countries in this hemisphere with a reputation of bureaucracy in the government, is certainly not an exception. That said, Brazil's commitment to free software is demonstrated by how well these obstacles have been overcome.

Mr Mazoni: "There is resistance of various types. For sure there will be resistance whenever you present something new. It's a new type of business so there are people who won't be able to project themselves within this new model. It's a change from the traditional system, where you have commission-based sales and things like that. So there is a real resistance that happens, subjectively and objectively, from people. But I figure this is a matter of sticking with the traditional model for personal reasons or because you can't visualize the business opportunity."

"But also there is resistance from natural human reaction, that comes from cultural aspects, because we were raised in the world, in our schools, for a competitive process, right? We weren't raised with a cooperative process. We are classified in school, in anything that we do, so from then on it's all about who is first, second, third. We don't share knowledge in school. In school, it's the teacher telling us things and only a little sharing of knowledge. There's still a very traditional model being used in the traditional school networks in the entire world. So, we grow up having a model that's very much about competition. The whole question of globalized capitalism is that only the most strong will succeed. Solidarity is not an incentive instilled in us from birth. So when we present a model of business where solidarity is the principal difference, the positive difference, there is a strong cultural impediment to this."

"It's this that we can't resolve from one day to another, that's a lot of evangelizing. It's very political, many free software events try to show people that there is another way of relating to other people, other people's talents. This is a middle- or long-term task and this is why we have so many free software events in Brazil. In trying to show that it's possible, in spite of everything we've learned until now, from our school chairs, from our political and family and all other relationships. So, this is a medium- or long-term task but one that has to be done. And one day when things change, those paradigms will also fall."

"But there is another question that's more practical, that I'm also involved with. Another element of difference that people feel, I think, is knowledge. So, when people are presented with a new possibility, a new skill set, the first thing that people do is resist, to keep their skill sets relevant. I am a specialist in databases, I am an operating system specialist, so I can't see how a database works or an operating system works. But if they feel so helpless with different things, they are putting themselves at risk of not taking an advantage that presents itself. So we have to show people that shared knowledge permits us to evolve much more quickly. So there's also the task of convincing people about this."

"We have to deal with these questions of resistance: cultural, the practical question for the professional himself, plus economic questions. How do we deal with this? Events, speeches, successful projects. Successful projects are very important so people can see that while it seems there are difficulties, there are many more advantages. So, it's an on-going task that we have to do."

On the media's relationship to the free software movement in Brazil

Mr Mazoni: "I think that we return to the cultural question, which also applies to the media. When it was announced that Brazil would take this strategic option, the media imagined a bunch of winners and losers and that's why they ended up being very apathetic. In truth, what Brazil is doing is a process, a process that happens at opportune times. We're not going to migrate something that isn't ready to be migrated. It's a process that has to be planned with calm. We are not in a crusade against proprietary software, we are participating in a grand movement of other movements in our country, in our continent and we believe in a better equilibrium of the planet. This is a process, this is not something where we have victories and losses. And that is where the media stops being attracted to it. These things are done with more calm, more negotiation and so we don't know exactly how it will end up, this transformation of the business model."

Next: Conclusion — Co-operation in Latin America & the Future >>

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