LibreOffice receives “Technology for Citizens Award” from Guarulhos city, Brazil

Guarulhos, May 18, 2012. The LibreOffice project received the “Technology for Citizens Best International Software” award from the city of Guarulhos, Brazil. This prize has been given in reconnaissance of the importance of LibreOffice in the city’s social programs.

The ceremony took place with Ms Eliane Domingos, a TDF member and activist in the Brazilian LibreOffice community. The free office software is included in the Guarux distribution, an Ubuntu-based Linux distribution assembled by the city’s IT department, for use by all of its public servants and in the so called “telecentros”, which are centers maintained by the local government, allowing the economically deprived population to use computers and access the internet, as part of the social program to raised the population awareness on new technologies.

“This award is special for The Document Foundation, because it shows how important LibreOffice and free software are in general for the emerging countries, that need to close the gap of knowledge. Free software is a way to eradicate poverty and bring a significant part of the population into the information mainstream”, says Eliane Domingos. “For me personally it is also an honour, because I am deeply involved in promoting LibreOffice as a valuable tool for all Brazilians”, she concluded.

The mayor of Guarulhos, Sebastião Almeida, reminded the important role of the public administration in technology improvements: “Technology only makes sense if aimed to the citizen promotion and valuation, and the mission of the public administration is to innovate more and more so that the citizen live happier and better”, says Almeida.

Tecnologia Cidadã Award

Ms. Eliane Domingos and Mayor Sebastião Almeida

Ms Eliane Domingos and Mr. Rodrigo Assumpção, DATAPREV Chairman

Ms Eliane Domingos and Jesulino Alves, LibreOffice Community

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