Introducing Mission:Libre

Mission:Libre is an independent project to inform kids aged between 11 and 14 about free software, no matter where they are in the world.

Free software is "free as in freedom, not as in price". It can be shared, studied and changed by everyone. Because we all have the power to choose how it works, free software is better for everyone.

Who am I?

My name is Carmen-Lisandrette Maris. I've been fascinated by free software since I found out about it. I was just 12.

But as an kid, I felt like free software advocates weren't really speaking to people like me. Things are much the same today.

Now, I'm all grown up. I want to build on my own experience and the skills I've learned as an adult to help kids see what I did in free software.

Why I need your support

Mission:Libre is an ambitious project. If I want to follow through on my plans, I must dedicate my full time to it.

Mission:Libre’s goal is €55,000. This will free me to work on this full-time for one year and pay Mission:Libre's hosting and audio-video production expenses.

What Mission:Libre will do in 2027

Introduce kids to free software

Mission:Libre will start conversation about free software by creating phone-friendly minidramas, educational clips and invitations to share their own stories. These will be published on sites like TikTok and YouTube^*. I'll also be sharing these with schools and organisations that serve youth.

* Concerned about freedom? Me too. This will be done by mirroring from PeerTube with a script. I think this is a fair compromise.

Get kids to commit to free software

Once kids have been introduced to free software, it's time to get them to commit to change. I'll do this by using my social media accounts and resources to ask kids to take small actions for software freedom, like signing petitions or making a pledge to try out free programs.

Help youth charities do their work with free software

Expect a new website for youth charities on why free programs are better for them and their clients. To help them use free software to its full potential, I will provide as free seminars, online and offline.

Help out young free software supporters

I will be there to answer kids' questions and help them find resources and advice so they can thrive in software freedom.

Educate kids on issues related to free software

Free software is part of the answer to other issues like the environmental impact of technology and the right to repair. Mission:Libre will talk to kids about these issues.

Help young people spread freedom

There's no manual for free software advocacy -- yet! But next year, there will be. Mission:Libre will publish online a multilingual, multimedia guide on everything a young free software activist might want to know like how to give a speech, how to write letters and how to start a free software club.

How to Donate

You can donate in one of these ways:

- Through Stripe

- Through Liberapay

- By bank deposit. Please email carmen@missionlibre.org for more information.

Contact

You can e-mail me at carmen@missionlibre.org