View source for OLPC chapters

'''OLPC chapters''' are national and regional [[regional groups|groups]] founded expressly to promote and support the OLPC mission and projects.  They are formally incorporated groups, and must apply to become a chapter. 

Chapters also often work with smaller local deployments or trials as a test-bed for other work in that region.

Local groups that want to start working on related projects right away, before incorporating and applying to become a chapter, can set up '''[[friends of OLPC]]''' groups.

== Chapters ==
Local chapters can do many things, including:

* Help localize Sugar and activities into local languages
* Help develop locally relevant content and software
* Provide support for deployments in their region
* Create a local community of people supporting OLPC's [[5 principles|principles]], making its work sustainable
* Organize and host events and workshops around OLPC
* Communicate about OLPC initiatives in the local press, and to the local free software and open education communities
* Help local communities communicate with the global OLPC community
* Connect local universities with the OLPC mission


== Friends of OLPC ==
Any group that is supporting OLPC's work and mission can set up a '''Friends of OLPC''' group for their city, region, or country.  Most currently active regional groups would fall into this category (regardless of their name).  

Friends groups can use a 'Friends of OLPC' badge when organizing events and programs related to OLPC, and do not need permission to do so; though they must indicate their willingness to use it only in association with OLPC efforts, and to avoid using it to suggest partnerships or collaborations between OLPC and other organizations.


== Current chapters ==
* OLPC Austria  [with an older MOU, not the draft below]

Other groups with formal incorporation
* OLPC France
* OLPC Deutschland


== Points of discussion ==
===Proposals===
* Normalizing existing group names, so that groups casually called "OLPC <country>" are renamed, reserving that name for a potential national chapter.


=== Questions ===
* Developing-world governments often give undue weight to credentials.  
** In what ways is this good?  Should there be a way for individuals to become named members of a chapter?
** In what ways is this risky?  Is there an extra need to be careful about credentials where they are more likely to be misconstrued?


== Draft chapters agreement ==
{{:draft chapters agreement}}

== Draft Friends-group agreement ==
{{:draft friends agreement}}


[[Category:Chapters]]
[[Category:Deployment]]
[[category:groups]]