The Free Software Foundation (FSF) announced that its global initiative encouraging community meetups, called LibreLocals, has seen strong international participation.

As part of LibreLocal month in May 2026, free software supporters organized 46 in-person events across six continents, with additional meetups still being scheduled.

The initiative was designed to bring together advocates of free and open-source software to exchange ideas, collaborate, and promote software freedom principles.According to the FSF, the events reflect a growing global interest in digital rights and software freedom.Participants gathered in local communities to discuss free software philosophy, share technical knowledge, and build collaborative projects.

The FSF also highlighted that some events received financial support from the organization, while many others were independently organized by volunteers who contributed additional effort to expand the movement.

FSF executive leadership emphasized that these gatherings demonstrate the strength of the global free software community and its commitment to user rights and software transparency.

Organizers reported tangible outcomes, including new collaborative projects emerging from meetups, such as those noted at events like the Beijing LibreLocal, which reportedly doubled in size compared to the previous year.

The FSF stated that it intends to continue expanding the initiative in future years, including plans to build a broader sponsorship network for LibreLocals in 2027.

Overall, the organization views the program as a successful example of grassroots collaboration supporting the broader mission of software freedom and digital rights advocacy worldwide.