Fedivariety

Juggling the fediverse
FediVariety is a European collective of digital activists and researchers dedicated to promoting Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) for public administration, with an emphasis on the Fediverse.
breaking!!! "Nodes On A Web" —The unconference— Thu/Fri 19/20 March 2026, Amsterdam
We’re excited to announce NOAW, an unconference focused on integrating the Fediverse into public administration, in collaboration with Chief Information Office (CIO-Rijk) of the Netherlands, and the Digitalisation & Innovation Department of the City of Amsterdam.
Learn more !

Our name, FediVariety, is a fusion of “Fediverse” and “Variety”, reflecting the diverse range of open-source social media platforms that make up this interconnected network. And besides this; it's all of course a fantastic circus! ;)
Find/Feed/Follow FediVariety on Mastodon !

FediVariety's objectives
Our mission is to champion open-source solutions in public communication. By advocating for transparency and accessibility, we aim to liberate government services from proprietary platforms and exploitative algorithms.
We envision a future where open-source alternatives are widely adopted, ensuring that official communications are readily accessible and free for everyone. Our commitment to these principles will foster inclusivity and empower citizens to engage effectively with their government.

Our sparking moment
Our core team, along with our dedicated network of allies, is united through various organizations and events committed to advancing digital rights and building a better society. Many of us participated in the Freedom-Not-Fear (FnF) conference in 2023, a vibrant annual event focused on privacy and digital rights.
During the conference, Professor Wojciech Wiewiórowski, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), delivered a powerful keynote speech announcing the closure of their "EU Voice/Video" pilot project, which aimed to integrate self-hosted Fediverse instances into EU public administration.
The Supervisor characterized the "EU Voice/Video" initiative as a missed opportunity and urged attendees to reach out to their European representatives to raise awareness on this critical issue.
And this is were we literaly stepped in. ;)

Our call for action
Inspired by Professor Wiewiórowski's call to action, we swiftly organized a workshop to investigate the reasons behind the project's failure. This was followed by online gatherings with key stakeholders, where we brainstormed innovative ideas and crafted compelling arguments for either reviving the pilot project or extracting valuable lessons from it.
Our dedicated efforts culminated in a successful response to an open call from NLnet, through which we secured grant support for our initiative. Phew...
And here we are now—"Juggling the Fediverse".
➔ About our research project

But... hmm... the Fediverse?
The Fediverse, unlike traditional centralized platforms, gives users control over their data and experiences. Offering options from microblogging and image sharing to forums and gaming, it resembles a digital circus, where each user is a performer and every platform serves as a stage.
Or, in other words: The Fediverse is a network of decentralized social media platforms that communicate using protocols like ActivityPub, allowing users to interact across different sites. The Open Social Web is a broader concept promoting openness and interconnectivity in online social interactions, encompassing various technologies and initiatives, not limited to social media. In essence, the Fediverse is a part of the Open Social Web, focusing specifically on decentralized social networks.

Juggling the fediverse

FediVariety is a European collective of digital activists and researchers dedicated to promoting Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) for public administration, with an emphasis on the Fediverse.

breaking!!! "Nodes On A Web" —The unconference— Thu/Fri 19/20 March 2026, Amsterdam

We’re excited to announce NOAW, an unconference focused on integrating the Fediverse into public administration, in collaboration with Chief Information Office (CIO-Rijk) of the Netherlands, and the Digitalisation & Innovation Department of the City of Amsterdam.

Our name, FediVariety, is a fusion of “Fediverse” and “Variety”, reflecting the diverse range of open-source social media platforms that make up this interconnected network. And besides this; it's all of course a fantastic circus! ;)

FediVariety's objectives

Our mission is to champion open-source solutions in public communication. By advocating for transparency and accessibility, we aim to liberate government services from proprietary platforms and exploitative algorithms.

We envision a future where open-source alternatives are widely adopted, ensuring that official communications are readily accessible and free for everyone. Our commitment to these principles will foster inclusivity and empower citizens to engage effectively with their government.

Our sparking moment

During the conference, Professor Wojciech Wiewiórowski, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), delivered a powerful keynote speech announcing the closure of their "EU Voice/Video" pilot project, which aimed to integrate self-hosted Fediverse instances into EU public administration.

The Supervisor characterized the "EU Voice/Video" initiative as a missed opportunity and urged attendees to reach out to their European representatives to raise awareness on this critical issue.

And this is were we literaly stepped in. ;)

Our call for action

Our dedicated efforts culminated in a successful response to an open call from NLnet, through which we secured grant support for our initiative. Phew...

And here we are now—"Juggling the Fediverse".

But... hmm... the Fediverse?

The Fediverse, unlike traditional centralized platforms, gives users control over their data and experiences. Offering options from microblogging and image sharing to forums and gaming, it resembles a digital circus, where each user is a performer and every platform serves as a stage.