2003 - Fifth edition, from March 17th to 23rd

"Expatriation today!"

During this fifth edition we have wished to underline the fact that since the beginning of the Internet adventure, the web has continued to be the favoured link between expatriated communities. Through forums, chat rooms and specialised web sites, communities have formed themselves according to their cultural affinities. Today the World Wide Web is the main communication stream between members of these communities. The Internet allows individuals living abroad to stay in touch with their culture, their language and to recreate a cultural space which puts a specific emphasis on their particular identities.
The Internet Fiesta remains naturally open to all projects and proposed initiatives. Confronted to a wider success than even expected, that is the participation of nearly 400 initiatives originating from 65 countries, it has been decided to prolong the Internet Fiesta for an other week. This decision was made following to the many encouragements received and in particular those emanating from the European Authorities but also from Mr Vint G. Cerf* who has been kind enough to send to us a letter in which he warmly congratulates us and tells us about his hopes concerning "the enlighten directions that the Internet will be able to take in the future" .He also stated "that he is impatient to discover the ideas expressed during and after the Internet Fiesta" and that he anticipated "that there will be many initiatives launched at the time of this event".

* Let us specify that Mr Vinton G Cerf is regarded as one of the "founder fathers" of the Internet since it is him who, in collaboration with Bob Kahn, wrote the protocol of communication TCI/IP in 1973. He is moreover a former president of the Internet Society and current Senior Vice President.

The site 2003

2002 - Fourth edition, March 18th to 24th

"Environment: science and education"

The fourth edition of the World Wide Initiatives Exhibition will gather, during a whole week, web users, web masters, universities, communities, public institutions, non governmental organisations and companies in a large virtual space devoted to project exchanges, to ideas, to demonstration and to experimentation. The Internet Fiesta is a Virtual Planetary Exhibition of initiatives and propositions coming from thousand of web users on all continents. Here they will present their projects, exchange their point of view and experience. They will share their cultural richness and will open themselves to others. They will then find help and contribution for themselves and the others.

The site 2002
Internet Fiesta 2002 around the word
Download: the communication file - -

2001 - Third Internet Fiesta: March the 2nd to the 4th

"Of Mice and Men"

For it's third edition the slogan was "Of Mice and Men". Companies, non-merchant organisations and individuals mobilised their energies to participate in the Internet Fiesta and to meet. Their work has shown the unbelievable communication and collaboration possibilities of the internet. Civic, artistic, educational, and gaming initiatives have been developed with the purpose of reducing the distances between us. It was an incentive to meet and collaborate, in order to make the computer mouse not an end in itself, but a vector to make people closer and to favour access to and understanding of the media which is Internet.

2000 - Second Internet Fiesta: March the 17th to the 18th

For it's second edition, the Internet Fiesta gathered 65 local organisational committees in 50 countries over the five continents. A large numbers of events have been organised in western Europe as well as in eastern Europe, Africa, South America but also in Canada and in South Korea. The purpose of the the Internet Fiesta 2000 was chiefly to gather and present the numerous local initiatives it produced, events that were no more uniquely virtual actually took place in reality throughout the world, in order to attract attention from the media and the public. It was also used to promote the different uses of the web in order to facilitate exchanges. The goal was to encourage the daily use of the Internet and to allow more people to exchange experiences and to contribute to each other's project through the net itself.

1999 - First Internet Fiesta edition: March the 19th to the 21st

The European Commission took the initiative to turn the 1998 French event into an real international manifestation and the fiesta was then celebrated throughout several countries. It became a truly international community of private and public projects with an single goal: To promote the Internet towards a greater number of persons. The Fiesta Committee encouraged events, conferences, demonstrations and installation parties which promoted free software and shareware during the event. Numerous organisations have contributed to the success of this first edition of the Internet Fiesta, in particular the European Commission and the Internet Society (ISOC) who have participated in the event through their networks. The United Nation's Programme for Development provided concert diffusion rights and some governments locally sustained the Internet Fiesta. A lot of other organisations have also participated to make the event a success, such as the Digital Cities Association and The Internet New Generation Association.