Did you say JUG ? Java User ... What ?

Is it still possible to ask this question in 2010?

Isn’t the answer obvious ?

Well no ! It was the question I was asking myself three years ago, even though I had been working as a consultant and Java trainer for seven years. In 2007, my ex-colleague Éric Marcoux (Oracle ACE Director) suggested I join JUG Québec (Canada). I said JUG ? Java User…What ?

Several months later, I went to JavaOne 2008 and when I saw so many developers, architects, engineers from so many countries and so many amazing projects...

... and heard Matt Thompson (ex-SUN) and nearly 40 JUG Leaders talk about importance of the Java community at «Think Globally and Act Locally» session and met Micheal Levin the co-founder of the impressive West African JUG in Senegal, the question wasn’t «What’s a JUG?» anymore but rather «How can a sense of community and belonging be fostered among Java developper in Africa ?». For me the need of JUG-AFRICA became evident.

After talking with Java developpers across Africa, I think JUG-AFRICA could help address questions such as :

• How to take part in international and regional events ?
• How to increase the visibility of the communities accross the world ?
• How to create link with Java communities across the world ?