Peer-to-peer technologies are changing our world.

Peer-to-peer concepts like "Blockchain," "Web 3.0," and "decentralized systems" have dominated news and conversations for the last few years. But P2P systems have existed for decades, in many shapes and forms.

Starting with Usenet (a worldwide distributed discussion system available on computers) in 1979, this kind of peer-to-peer resource exchange was popularized by Napster and file sharing in 1999. Today, we see P2P technologies challenging centralized web services, P2P philosophies subverting business models and governance structures, and P2P culture demanding greater support for "the commons," like free and open source software.

While a few examples of peer-to-peer technologies have dominated the news, there seem to be few resources for getting an overview of the P2P technology stack and community behind it. We believe this creates unnecessary challenges for individuals to get involved - and as P2P technologies gain traction, it becomes more and more important that we get the right people building these technologies.

We want to make the P2P space more accessible.

We created AccessP2P in order to build an open-sourced, publicly-accessible library of materials for learning about fundamental P2P concepts. By bringing together members of the P2P community, we will explore many technical topics at a high level in an effort to give participants the knowledge and network opportunities they need to better explore issues and careers in the P2P space. The program is free and although lectures will take place in-person in Berlin, all materials and output from the lectures will be made publicly available online.

Diversity and access for all is our priority.

We recognize the need for greater diversity among individuals entering the P2P space. For this reason, we are prioritizing a student cohort that reflects diverse experience and backgrounds, especially those with identities that have been typically underrepresented in the space. For those who aren't part of the first cohort, we are committed to making the resources we create publicly accessible. Since this is the first time we're providing this kind of programming, we are aware that we might not get everything right. However, feedback from participants will be instrumental in shaping future iterations of this program.

Providing a safe and supportive environment is key to AccessP2P being effective. That’s why our community commits to a code of conduct.