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Dear Ruben Safir,

The voting members of the Free Software Foundation (FSF), which include the board of
directors, voted to appoint Richard Stallman to a board seat after several
months of thorough discussion and thoughtful deliberation.

We decided to bring RMS back because we missed his wisdom. His historical,
legal and technical acumen on free software is unrivaled. He has a deep
sensitivity to the ways that technologies can contribute to both the
enhancement and the diminution of basic human rights. His global network of
connections is invaluable. He remains the most articulate philosopher and an
unquestionably dedicated advocate of freedom in computing.

RMS acknowledges that he has made mistakes. He has sincere regrets,
especially at how anger toward him personally has negatively impacted the
reputation and mission of FSF. While his personal style remains troubling for
some, a majority of the board feel his behavior has moderated and believe that
his thinking strengthens the work of the FSF in pursuit of its mission.

We take full responsibility for how badly we handled the news of his election
to a board seat. We had planned a flow of information that was not executed in
a timely manner or delivered in the proper sequence.

FSF staff should have been informed and consulted first. The announcement by
RMS at LibrePlanet was a complete surprise to staff, all those who worked so
hard to organize a great event, to LibrePlanet speakers and to the exhibitors.
We had hoped for a more inclusive and thoughtful process and we apologize that
this did not occur.

In his position on the board, RMS has the same responsibilities as other
members. He is an unpaid volunteer and subject to the organization's policies,
including prohibitions against conflicts of interest and sexual harassment and
those outlining whistleblower processes and fiduciary duties. The
responsibilities of the board are described at
https://www.fsf.org/about/the-role-of-the-fsfs-board-of-directors.

We believe his views will be critical to the FSF as we advance the mission and
confront the challenges that software freedom faces.

In recent weeks, the board has committed to a series of changes related to
organizational governance, including plans to adopt a transparent, formal
process for identifying appropriate candidates to become new board members,
future changes to the organization's bylaws, and the addition of a staff
representative to the board of directors.

Selected by FSF's unionized staff, senior systems administrator Ian Kelling
was elected to a newly created staff seat on the board of directors as a
voting member on March 28.

The FSF board will continue to pursue additional ideas and actions designed to
improve transparency and accountability.

There is still considerable work to be done. We recognize the need to attract a
new generation of activists for software freedom and to grow the movement. We
will report our discussions and activities to the community as we move forward.

As we work on these issues, let's not forget the purpose of our movement, or
the great work of our staff and all the good people of the free software
community who are dedicated to users' freedom.

In freedom,

Free Software Foundation Board of Directors