Archive for June, 2009
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23. June 2009 – 06:48 by Madarász Csaba
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Democracy is the game where we can change the rules together! How do we make this game more serious, more fair and more fun? Please let us know if you are interested in convening a virtual session at this event on a topic of your choice, or collaborating with us in some way!
Participation Camp, Change the Rules, in New York on June 27,28th, will provide the spark for an explosion of sharing, experimentation and collaboration around this question. Participants may attend a wide range of physical and virtual presentations (or deliver one themselves), compete in a conference wide web participation game called Nomic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomic), or roll up their sleeves in a hands on workshop. For preliminary details see: http://www.participationcamp.org
If you might be interested in collaborating with us, please check out our wiki at: http://barcamp.pbworks.com/ParticipationCamp#view=page
What Makes “Change The Rules” Different?
Virtual/Physical Hybrid Structure: One particular feature of this event is that we will be bridging the physical and virtual worlds. We will be opening up virtual spaces in advance of the actual session so as to engage virtual participants in the project. We will also have a room where virtual presenters can connect with those at the conference.
Open Space/Defined Hybrid Structure: We will be using Open Space principles for the creation of some of the sessions, but will also be seeking out the involvement of those that would like to actively engage participants on a specific topic. If there is an issue or a question that you would like to discuss at this event, please let us know!
Play Game: We will be playing the game, Nomic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomic). This is a game that is designed to teach participants, by virtue of their experience, some of the interesting features of governance, democracy, rule making, rule following, collaboration etc.
Pre-Session Dialogue: We have opened a SkypeChat space that enable those that are interested in the PCamp theme(s) to connect with each other, exchange ideas, plan potential sessions etc. (already opened)
Sustain Dialogue: Due to the fact that virtual environments are accessible from anywhere, it becomes possible for participants to continue their conversations with others after the conclusion of the session. This makes it possible for them to continue to explore the ideas and projects that they are interested in, as well as to cultivate the relationships with those that they have connected with. We hate the fact that what happens when events end is that there is little or no follow up!
Questions/Themes
Here are a few questions that we have been thinking about. Are there any such questions that are of interest to you, and around which you might be interested in organizing a virtual session?
What, generally speaking, is the role that technology can play in fostering citizen engagement?
What are the best tools for creating the right frameworks for fostering citizen engagement?
What are the particular challenges of using open, collaborative, platforms?
What sorts of business models are consistent with ‘open collaboration’? How can organizations that subscribe to these principles also generate revenue?
How do we utilize technology to mobilize the youth vote?
Process
On June 20th, we created a chat space/conversation in Skype to which we invited all those that had expressed interested in participating in an open dialogue on issues relating to open governance. This chat space allow you the opportunity to:
* Introduce yourself and your project to others that are like minded
* Connect with others that might be interested in your project or might have interesting project ideas.
* Learn, via participation, about how open, collaborative, patterns of interaction work
* Learn, via participation, how groups self organize
Posted in TuTech | No Comments »
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21. June 2009 – 18:41 by Roberto Zarro
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In 2008, the Municipality of Venezia, in Italy, launched a new project, named “Amministrare 2.0”, with the intention to transform relationships between citizen and the institutions. The idea is to use new technologies to allow a direct access, without intermediation, to information and services designed to solve everyday problems, thanks to the cooperation between citizenship and local government. One year later, we take a look to the services already working and available to reach these ambitious goals
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in good practice, Projects | No Comments »
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18. June 2009 – 11:44 by Centre for E-Government
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Recent events in Iran show that the Internet is a form of media which can be used to support communication in democratic processes. However, the Internet is also a place where anonymous people can express discriminating opinions. At the end of the day, ICTs are the tools people make of them.
Jens Jessen claims in ZeitOnline that the Internet has been idealised by people who want to change democratic processes by including all users who want to participate. However, the Internet is a form of media that can also be used by undemocratic states to promote their ideologies. Some Internet services cooperate with dictatorships for controlling flow of information. Consequently, the Internet is not democratic by definition; it can become a place supporting democratic movements, but anonymous discussions may also have certain side effects. When all people participate, the quality of political discourse might actually worsen, as facts and opinions tend to merge in the online discussion panels. Quality is measured by hits and not by content, says Jessen. (zeit.de) Trent Reznor, frontman of NineInchNails, partly shares Jessen’s point of view, “Anyway, we’re in a world where the mainstream social networks want any and all people to boost user numbers for the big selloff and are not concerned with the quality of experience.” (formu.nin.com)
The collective intelligence has already been questioned and criticised. (The Cult of the Amateur; Do eParticipation and Transparency really lead to better democracy?) A positive example of Crowdsourcing has been implemented by The Guardian as readers are asked to examine documents about the expenses of British MPs. (Investigate your MP’s expenses) Also, the ongoing events in Iran show the impact of the Internet community. Even though the political discourse might or might not be reach the desired quality, at least it’s happening. The Internet and other ICTs give people, who have never been part of economic and educational elite, the chance to participate in political discourse, making ICTs the base of democratic participation. (democratisation of technology)
Internet supports democratic movements in Iran
After the government of Iran took control over most of the media, citizens who didn’t share the official opinions found refuge online. YouTube, Facebook and Twitter have already been of importance in political campaigns in Iran as „[…] Moussavi campaign managers organized supporters, planned gatherings and garnered support through Facebook pages dedicated to the Reformist candidate.“ (edition.cnn.com)
Now, after the elections, the Iranian opposition and international journalism rely on these platforms. “If you want to get the latest on the opposition protests in Iran, you should be reading blogs, watching YouTube or following Twitter updates from Tehran, minute-by-minute.” (thenation.com) The lack of information from established news networks is of course also criticised in social media. “The New York Times’ Brian Stelter, a dedicated tweeter himself, even reported that folks weren’t only using Twitter to report about Iran, but to complain about CNN’s failure to report (using, of course, the Twitter hashtag #CNNfail)” (savetheinternet.com)
The operators of social media are aware of their responsibility in Iran. Scott Rubin, spokesman of YouTube, compares the events in Iran to the Velvet Revolution, “I’m likening this to the Velvet Revolution in the Czech Republic where all these barriers are placed in front of people and they keep marching. Only this time it’s happening online and it’s happening on YouTube. […] By using YouTube, Iranian citizens are having their voices heard, their faces seen and their story gets told around the world without filtering. The real story of this election is being told by the citizen.” (BBCnews)
Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, states that communication-platform remains independent and supports democratic participation. „The State Dept does not have access to our decision making process. […] When we worked with our network provider to reschedule this planned maintenance, we did so because events in Iran were tied directly to the growing significance of Twitter as an important communication and information network. […]We decided together to move the date. It made sense for Twitter and for NTT America to keep services active during this highly visible global event.” (BBCnews) To show their support for the opposition of Iran, users of Twitter colour their avatars green. (helpiranelection.com) A single click can make a political statement.
Posted in News, Trends | No Comments »
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17. June 2009 – 15:07 by Bengt Feil (TuTech Innovation GmbH)
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On Tuesday (16.06.2009) the second participatory budgeting project has been launched in the city of Hamburg (1.8 million inhabitants).
It can be found here: www.buergerhaushalt-hamburg.de
The overall theme of the participation effort is to get citizens involved in the long term planning of the cities budget: How should money be spend in future years? Which city services are important and how can they be organized in a more efficient way?
The platform incorporates a budget planer, discussion forums and other means of participation to cover both the general and specific questions related to the cities budget. Furthermore politicians and budget experts are also involved in process and the discussion.
From June 16th till July 10th the citizens of Hamburg will be able to give their ideas and opinions about the future development of the budget.
Posted in Projects | 1 Comment »
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16. June 2009 – 13:52 by Dan Jellinek
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The finding of a new academic report that e-participation has a “surprisingly weak” effect on democratic decision-making, and on helping people to engage with democracy, should not come as too much of a surprise.
The report, ‘Empowering communities to influence local decision making – A systematic review of the evidence’ (http://fastlink.headstar.com/clg1), was produced for the UK’s Department for Communities and Local Government by Professor Lawrence Pratchett, Dr Catherine Durose and Professor Vivien Lowndes of the Local Governance Research Unit, De Montfort University; and Professor Graham Smith, Professor Gerry Stoker and Dr Corinne Wales, at the University of Southampton’s Centre for Citizenship and Democracy (see also http://www.headstar.com/egblive/?p=229).
The truth is that leading academics, from these and other bodies including the Oxford Internet Institute and the University of Leeds, have been complaining for some time that there is little in-depth research into the actual effects of e-participation projects on political engagement.
For too long, it has been argued, the value and power of tools such as discussion forums and e-petitions are taken as gospel – their mere existence appears to ‘open up the system’, and allow greater engagement.
The truth, or course, is far trickier: if the underlying political systems are not set up to proper deliberate on the results of online exercises, for example, then they are all but futile. There is also the spectre – raised once more in this new report – of the digital divide, lingering over this debate and reminding us that those that do get involved and engaged online are more often than not those who were already getting engaged using existing media and means.
On the other hand, the new tools can be successful in individual cases, the new report finds.
So where do we go from here?
I tend to think these kinds of findings are inevitable in what are still early days of internet-based e-participation tools. Most political systems, and particularly the established, barnacle-encrusted Western democracies of Westminster and elsewhere, are slow to change, so the various stages of recognizing the possible value of such tools; putting them in place; encouraging their use; measuring their use; and finally, embedding them into the political system itself; will inevitably take some time.
We should not draw Luddite conclusions from such reports, or give up, but they add some sobering perspective: many arguments about the value of e-participation remain to be won, and the more we can measure, assess and prove their value, the quicker they will become part of the political establishment.
Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments »
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15. June 2009 – 01:28 by POLITECH
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The e-city Coordination initiative, in partnership with other Luxembourgish municipalities, European cities, public bodies, associations, citizens and businesses, aims at providing multichannel e-services to citizens. The project coordinates ICT-projects along the line of the City of Luxembourg’s technological and strategic plan respecting its political and administrative interests.
The e-City Coordination is a component of the e-Luxembourg programme.
E-Luxembourg is a two-folded programme included in the overall e-Europe framework. On one hand, it includes the e-Government initiatives of the State of Luxembourg and, on the other hand, the e-Commune programme of the inter-municipal union.
The main projects developed under the e-City Coordination are:
- P8BYSMS
This service provides the opportunity to pay amounts under 20 EUR for services, mostly documents, offered by the City of Luxembourg. This project was a partnership between the city of Luxembourg and the 3 luxemburgish mobile operators.
2.CALL2PARK (http://www.vdl.lu/Mairie_et_services_centraux-p-641221/e_City-p-1445693/CALL2PARK_%C2%AE.html)
After having registered on http://www.call2park.lu and received a label to put on the front windscreen of your car, you can buy parking tickets by SMS (and per minute!).
3. SMS4TICKET (http://www.vdl.lu/Mairie_et_services_centraux-p-641221/e_City-p-1445693/SMS4TICKET%C2%AE.html)
Without any registration, it’s now possible to buy bus tickets per SMS.
4.Reduction of administrative burden
Coordination and piloting of the trans-border cooperation workgroups between the cities of Luxembourg (L), Esch-sur-Alzette (L), Longwy (F), Arlon (B), Thionville (F) and Metz (F)
The City of Luxembourg is also a member of the Global Cities Dialogue (http://www.globalcitiesdialogue.org/), a worldwide network of cities, which are interested in creating an information society free of digital divide and based on sustainable development. Stimulating collaboration and exchange of good practices between cities is essential to accelerate their entry in the e-Future.
For more information http://www.e-city.lu
Veronique Holper
POLITECH INSTITUTE
Posted in good practice, Projects, Visions | 1 Comment »
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15. June 2009 – 00:46 by POLITECH
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Forums, blogs, and wikis are extensively used in current eParticipation
sites to gather user opinions on particular issues. However, such forms
of participation generally provide no structure to the information
gathered, so opportunity for analysis of the opinions is limited.
The WAVE project (Welcoming Argument Visualisation to Europe) http://www.wave-project.eu/ is part of the eParticipation Action , co-financed by the European Commission, under the MOMENTUM’s eParticipation umbrella.
It’s platform aims is to facilitate the debate and discussion on certain topics by interested stakeholders in order to have specific impact on one of the most important and popular legislative agendas facing Europe : Environment.
Wave is encouraging eParticipation about Climate Change, for having a clearer vision of the European Union preoccupations and laws.
While Environment and Climate Change is becoming the new challenge of XXIst Century as reflected in the results of the last European Elections (2009), WAVE aims to improve the inclusiveness and transparency of EU decision making at the national and European level by using highly integrated, state-of-the-art Argument Visualisation techniques to make the impact of complex EU environmental legislation on climate change more accessible and easy to understand for citizens, special interest groups and decision makers alike.
WAVE will be deployed on 3 pilot sites: The French Senate (France), The Lithuanian Parliament (Lithuania) and UK Parliament (United Kingdom).
The technology behind WAVE will be based on the award wining DEBATEGRAPH platform, an innovative argument visualisation platform, in a multi-lingual, cross border context. A global graph of all the debates that enables us to visualise and deepen our understanding of the ways in which different debates are semantically interrelated, and ways in which these interrelated debates shape, and are shaped by, each other. http://www.debategraph.org
To have an impact, the data must be condensed into an easily processed format, so that the arguments may be consumed and deliberated by citizens and policy-makers.
“DebateGraph is a fascinating demonstration of how interactive graphics can explain, and invite participation, in the sort of issue debates that usually are carried out via articles, essays and speeches. It reveals, in ways I haven’t seen before, how ideas relate to each other in a variety of dimensions. What’s cool here: This tool lets you “see” and engage with ideas, and explore their inter-relationships, very elegantly. Ink-and-paper, or even a dead online graphic, does not invites, or even permit, this kind of thinking. The Debate Graph also invites users to add content and extend the argument.”
Craig Stoltz, Time.com Top 25 blogger and ex-editor at The Washington Post.
WAVE will feed back its results to MEPs and MPs that have affiliated with the project in order to ultimately join up with and inform at least three governments – the national governments of the three trial sites – UK, France and Lithuania. Uniquely, Debategraph will not only enable citizens and decision makers with differing points of view to more easily comprehend complex environmental debates; it will also empower them. Moreover, rather than merely visualising the results of individual debates, the WAVE project will depict the relationships between competing argument strands – a factor which is crucial to developing a full understanding of complex, inter-related issues, but which has only now become possible through the use of latest generation web technology.
WAVE will measure if these tools can have an impact on one of the most important and popular European Challenge: Climate Change
For more information:
Project Website: http://www.wave-project.eu
Join WAVE on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=105776916968
Join WAVE on Twitter: http://twitter.com/WAVE_project
Join us on Linked-In: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1971293
Claire Mercier
POLITECH INSTITUTE
Posted in News, Projects, Trends, Uncategorized | No Comments »
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10. June 2009 – 22:29 by Fraser Henderson - ICELE
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A research paper “Empowering communities to influence local decision making“, commissioned by the UK government and produced by De Montfort and Southampton University, was published earlier this month.
Its aim was to draw upon the international evidence base and make some conclusions about the relationship between citizen empowerment and eParticipation. The findings were that:-
· eParticipation is most successful in relation to the empowerment of individual participants. Yet, eParticipation is notably less effective in empowering the wider community and e-forums and even ePetitions, have only a very limited impact upon decision makers.
· In terms of eParticipation empowering individuals two factors are critical. First, moderation is important. Moderation can improve the quality of discussion and provide a constructive environment for participation. Second, the presence of a highly salient issue is also important. However, the official sponsorship and buy-in of eParticipation is not a crucial factor.
· Where there is community empowerment, moderation, clear links to decision-making and the discussion of highly salient issues appear to be the most significant combination of success factors required.
· In order for eParticipation to have real impact on decisions, mechanisms need to be specifically designed to incorporate a direct link to decision-making.
What practitioners said:-
· There is concern about the reach of eParticipation, there is often limited take-up of most online participation initiatives and there is the ongoing problem of the ‘digital divide’ in ensuring access.
· There is also concern about the capacity of local authorities to ‘keep up’ with technological developments and to provide opportunities in a way that interests citizens.
The most controversial point for me is about official sponsorship and buy-in for eParticipation exercises. Can it really be true that it doesn’t make a difference if your online dialogue is officially supported or branded?
Posted in Trends | 2 Comments »
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9. June 2009 – 09:48 by Centre for E-Government
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Microsoft recently introduced the Project Natal “ a revolutionary new way to play: no controller required. See a ball? Kick it, hit it, trap it or catch it. If you know how to move your hands, shake your hips or speak you and your friends can jump into the fun — the only experience needed is life experience.” (Time.com)
The developers wanted a technology that would enable a gamer to control the game just by moving his or her arms and legs and other body parts. The gamer would become the controller. This new technology aims to make the controller obsolete: here “the Xbox 360 console is the centerpiece of any living room, and games, social interaction and communications are controlled with the wave of a hand.” (Reuters.com)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkSV1rXJ0pU
Is this the the future of HCI? do you think this is just for gamers, or do you think large parts of society will adopt this technology too? What do you think? I would be interested in hearing your comments and reactions!
Time.com: http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1902208,00.html
Reuters.com http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE5506FO20090601
Noella
Posted in News, Tools, Trends | 2 Comments »
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3. June 2009 – 13:33 by Hans Hagedorn
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The European Parliament will proclaim the United States of Europe? EU will grant basic financial security for all its citizens? After so many rejected referenda and strong suspicions against European politics, these ideas sound out of touch. However, they are just two examples from 16 solutions worked out by 361 citizens – randomly chosen in Germany – during a citizens’ dialogue about the EUs future.
Special about these ideas is that they were not gathered in a quick opinion poll. Instead they are the result of a focused discussion, combining offline- and online debate, in which citizens tested and qualified their original opinions. What are the abilities of such an online dialogue and where are its limitations? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Projects | 4 Comments »
