Tag: democracy

May 6, 2011

“Open government” – Public discussion of bills of the Government of Russian Federation

The trend of public online panel discussions is continuing its development. The relevantPresident’s decree has been released in February. Now media reports that on 1st of June the discussion system of legislative initiatives is going to be launched on the government.ru website – the program name is “Open Government”. Every citizen can be involved in legislative system via electronic voting.

The first bill under discussion will be “The bill on the basics of healthcare of Russian citizens”. The discussions are going to be coordinated by the Public Opinion Foundation. The biggest problem with national discussions is when they are not moderated the main thread will be buried under unnecessary noise.

All of the bills that could have social response are going to be submitted on online discussion.

Earlier, the Presidental Police Act was discussed at the similar special platform.

The “Open government program” could be useful in the elections season, so the opposition could not use unpopular initiatives for counter-agitation.

December 21, 2010

Kate Lundy – Keynote Address: Gov2.0 Expo 2010

Below are the notes for two speeches Senator Lundy gave to the international Gov 2.0 Expo in Washington D.C. on the 26th May 2010, including additional links, information and examples from Australia.

Please also see my “Reflections from Gov 2.0 Expo 2010, Washington DC” post for my thoughts on the event, and the media and Twitter coverage. Below is also the keynote video.

The Path to Open Government: The Pillars of Gov 2.0

The Internet is driving transformation in the very roots of our democracy.

The traditional leadership model, where the singular expression of citizen participation is at the ballot box, is transforming to an online model that empowers citizens by continually engaging and collaborating with them.

In this way, Gov 2.0 represents far more than just the application of Web 2.0 to government.

Why? Because Gov 2.0 represents an opportunity for governments to push the evolution of democracy well beyond the ballot box and in to life experience through online engagement.

December 8, 2010

Where Malcom Gladwell Left Off: Social Media & Next Generation Democracy

Last month Malcom Gladwell wrote an article in the New Yorker: “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not be Tweeted.”

I’ve been thinking about this article ever since it came out, and people have asked me to respond on several occasions. When I read Next Generation Democracy and BYO started helping the author (and now friend) Jared Duval, I realized it was the perfect opportunity.

It’s not that Malcom Gladwell is wrong in his article. It’s just one sided.

He starts the article by describing a lunch counter sit in that took place in the Woolworths in Greensboro North Carolina in February of 1960, and that spurred a movement in which 70,000 students eventually took part.

These nonviolent actions were a core component of the civil rights movement, and although the protesters advocated peaceful solutions, their lives and limbs were often in danger.