Community & Grassroots Section Panel: Social Media and Networking in Civil Society and Civic Activism

Nov. 19, 2010

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Personal Background

• Public administration• Government• Consultant• Software Technology (Web 2.0)• Public Policy • Non-profits and community foundations• Member of the “Gov2.0ld” generation (emails: .gov .com .org) Director of online strategies - Leveraging the Web, social media and electronic devices to enhance and deliver our programs and services that enable and engage our staff, customers, citizens and stakeholders.  The Collins Center for Public Policy

• Governance/Civic Engagement• Community/Economic Development• Health Care• Mediation (home foreclosure)• Sustainability

 

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1. What are the opportunities for civil society & civic activism using So-Me & networking technologies today?

Easily connect to people, information and communication cost-effectively

Develop and sustain relationships

Activism - mobilize people, voices and votes

More informed decision making (among and for the collective)

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Results & Observations: Balancing new media with conventional methodologies

1. A transformation is underway around peoples’ preferences and expectations for communicating and for accessing and sharing information.

2. The expanding chasm between citizens and government cannot be narrowed through conventional or traditional forms of engagement.

3. Public policy issues, and decision making processes grow in complexity.

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Results & Observations: Balancing new media with conventional methodologies

4. Citizens are too distracted, and competition for their attention and time hamper their interest, opportunity, or ability to participate in their government.

5. Special interest dominance and influence pervade public policy making; and will only accelerate and amplify with the Internet and Web 2.0.

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Results & Observations: Balancing new media with conventional methodologies

6. The expanding diversification of our population paired with the shrinking curriculum of civics education diminishes knowledge and understanding of our democratic foundation and governance processes.

7. Social media enables us to advance from online communication as transactional (one-to-one), to online collaboration as interactional (one-to-many/many-to-many).

8. Capturing traditional informal and formal conversation can now be replicated through social media either as discussions or as public comment.

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Results & Observations: Balancing new media with conventional methodologies

9. Legal definitions and traditional forms of “public comment” may eventually be redefined due to the Internet.

10. The cart before the horse: Online democracy, also known as Gov 2.0/Open Government, resembles a reinvention instead of a replication of its historical structure and conventional standards.

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2.  Potential negativenegative outcomes associated with soc-net & so-me technologies for civil society and civic activism.

Lack of structure, standards, processes and procedures

Anonymity vs. Attribution (and from anywhere)

Polarization, fragmentation, and isolation (e.g., The “Daily Me” and “Bubble Filters”)

Uninformed & self-serving decision making

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3. Vision of a desired future for a socially networked civil society? How to get there; obstacles to be cleared.

Vision?

Connectivity helps to meet social and economic needs, and increases understanding and civility among citizens

A connected citizenry to government and governance processes results in a more engaged, accountable and informed society; and streamlined public policy making

Everything is “mobile”

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3. Vision of a desired future for a socially networked civil society? How to get there; obstacles to be cleared.

The Future?

Emergence of new political parties and coalitions

News organizations devoted to one ideology/POV

Governing bodies elected by and serving the interests of “minority” majorities.

National government is redefined and regional governance replaces state and local governments

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3. How we get to the Vision

The Gov 2.0 challenge: Data vs. Dialog; or Open Government vs. Open Governance

Back to basics – Civics & civility - Required curriculum/practiced in principle (need to understand why that is important)

Government must be more responsive (structural challenge) and citizens must be more responsible

Avoid silo-configured communication and information networks

Responsibility & Accountability - The “Three Ships”: Leadership, Stewardship, and Citizenship

Thank You

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