Future is Now: Online Engagement in Democracy and CommunityPresented in Kenya, Oct. 2010

Steven Clift

stevenclift.com

e-democracy.org

@democracy

For related webinars see http://e-democracy.org/webinars Slides: http://slideshare.net/netclift

Introduction

Introduction1994 – I woke up hearing my name on the radio …

World’s 1st election info website

Government by Day,

Citizen by Night

“Made for Internet” Candidate

Jesse “The Body” Ventura elected Minnesota Governor in 1998

Used Net to go around media, organize with few resources

Served One TermThen Adopted New LookGov. Ventura,

didn’t use tech himself

New generation of more deeply “wired” elected officials now emerging

Gathered Stories. Ashoka Fellow.

Visits to nearly 30 countries from Iceland to Mongolia to Australia

Ashoka Fellowship allowed me to focus full-time on building E-Democracy.org from volunteer hobby to full NGO.

E-Democracy.org TodayHosts 30+ Local “Issues Forums”

Mix of technology – e-mail, web, web feeds, Facebook, Twitter

Ford Foundation-funded “Inclusive Social Media” effort in low income, high immigrant communities (including Somali community in Minneapolis)

Internet Archeology

“The most democratizing aspect of the Internet

is the ability of people to organize and communicate in groups.”

- Steven Clift in “Democracy is Online” article published by Internet Society, 1998

Overview

Overview

IntroductionKnow Your GoalTools, Tactics, and ExamplesSocial Media for Engagement and Community Building In-Depth

Further Exploration

Know Your GoalsGoals and objectives first

Democracy Building Education, Awareness Engagement Accountability Public Relations, Keeping Power Advocacy, Protest, Change

Then choose tools and tactics

Know Your Goals

Presentation examples are tactics …

Don’t just set-up a Facebook Page and then ask what should we do with it?

Develop an online strategy

Competition for RevelancyTime is the scarcity

Continuous diffusion of online spaces

Newer trend – Reaching people where they are – the “Web 2.0” world

“Digital Embassies” - Edelman

Reaching people “where they are” via third party social media tools versus websites you ”own”

Tools and Tactics

Campaigns and Advocacy

Campaigns and Advocacy

Advocacy - Mobile

Mobile CampaigningDemocrats.org iPhone

Canvassing App

InformationThe starting point“Open Government” promises on the rise. WhiteHouse.gov/Open

“Needle in a Haystack” problem,

Government Online – PewInternet.org

April 2010 report brings fresh data: 48% of internet users have looked for

information about a public policy or issue online with their local, state or federal government

46% have looked up what services a government agency provides 41% have downloaded government forms 35% have researched official government documents or statistics 33% have renewed a driver’s license or auto registration

31% use online platforms such as blogs, social networking sites, email, online video or text messaging to get government information

23% participate in the online debate around government policies or issues, with much of this discussion occurring outside of official government channels.

Democracy “Home” Public-centric starting

point Bristol, UK Palo Alto, California

Timely Access to Information

Key e-service –

e-alerts so you can ACT on information before it is too late!

Representation – Cllr. Cam Gordon

Representation – Mayor RybakGreat mix of social tools.Why must official sites be boring?

Public Meetings On-Demand

Linked video, documents

Also see PublicMeetings.Info

Freedom of Information RequestsUK WhatDoTheyKnow.com

shares results online

Accountability – Budgets, SpendingSouth

Carolina state agencies must put spending information online

Candidates making promises

Using Open Data – Personalized to You

Everyblock.com

Data.Gov

Open KnowledgeFoundation

UK Government

Information – Creating New FixMyStreet.com – UK CrowdMap – Ushahidi -

Kenya

Really Deep Transparency Post-Communist Estonia appreciates

“public=online” Tallinn’s Document Register, National X-Road

provides secure access to private data held on you

Engagement In-Depth

EngagementUK LessonsAskBristol.orgRedbridge.gov.uk

– Budget balancer

Engagement - Public Input Santa Cruz –

UserVoice Queensland,

Australia Manor “Labs” Texas

Engagement – E-Consultation Queensland,

Australia King County,

Washington Open Gov Mongolia Agenda Tetu - Kenya

Engagement – Facebook PageU.S. Embassy - Kenya

Engagement - LessonsRecruit, recruit, recruitExpectations - Describe space accurately – who is LISTENING

Facilitate – First person is best“Seed and Weed” – Actively share information and address problems in dialogue.

Ongoing v. time-limited

Engagement – Ooops. Santa Cruz –

UserVoice was time-limited example … now generates error, gather lessons when you can

ParticipateDB.org – Excellent listing of projects and tools

Community of Practice Exchange

NewTactics.org Digital Inclusion

Network Kabissa.org CityCamp on

GovLoop

Community of Practice Exchange UK – Idea.Gov.UK

WorldBank Open Forum - Live Event, On-Demand Video

Zunia – Collaborative Library on Development

Engagement – Multi-Channel Trac in

Uganda to mix community radio, web, SMS/mobile, in-person, and newspaper

Fix “Our” street together – Filled in worst pothole after SMS vote

Top Ten LessonsBangTheTable – Ten Top Tips.

Me – Old, but timeless ten tips – stevenclift.com

Community Building In-Depth

Many Purposes Meet

Communicate

Socialize

Share Information, Contacts, Advice

Support Neighbors

Exchange Opinions

Media Accountability

Community News

Announce/Invite

Organize

Collaborate

Problem-solving

Build bridges/Inclusion

Influence Government

Local “Community Sites”, FacebookStillwater,

MN page has 10,000 friends (over 50% of local residents)

Citizen-run, others are government started

But wait, something is wrong …

Community News+ Terms: Citizen Media,

Citizen Journalism, Hyperlocal News, Community Websites

TalkAboutLocal – UK, J-Lab - US

Seward Profile – Example Posterous.com – E-mail to

blog, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter all in one

Dear Neighbors …

Neighbors Online

27% of American adult Internet users use “digital tools to talk to their neighbors and keep informed about community issues.”

That’s 20% adults overall.

Pew Internet and American Life Project

Real names work, builds trust and community

Needed in “public life,” not just Facebook’s private life

Our Issues …

<- Kenyan, Julia Opoti works with E-Democracy.org

Neighbor Issues Forums Stories Somali community – 20

missing youth to crosswalks

“Little Mekong” and BoaLee’s lessons

Powderhorn Cinco de Mayoviolence

Community garden

Chickens in Bemidji

Leech Lake Native American majority rural forum

Inclusion evaluation in progress:http://e-democracy.org/inclusion

Conclusion

Ready. Fire. Aim.

Develop a strategy, do stuff, then refine. Do not wait.

Thanks.

Conclusion More - stevenclift.com

blog.e-democracy.org@democracy

Resources

Sunshine 2.0 – Draft IndicatorsGovernment 2.0 Report Collection

http://e-democracy.org/sunshine

Guide for national League of Women Voters

20+ Government 2.0 Reports Earn Five “Suns,” 25 Draft Indicators

Representation Decision-Making Information Engagement Online Features

Webinars, UnconferencesUsing Technology to Build

Community In-Depth Webinar, Podcast: http://e-democracy.org/webinars

CityCamp – Local Gov 2.0 meet Citizens 2.0 http://citycamp.com http://e-democracy.org/citycamp -

Forum

Twitter Hashtags

#edem – General e-democracy

#opengov – Open Government

#gov20 – Government 2.0#opendata – Open Data#hyperlocal – Local News#citycamp – Local mix of everything above

Further Information Steven Clift

clift@e-democracy.org @democracy on Twitter +1-612-234-7072 netclift – on Skype

Links http://blog.e-democracy.org http://e-democracy.org/p3 http://stevenclift.com

Slides also available from: http://www.slideshare.net/netclift