[CivicAccess-discuss] Endorsements - Open Government Partnership
David Eaves
david at eaves.ca
Fri Feb 3 19:18:18 EST 2012
Michael,
Thank you so much for the comment.
I agree that the goal of Open Government is not to allow a privileged
few to gain access to government. Rather, the goal is to enable the
broadest possible use - for accountability, for new services or for
eduction.
I believe I've tried to talk about this issue in blog post such as "The
Literacy Challenge of Open Data
<http://eaves.ca/2010/06/10/learning-from-libraries-the-literacy-challenge-of-open-data/>"
which I wrote back June 2010. As I argued in that piece
"smart governments should not only rely on small groups of developers to
make use of open data. Forward-looking governments -- those that want an
engaged citizenry, a 21st-century workforce and a creative,
knowledge-based economy in their jurisdiction -- will reach out to
universities, colleges and schools and encourage them to get their
students using, visualizing, writing about and generally engaging with
open data."
This is something I am personally committed to. For example I'm being
retained by some non-profits and a foundation in a major Canadian urban
centre to help think about how open data, open government services and
related technologies can be used to empower some of the city's more
marginalized communities. Consequently this is an issue I am focused on.
However, I could be more explicit about my hopes that governments will
find ways to actively engage the broadest set of citizens around the
issues of government transparency and open data.
I'm certain this does not address all the concerns you have raised but I
hope it does put to rest any concerns that I am unaware, or worse
uninterested in finding ways to promote effective use by the broadest
possible number of citizens.
Sincerely,
David Eaves
www.eaves.ca
@daeaves
On 12-02-03 8:51 AM, michael gurstein wrote:
> Colleagues,
> I very much appreciate this transparent process of requesting
> endorsements for those seeking an "official" invitation to this most
> significant event. I understand that such an invitation will at least
> symbolically be seen as identifying a representative of Canadian civil
> society in the context of the OGP and thus the "decison" concerning
> this (in this case through a process of endorsement by civil society
> organizations) is not a trivial one.
> A brief background, I have been working in the area of community and
> grassroots based Information and Communications Technologies as a
> practitioner, advocate, policy advisor, researcher and teacher
> for almost 20 years (17 to be exact) beginning with work developing
> the first research and development group for community based Internet
> applications in Canada in 2005 in Cape Breton.
> Since then I've worked in these areas in Canada and internationally in
> a wide variety of capacities.
> My interest in OGD and in the issue of endorsement comes from this
> background, my personal interest and my role as a Board member of
> Telecommunities Canada <http://www.tc.ca>
> which is Canada's oldest continuing organization concerned with
> /"ensure(ing) that all Canadians are able to participate in
> community-based communications and electronic information services by
> promoting and supporting local community network initiatives"/
> //
> With this as a background I have in recent times become somewhat
> active in the Open Government Data space by commenting on (and
> critiquing) certain of the positions being taken within that space
> from the perspective of the broadest base of potential end users of
> OGD (i.e. local communities and the grassroots).
> In this context I would refer you to a series of posts on my blog
> <http://gurstein.wordpress.com>concerning open (government) data and
> specifically what I have termed processes to ensure "effective use"
> <http://gurstein.wordpress.com/2010/09/09/open-data-2-effective-data-use/>.
> What I was attempting to do overall in the series of contributions to
> the O(G)D discussion and specifically in the post on "effective use",
> was to insert into the OGD discussion a concern for ensuring the
> widest possible base of end users for OGD and including those who
> might otherwise be considered among the socially excluded (or in other
> contexts the "digitally excluded"). My argument was that unless OGD
> implements pro-active measures to support this broad base of OGD
> "inclusion" it runs the risk of further empowering those who are
> already being empowered with Information and Communication
> Technologies and thus further widening existing social and
> economic disparities.
> I have now reviewed David Eaves' application and have examined the
> Community Data Program's website and regrettably I did not see in
> David's blog any reference to these issues although I may have missed
> this. On the CDP website I did see as one of their core purposes to
> "Train organizations to analyze community data and use it for better
> decision making" and elsewhere on their blog I note some examples of
> their providing training and support in government data use for
> community based (including advocacy) organizations.
> The direction of my leaning concerning endorsement (and my
> recommendation to Telecommunities Canada concerning its endorsement)
> is thus clearly towards CDP but I would like to use this opportunity
> to invite David to comment on the above and perhaps to clarify his own
> position on these matters.
> (I should also like to add as a sidenote that the Journal of Community
> Informatics <http://ci-journal.net> (open access open archive double
> blind peer reviewed) of which I am the Editor in Chief will be
> publishing later this year, a special issue on Community Informatics
> and Open Government Data edited by a leading (UK) OKF member and a
> leading member of the Indian open access community in which a number
> of these matters will be more fully reviewed.)
> Best,
> Mike
> Michael Gursten,
>
> Ph.D. Executive Director: Centre for Community Informatics Research,
> Development and Training (CCIRDT)
> Vancouver, BC CANADA
>
> tel/fax: +1-604-602-0624
> email:gurstein at gmail.com
> web:http://communityinformatics.net <http://communityinformatics.net/>
> blog:http://gurstein.wordpress.com <http://gurstein.wordpress.com/>
> twitter: #michaelgurstein
>
> -----Original Message-----
> *From:* civicaccess-discuss-bounces at civicaccess.ca
> [mailto:civicaccess-discuss-bounces at civicaccess.ca] *On Behalf Of
> *Tracey P. Lauriault
> *Sent:* Friday, February 03, 2012 7:39 AM
> *To:* civicaccess discuss
> *Subject:* Re: [CivicAccess-discuss] Endorsements - Open
> Government Partnership
>
> The Community Data Program is not a social media based
> organization but has a large membership. The letter is still in
> draft form as members of the program participate in the drafting
> process. If you would like to see the draft please do not
> hesitate to ask.
>
> The application requires that the following be provided by those
> who apply:
>
> Organizational information that demonstrates the following minimum
> transparency and accountability criteria (Please provide weblinks
> or direct documentation detailing these elements):
>
> * * Transparent governance structure *
> * * Annual financial statements are subject to external audit*
> * * Publish all sources of funding*
> * * Publish operational budget *
> * * Publish annual narrative and financial reports
> *
>
> Along with the following:
>
> * Your experience in the open government field to date
> * How you have been engaged with OGP to date in your country Why
> you want to attend the April 2012 meeting and how you will
> contribute to/learn from it
> * What outreach you plan to do on OGP with civil society and
> others when you return home
> * What funding you require to attend the Brasilia meeting
> * A CV/resume
> * A list of organizations, names and emails of their leaders
> that have endorsed your application to participate in the
> April 2012 meeting, and how the selection process took place
> (an in person meeting, an email vote, etc...)
>
>
>
> **
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Feb 3, 2012 at 6:13 AM, David Eaves <david at eaves.ca
> <mailto:david at eaves.ca>> wrote:
> > Hi everyone,
> >
> > I've posted my Open Government Partnership application on my
> blog in an
> > effort to be transparent about my history in the space, why I
> want to go,
> > what I'm hoping to accomplish and how I can engage a broader
> community.
> >
> > I would be deeply grateful if anyone wanted to support my
> application. If
> > you were interested in doing so please do email me. Please do
> also send me
> > any questions, comments or thoughts you might have about the
> application,
> > I'd love to improve it by making it better reflect people's
> concerns and
> > ideas regarding the OGP.
> >
> > Hope this finds you well!
> >
> > Dave Eaves
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
> > CivicAccess-discuss at civicaccess.ca
> <mailto:CivicAccess-discuss at civicaccess.ca>
> > http://lists.pwd.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss
>
>
>
> --
> Tracey P. Lauriault
> 613-234-2805
>
> "Every epoch dreams the one that follows it's the dream form of
> the future, not its reality" it is the "wish image of the collective".
>
> Walter Benjamin, between 1927-1940,
> (http://www.columbia.edu/itc/architecture/ockman/pdfs/dossier_4/buck-morss.pdf)
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
> CivicAccess-discuss at civicaccess.ca
> http://lists.pwd.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss
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