Follow Congress on your Kindle Fire with Sunlight Foundation's Congress app

Follow Congress on your Kindle Fire - Sunlight Foundation Blog:

"Good news if you have a Kindle Fire! You can now use Sunlight's Congress app for Android."

'via Blog this'

November 23-29, 2013 World Forum for Democracy

World Forum for Democracy - Home - Council of Europe:

• The Council of Europe is in a unique position to bring together elected politicians and civil society leaders to discuss the impact of technological change on established democratic structures and institutions.
• The Forum will look into the opportunities and risks of a number of participatory initiatives and test their solidity and longevity in an open debate with elected politicians.

'via Blog this'

All Angles is an experiment in online consensus building

All Angles:

• We have all come across complicated issues that have so many opinions and facts that it’s hard to determine the right action to take.
• All Angles is a tool where everyone can come together, organize all we know and summarize the information into a consensus.

See the video for an explanation.

'via Blog this'

Technology, when it works, amplifies the impact of individuals

Technology, when it works, amplifies the impact of individuals: Why I'm Coding for America | EngagingCities:

• I code for America because I believe in the power of technology to make the world a better place. Technology, when it works, amplifies the impact of individuals – making it easier for friends and families to connect, informing and inspiring people, and empowering communities to solve real problems together.
• ... to build technology that really works, you must collaborate with your users and stakeholders on their own terms, while respecting their motivations and needs. You must engage with them as true partners, transparently communicate your own motivations, and always be open to criticism.

'via Blog this'

Free tool monitors public procurement for corruption

Homepage - Transparency International-USA:

• TI-USA has recently completed the Civil Society Procurement Monitoring (CSPM) Tool, a web-based tool that is meant to support Civil Society Organizations and individuals who are engaged in monitoring public procurement.

'via Blog this'

Introducing Congress for iOS app

Introducing Congress for iOS - Sunlight Foundation Blog:

• Now it is easy to learn more about your member of Congress, contact them directly and see their activities right from your phone. Follow the latest legislation, floor activity and even get a breakdown of votes with just a swipe and tap. The new Congress app for iOS has many more features in development and complements the immensely popular version for Android.
• Sunlight offers a number of apps for iOS and Android devices, such as the award-winning Sitegeist, the localized Open States and the innovative Ad Hawk.

'via Blog this'

Introducing CrossCloud: A project to get your data out of silos

Introducing CrossCloud: A project to get your data out of silos - Knight Foundation:

• When Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, he imagined it being a better way for people around the world to share knowledge and work together to solve humanity's greatest problems. It’s often everything he hoped for, he says, but it sometimes falls short when websites and applications lock away data. Too often, people are stuck using a site because that's where their data is or that's where their friends or co-workers are. Such restrictions stifle innovation and cut off support for a new generation of vital tools for knowledge sharing.
• Today we are happy to announce a Prototype Fund grant to the Crosscloud Project, an experimental effort led by Tim Berners-Lee and Sandro Hawke at W3C/MIT. Crosscloud aims to give individuals control of their own data. It consists of a set of protocols and tools that allows providers to give individuals control of their data, choose who can access it and move it to other systems as needed. Building on standard Semantic Web and Linked Data Technologies, it allows people to communicate across boundaries. 

'via Blog this'

October 26, 2013 Global Issues Conference: Understanding Social Media and Global Change

Understanding Social Media and Global Change | Global Issues Conference | Manchester Community College:

... the need to understand the role of emerging social technologies on our ever-shrinking global stage has never been more immediate.

The conferences provide a forum to introduce and examine topics such as economics, politics and religion, and serve to promote peaceful relations by encouraging awareness and appreciation of cross-cultural diversity. 

'via Blog this'

How to Mobilize Civic Engagement

How to Mobilize Civic Engagement | Case Foundation:

Enter iLegislate -- a new iPad app from Granicus -- to streamline engagement. Through powerful civic engagement dashboards and integration with Granicus’ Citizen Participation Suite, government leaders can now connect with regular citizens.

'via Blog this'

Participate this election season through social apps / TV channel

From:  The Digital Citizen Project, by Sandy Heierbacher  |  NCDD

• Digital Citizen 2012 is a cross-platform and converged media series that seamlessly connects people using social and mobile applications, to television programming of the 2012 campaign. 

• Using well-established online engagement tools, public participants contribute video, audio, text and still images of themselves to the station’s website, stating their opinions and posing questions. 

• Initially, the online community will vet contributions. Producers will join in, to assure the inclusion of representative groups in this process and to track contributors whose posts are popular among the community. 

• Utilizing the digital capabilities of modern studio production equipment, a significant number of the pre-recorded contributor questions and comments will appear on the live programs.

• Resource Link:  http://citizenschannel.org/

Citizens can help make policy through data analysis

From:  The Data-Driven Democracy, by Mary C Joyce  |  Meta-Activism Project

• The role of the citizen in a data-driven democracy would be to identify policy goals.  We would not be asked to choose a candidate based on what we think a good education policy is or vote on a referendum based on what we think a good health care policy is.  We would indicate our priorities – we want education for all, we want low-cost and effective health care – and then quantitative analysis of the data would identify the most successful policy.

For details, please see the original article.

Target your Twitter messages with these activist hashtags

From:  45 hashtags for social change  |  Case Foundation


This very short article is so important, we decided to share it as our own post as well.  Hashtag(s) on your own Twitter messages help spread the word to specific audiences, thereby increasing your readership.  The most important people will have more opportunities to find that relevant tweet; they may also then be interested your own Twitter account and follow you!

• Download and print out our new 45 hashtags for social good flyer so that you always have the right tag ready for your tweets.

Video: Citizen 2.0 -- How responsive is government to citizens on social media?

From:  “Government 2.0″ and “Citizen 2.0"  |  Stronger Democracy

• Judy Grundstrom recently gave a presentation at Ignite Minneapolis (similar to TED Talks) on the government and social media.

• She asks whether “government 2.0″ is ready for “citizen 2.0.”

• While government agencies (and large companies, for that matter) are getting better at pushing out information on the web, only a few actually interact with those who respond to them on social media.

• Check out the video.

Find Bills Faster With GovTrack's Advanced Bill Search

From:  New: Faceted Bill Search  |  By Josh Tauberer  |  GovTrack

• GovTrack 2.0 has an advanced bill search, which you can find in Browse => Bills => Search & Track => Advanced Search.

• The advanced search — or in technical jargon the “faceted” search — can be used to drill-down into all of the bills that are currently before the U.S. Congress or actually any bill introduced since 1973. Besides searching bill titles, you can narrow your search using a number of other filters. What’s really cool is that the filters change as you drill-down so that you can find the available choices quickly.

• The filters in advanced search are: when the bill was introduced, who sponsored it, its current status in the legislative process, its subject area, and the bill’s type (e.g. bill versus resolution). You can also sort the results by the bill’s most recent status change date, by its date of introduction, or by its relevancy to a title text search.

• Bill information on GovTrack typically runs one or two days behind. Congress’s parliamentary procedure is pretty complex, so if you hover your mouse over any of the status options you’ll get a little explanatory text for it.

Read Seven Ways Citizens Can Interact With Government Using Social Media

From:  7 Ways Citizens Can Use Social Media To Improve Government  |  By George Knowles  |  OhMyGov

• Use of social media is becoming a more common and important aspect of people’s lives, and the political sphere is no exception.

• Here are seven ways that citizens can use social media to improve how government works for them.

• Calling for transparency -- Social media has the potential to make interactions between the citizens and government more efficient and satisfying.

• Pushing grassroots ideas to the top -- Before, grassroots movements would often languish in obscurity, but social media has the power to quickly move ideas to the forefront of public discourse. 

• “All politics is local” -- Social media can be used to improve the quality and speed of interaction with government when addressing hyper-local issues.

• Saving time and money -- Time and resources can be saved on less immediate and interactive mediums like newsletters, press releases, or telephone calls.

• Drawing attention to unequal or unacceptable city services -- The power of social media can push individual voices to the front of the discussion quickly.

• Crisis management/Disaster relief -- In the event of emergencies, social media has the potential to not only improve government, but to act as sources of crucial information.

• Grassroots organizing -- Nothing is more political than citizens taking to the streets (and cyberspace) to petition the government for change.  The recent Occupy protest movement relies heavily on the use of social media, and the reach that it provides has made the movement a global phenomenon. 

More details can be found at OhMyGov's post.

Use PopVox When an In-Person Visit or Phone Call to Your Congress Member is Not Practicable

From:  PopVox: How to advocate your cause in Congress, by JD Lasica  |  Socialbrite

• Professional advocates are good at mobilizing support for or against a particular bill.  [For individuals' personal needs, however,] "PopVox funnels voices into very specific asks,” she said.

• While an in-person visit or phone call from a constituent is still the best way to influence a member of Congress, that’s not always practicable-- bring in PopVox.

• On PopVox, a visitor has to choose a bill on a certain topic and support or oppose it as a first step.

• The site then works each day to make sure voters’ messages are delivered through something called Congressional Web forms.

• Transparency is part of the PopVox formula.  When you use the service, the public and news media can see the comments you send to members.

• Citizens and advocates also have the option to share their cause, plea or rant via Facebook, Twitter and across the social Web.

For details, please view this very informative introductory video by SocialBrite.

Video: Webinar on Putting the Web to Work for Elections and Advocacy

From:  Webinar Video Now Online: ‘Putting the Web to Work for Elections & Advocacy’ | e.politics

• Salsa has been kind enough to put last week’s “Campaigning in 2012″ webinar online, with the audio and the slideshow combined into a single YouTube video.

• After a couple of minutes of intro and some quick promo of the “Winning in 2012″ e-book (which was the foundation of much of the talk), we plunge into about 25 minutes of presentation followed by a lively Q&A.

For the video, please go to the e.politics article.


Spread.us

CampaignTech Conference will be on April 19-20, 2012

Campaigns & Elections: CampaignTech Conference | April 19-20, 2012 | Washington, DC

• How is the 2012 election season changing the craft of digital politics and advocacy?

• What are leading practitioners doing to evolve the tools in their technology-charged communications toolboxes?

• Join CampaignTech's hands-on trainings, workshops, round-table conversations, and panel discussions that will enhance your knowledge of practical politics, refine your digital campaign skills, and inspire you to exceed your goals this election – and beyond.

• Colin Delaney, Guest Blogger & CampaignTech Panelist: Why I'm Going to CampaignTech

New book out Jan 31 on political control of the Internet

From: RConversation
Consent of the Networked: Coming January 31st, 2012!

• Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom will be published by Basic Books on January 31st.
• Amazon is already taking orders. Click here for other ways to buy the book. As the publication date approaches, updates about other ways to buy the book (including e-books), related articles, links, and information about my speaking schedule will be posted on ConsentoftheNetworked.com as well as the book's Facebook page. 
• A global struggle for control of the Internet is now underway. At stake are no less than civil liberties, privacy and even the character of democracy in the 21st century.
• Many commentators have debated whether the Internet is ultimately a force for freedom of expression and political liberation, or for alienation, and repression. Rebecca MacKinnon moves the debate about the Internet’s political impact to a new level. It is time, she says, to stop arguing over whether the Internet empowers individuals and societies, and address the more fundamental and urgent question of how technology should be structured and governed to support the rights and liberties of all the world’s Internet users.

For details and links on the book and how to pre-order it right now, please go to the post.

For free download or book purchase: "Digital Activism Decoded", edited by Mary Jacobs

From: The Meta-Activism Project: Book
Digital Activism Decoded: The New Mechanics of Change, edited by Mary Jacobs

• Citizens around the world are using digital technologies to push for social and political change. Yet, while stories have been published, discussed, extolled, and derided, the underlying mechanics of digital activism are little understood. This new field, its dynamics, practices, misconceptions, and possible futures are presented together for the first time in Digital Activism Decoded.

Please go to the Meta-Activism Project post for details and a free download; there is also a link to purchase a paper version from Amazon.com.