E-Democracy.Org & the Story of

Local Issues Forums

Place Matters 06 • Oct. 19, 2006Denver, Colorado

Presented by: Tim Ericksontim@e-democracy.org

651-246-5045

E-Democracy.Org in not a technology organization.

We’re an organization of people using technology to strengthen & enhance

democracy.

Expanded participation and stronger

democracies and communities through the

power of information and communication

technologies and strategies.

Our Mission

• E-Democracy.Org began in 1994 as a volunteer driven initiative to collect and share election related information on the “internet”

• Bit Bucket Brigade - Volunteers worked on election eve at the Secretary of States office to manually enter election returns onto a web site, where the public would be able to access the data.

History

• In 1994 E-Democracy.Org hosted a statewide listserve, where people could discuss the election. After the election, people kept on talking and we responded by creating the “Minnesota Politics” forum.

History (continued)

Minneapolis Issues Forum

• A few year years later, a local reporter who covered local issues suggested that forums like MPD could have a much stronger impact at a local level. He launched the Minneapolis Issues Forum and volunteered to be the Forum Manager.

What is a Local Issues Forum?• Online town hall meeting• Open to anyone• Participants set the agenda• Includes (4 Legged Stool):

– The Public– Local Media– Decision Makers– Bureaucracy

Why a Local Issues Forum?

• Citizen Participation– Flexible and convenient (anytime & anywhere)– Bring the meeting to citizens

• Access to Information– Poor coverage of local issues/events– Direct access to people with information

• Government Accountability• Media Accountability

What Does it Look Like (Technology)?

www.groupserver.org

Public Issues Forum Close-up

The Forumas multiplier,best contentforwarded

Mayor’s Office

“SecondaryNetworks”

City Department

PersonalNetworks

Local Media

Political Activist

Reporte

rCiti

zen

#1

City Staff

Citizen #2

Candidate

Res

earc

her

Council Member

Neighborhood Leader

Student

List Manager

Citizen

#500

Craz

y Pe

rson

Citizens

Issues ForumE-mail group server sends posts direct to people and web archive

Send-Receive Public Sphere

You subscribe onceCommitment madeMay post via e-mail

Everyone is a

citizen!

What’s Different?

1. Its E-mail (or Web) - It Comes to You

2. Our Volunteer Forum Managers

3. Our Rules

4. It Matters - Participants from all Four

Legs of the Stool

Rules:

1. Only 2 Posts Per Day

2. Be Nice - Be Civil

3. Sign Every Post With Your Full Name, and Neighborhood/Location

Forum Manager(s):

1. Enforce rules

2. Encourage discussion

3. Model good participation

4. Seed discussion

5. Act as community organizers

E-Democracy.Org now has (or will soon have)

volunteer lead local Issues Forums in:

• Minneapolis, Minnesota• St. Paul, Minnesota• Winona, Minnesota• Roseville, Minnesota• Newham, UK• Brighton & Hove, UK• Knowle West, Bristol, UK (Neighborhood)• Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts (Regional)

How to set up a local Issues Forum?

1. Download our FREE guidebook? Amost everything we know about how to do it, is included there (URL is coming).

2. You can do this on your own.3. Or, you can work with E-Democracy.Org

Technical support Training / coaching Peer to peer networks

A local Issues Forum in10 simple steps?

1. Pick Your Democracy (Location)2. Recruit Steering Committee & Forum

Manager3. Create Mission, Establish Rules, and Set

Goals4. Select Technology5. Recruit - Recruit - Recruit

A local Issues Forum in10 simple steps?

6. Involve the Community7. Launch Publicity - Get the Word Out!8. Facilitate and Manage9. Be Patient and Persevere10. Celebrate

What else……?

1. Rondo Library Outreach Effort2. Pioneer Valley Clean Energy Plan

(Regional Issues Forum)3. Knowle West Neighbourhood Forum4. Newham Youth Initiative

(Possible Partnership)

Rondo Library Community Outreach

• Basic Internet Skills

• Podcasting

• Workshops

• Tabling

Pioneer Valley Clean Energy Plan

Knowle West Neighbourhood Forum

Newham Young People Online

Issues Forum Guidebook

http://www.e-democracy.org/uk/guide.pdf

More Resources

http://www.e-democracy.org/uk/

http://groupserver.org (opensource)

Software we Recommend: