Research Findings, Discussion August 6, 2006
Posted by Griff Wigley in Audio, Baltimore symposium.comments closed
In Baltimore, Lawrence Pratchett (left) and Don Norris repeated their Budapest presentations on their comparative studies into local e-democracy at the municipal level in Europe and North America.
See these blog posts for their audio: Pratchett’s remarks; Norris’ remarks.
After their presentations, Dylan moderated the Q and A:
8 minutes, 29 seconds
Opening of the Baltimore Conference August 6, 2006
Posted by Griff Wigley in Audio, Baltimore symposium.comments closed
Opening of the Conference
Dylan Jeffrey, Department for Communities and Local Government, United Kingdom and Symposium Director; Chair: Andrew Pinder, CBE, President of International Centre of Excellence in Local e-Democracy
7 minutes, 38 seconds (both combined)
Opening Keynote Addresses and Welcome
Mary D. Kane, Secretary of State for Maryland, USA
3 minutes, 57 seconds
Jonathan Ortmans, President of Public Forum Institute, USA
11 minutes, 37 seconds
Richard Kerby, United Nations Department for Economic and Social
Affairs Senior Inter-Regional Advisor on e-Government
8 minutes, 15 seconds
Arthur Johnson, Provost, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
5 minutes, 7 seconds
Leslie Reynolds, Executive Director of the National Association of Secretaries of State 
7 minutes, 8 seconds
Feedback from Budapest August 6, 2006
Posted by Griff Wigley in Audio, Baltimore symposium.comments closed
At 9:30 on Thursday, reflections on last week’s Budapest Symposium were provided by:
Cllr. Mary Reid, Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, UK
10 minutes, 18 seconds
Cllr. Matthew Ellis, Deputy leader of Lichfield Borough Council and member of Staffordshire County Council, UK
11 minutes, 24 seconds
Aug. 6th update: I’ve added this audio clip of Mary’s closing comments.
1 minute, 56 seconds
The Public Forum Institute in Baltimore August 6, 2006
Posted by Griff Wigley in Baltimore symposium.comments closed
The Public Forum Institute was a partner for the Symposium and in Baltimore, they took over all the tech tasks for all the presentations.
L to R: Jonathan Ortmans and Mark Marich, Mark and Jeff Jendel, and Jonathan. Click photos to enlarge.
They also deployed their eForum audience response system which, as described on their website,
“… transforms audience members into fully engaged participants, enabling them to make a valuable contribution throughout the course of our forums. Forum participants are given wireless, handheld units to anonymously respond to questions posed throughout the day by speakers, moderators, panelists, or each other. Results are immediately tabulated and displayed on monitors or screens for all to see – providing instant citizen feedback for policymakers and timely statistics for reporters covering the forum. Keypads help the Forum turn a dry, one-way flow of information into a dynamic back-and-forth between hundreds or even thousands of motivated participants.”
Next week I’ll have audio of the session in which Jonathon moderated using the eForum technology.
Baltimore harbor audioblog August 5, 2006
Posted by Griff Wigley in Audio, Itinerary.comments closed
My parting audio earlier this afternoon, from the harbor in downtown Baltimore.
Moblogged photo from the Baltimore harbor August 5, 2006
Posted by Griff Wigley in Moblogging, Photos.comments closed
Councillor Antonia Blance blogs on Leadership Blogging August 5, 2006
Posted by Griff Wigley in Budapest symposium, People.comments closed
Antonia Bance is a blogger and a Labour councillor for Rose Hill and Iffley ward in Oxford, UK. She was an attendee in Budapest last week (far right in left photo; far left in right photo – click to enlarge).
When she returned home, she posted a note to her weblog detailing her reactions to my session on Leadership Blogging.
Budapest attendee Ben Rogers, DMYP, starts a blog August 4, 2006
Posted by Griff Wigley in Budapest symposium, People.comments closed
I got notified via WordPress pingback that someone had linked to this ICELE blog. I checked and saw a blog post by Budapest attendee Ben Rogers titled I have Started to blog because… in which he wrote:
I have started blogging because i was sent to budapest by the British Government in order to learn all about e-Participation, Social Inclusion, Democratic Engagement. After a talk about the power of blogging and how to do it… i am now joining the ranks as it were!!!
Ben plans to use his weblog to chronicle his year as a Deputy Member of Youth Parliament (DMYP) in the UK. (See more about Ben on this 2006 MYP Profile page about him.)
I noticed that I didn’t have a good photo of Ben from the conference, other than one of him taking a photo which I cropped from the group shot on the left. (Click photos to enlarge). So I emailed him and asked for another photo and he sent me the one on the right, along with an email reply that included this:
I have set up the weblog and will build on it very shortly — but have been busy and i’m off on Holiday tomorrow (only in the UK) so will really get it going when i get back!
Thanks once again for e-mailing- it is so nice to keep in contact with different people from all over the world- so many times i have come back from places and everyone goes quiet! And this is what the Internet is all about keeping in contact and making a difference.
Ben Rogers DMYP
Lichfield & Chase constituency
UK Youth Parliament
Welcome to the civic blogosphere, Ben.
Baltimore speaker/panelist photos and audio on the way August 3, 2006
Posted by Griff Wigley in Baltimore symposium.comments closed
I captured many hours of audio from today’s sessions in Baltimore, as well as dozens of accompanying photos. Because of my travel schedule and other commitments (my motorcycle desperately needs attention), it’ll take me the better part of week to get it all posted. I’ll try to do at least one session per day starting Monday, the 7th of Aug.
Baltimore diners August 3, 2006
Posted by Griff Wigley in Baltimore symposium, People, Photos.comments closed
A few photos of diners from tonight’s post-Symposium dinner. Click photos to enlarge.
If you can identify all the people in a photo, attach a comment with names and organizational affiliation with a web address, if possible. Include the identifying letter of the alphabet. I’d appreciate it!
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News faces, new questions at the Baltimore Symposium August 3, 2006
Posted by Griff Wigley in Baltimore symposium, People, Photos.comments closed
These are some of the people who attended today’s Symposium who were not in Budapest last week. They were among the many asking questions of the speakers and panelists. Click any photo to enlarge.
If you see yourself or know who these people are (I do know some but I’d appreciate the help!), attach a comment with their/your name and organizational affiliation with a web address, if possible. Include the identifying letter of the alphabet.
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Audio Moblog August 3, 2006
Posted by Griff Wigley in Moblogging.comments closed
I posted this short audioclip (explaining the photo below) via my mobile phone and my Hipcast account, part of my presentation today here in Baltimore.
Moblogging: Camden Yards August 3, 2006
Posted by Griff Wigley in Moblogging.comments closed
I used my cameraphone to take this photo of Camden Yards from my hotel room this morning. I then blogged it right from my phone via Flickr.
I’m doing this as part of my presentation on leadership blogging in which I demonstrate how moblogging works.
Arrival in Baltimore August 2, 2006
Posted by Griff Wigley in Baltimore symposium.comments closed
Since I blogged a photo out the window from my hotel room in Budapest last week, I thought I’d follow it up with same here in Baltimore. The conference hotel overlooks the harbor on one side and Camden Yards on the other.
I flew here from the Twin Cities with my colleague, Steve Clift who’s chairing a panel tomorrow at the symposium. Steve was one of the organizers for the first International Symposium on Local E-Democracy held last year in Minnesota — with a field stop in Northfield, my hometown, which I blogged about. See my 2005 symposium photo album. The photo above of (L to R) Steve, me, and Dylan is from that event. Click to enlarge.
The Symposium Weblog 
Budapest Continued August 1, 2006
Posted by Shane McCracken in Budapest symposium, Commentary.comments closed
I have two over-riding themes left over from the event. Firstly was listening to Etienne Chouard speak about his experience as a blogger gathering support for his view of the European Constitutional Treaty against the combined power and reach of the government and mass-media. It was a very clear demonstration of how e-democracy can work in the real world.
One of the main points I took from his presentation was that it is not acceptable under constitutional law for those in power to write the constitution because inevitably it will result in the entrenchment of those structures of power in an undemocratic way.
The second theme that remains with me from the conference is the lack of inspiration, challenge and direction. We had too many civil servants, NGO’s, insitutions and suppliers speaking and not enough people actually practicing eDemocracy like Etienne and Tom Steinberg. There wasn’t enough passion to drive us forward, to encourage local politicians and officers to take risks. We needed to be reminded of the upsides of eParticipation, and of the downsides of not doing anything. Local authorities find stepping into the unpredictable world of eDemocracy risky. We need to remind them why it is a risk worth taking.
In order to do this we need to reach out beyond those in power to help write the direction for eDemocracy. We need to make sure that the conversations that occured at the reception, at 2am in the bar, are not lost, they should be continued in public and we should try to draw more people into the conversation. Already a start is being made. Cllr Antonia Bance posted some remarks on her blog and a conversation has ensued. I’m sure these conversations are occurring elsewhere. If so please let everyone know by leaving a comment on this blog so we can all contribute.
Shane McCracken