FW: DRAFT letter from the Community Data Programto the Open Government Partnership

[michael gurstein]

Further to the earlier note concerning the possible endorsement of a
Canadian civil society representative to the Open Government Partnership
meeting in Brasilia.  Here is a pointer to the CDP's letter presenting
itself as possible participant.
http://datalibre.ca/2012/02/04/open-government-partnership-ogp-draft-letter-
of-the-community-data-program/

A few comments on this.

I personally and as the "host" of the Community Informatics Canada e-list,
the editor of the Journal of Community Informatics and a Board Member of
Telecommunities Canada will be endorsing the CDP representative Harvey Lowe.
David Eaves is a major presence in the Open Government Data activity as an
advocate, as a policy designer, as an enabler at the local, national and
global levels. His work, much of it focused on his blog has been very
significant in pushing governments to open their data locally here in
Vancouver and far beyond. This is very important work and I credit him for
it.  

However, in my opinion the CDP most directly incorporates and thus can and
will most effectively advocate for the values and interests of Canadian
civil society in the Open Government Data space.  Access to and the
opportunity to use government (and other) data is and will be of great
significance in ensuring that digital and other social and economic divides
are not allowed to further widen as information technology becomes ever more
the platform on which we build our daily lives. As the CDP/CCSD letter says
"It is one thing to improve access to bus schedules and quite another to
have open and engaged discussions on issues related to the delivery and
access to transit."

I think that it is a pity that there in this instance cannot be two Canadian
representatives, as I believe that both David and the OGP representative
Harvey Lowe have a great deal to contribute to the discussion but since the
rules are that there can only be one I would endorse Harvey as most closely
reflecting the values and interests that I would want to see articulated by
the Canadian civil society participant in this event.

On a related note, in the OGD space as in several others (Internet
Governance being another) there is a specific need for a means to discuss
and then articulate the interests of Canadian civil society within the
context of ICT and related policy developments. Within the OGD space
specifically one of the elements in joining the Open Government Data
Partnership is a clear commitment to and evidence of a government's policy
consultations with civil society and others.   Similarly with the on-going
discussions concerning what the current (and previous) government chooses to
call "the Digital Economy" civil society has been at a very significant
disadvantage relative to others such as the corporate sector in developing a
common voice and then getting that voice heard.

Certain civil society focussed individuals and organizatons have been able
to find their way through the cacophany and government disinterest in the
opinions of civil society but this has nothing of the strength that a
coordinated common voice could and should have. Perhaps as part of its
mobilization efforts around this matter the CDP and/or its sponsoring agency
the CCSD in conjunction with others such as MediaAccess and Telecommunities
Canada might look to take some leadership in attempting to help create an
organizational framework for civil society in the broader "Information
Society" space including very significant current issues (and advocacies)
around data privacy and surveillance, Intellectual Property in an Internet
environment, Internet governance, broadband access policy and more broadly
to provide input and comment on the long delayed National Digital Strategy.

Mike
 
Michael Gurstein, Ph.D.
Executive Director: Centre for Community Informatics Research, Development
and Training (CCIRDT)
Vancouver, BC CANADA
tel/fax: [phone]
email: [hidden email]
web: http://communityinformatics.net
blog: http://gurstein.wordpress.com
twitter: #michaelgurstein

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Tracey P.
Lauriault
Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2012 5:13 PM
To: civicaccess discuss
Subject: [CivicAccess-discuss] DRAFT letter from the Community Data
Programto the Open Government Partnership


http://datalibre.ca/2012/02/04/open-government-partnership-ogp-draft-letter-
of-the-community-data-program/

The DRAFT letter of the Community Data Program has just been posted.  If you
have comments, or ideas, please do not hesitate to forward them.  Also if
you wish to endorse this letter, please do not hesitate to email me and I
will gladly add your organization to it.

Sincerely
Tracey
--
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.p
df)