A call to advance “Plan D” through e-democracy

Let’s take the citizen’s view : accessibility vs access e-democracy is not about “e”: it is about communication & sound deliberative methodologies ►it’s about democracy Better opinion-polling, focus groups, small citizen panels and plain online forums are no substitute for massive citizen participation A Political commitment to “listen” is a must (…we knew that!) Dare to Pilot-Pilot-Pilot: It is possible here and now Dialogue doesn’t need to be boring: It can be easy, lively, exciting and above all, Human e-democracy is about creating a culture of participation e-democracy requires a total re-thinking on the part of policy makers Author’s Message

Let’s take the citizen’s view : accessibility vs access

e-democracy is not about “e”: it is about communication & sound deliberative methodologies ►it’s about democracy

Better opinion-polling, focus groups, small citizen panels and plain online forums are no substitute for massive citizen participation

A Political commitment to “listen” is a must (…we knew that!)

Dare to Pilot-Pilot-Pilot: It is possible here and now

Dialogue doesn’t need to be boring: It can be easy, lively, exciting and above all, Human

e-democracy is about creating a culture of participation

e-democracy requires a total re-thinking on the part of policy makers

Complementary suggestions ► Create a pool of CSOs who enjoy “ Consultative/Advisory status” with the DG Comm : to consult on the European Round Table for Democracy, to improve minimum standards for consultation, to advise on deliberation principles & methods, to tap into the NGO expertise etc. ► Create a Multi-stakeholder forum on e-democracy , under the auspices of DG Comm, bringing together other DGs (e.g.DG InfSo) and pool other relevant IGOs (Council of Europe, UN) ► Deploy a pilot on line deliberation platform for the “ European Charter or Code of Conduct on Communication”

► Create a pool of CSOs who enjoy

“ Consultative/Advisory status” with the DG Comm : to

consult on the European Round Table for Democracy, to

improve minimum standards for consultation, to advise on

deliberation principles & methods, to tap into the NGO

expertise etc.

► Create a Multi-stakeholder forum on e-democracy ,

under the auspices of DG Comm, bringing together other

DGs (e.g.DG InfSo) and pool other relevant IGOs (Council of

Europe, UN)

► Deploy a pilot on line deliberation platform for the

“ European Charter or Code of Conduct on Communication”

A call to advance “Plan D” through e-democracy “ The Internet can be used by citizens to watch their governments - rather than by governments to watch their citizens” ( Prof. Manuel Castells) “ The capacity of man for good renders the dialogue desirable ; his capacity for evil, renders the dialogue necessary ” (Eric Kandell, 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)

“ The Internet can be used by citizens to watch their

governments - rather than by governments to watch

their citizens” ( Prof. Manuel Castells)

“ The capacity of man for good renders the dialogue

desirable ; his capacity for evil, renders the dialogue

necessary ” (Eric Kandell, 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)

Thank You It was a presentation to the European Commission’s Forum on Plan-D Bergamo, Italy 9/10 November 2006 [before the explosion of Web2.0] http://onlinepolitics.wordpress.com

It was a presentation to the

European Commission’s Forum

on Plan-D

Bergamo, Italy

9/10 November 2006

[before the explosion of Web2.0]