The document discusses digital democracy and its role in empowering individuals globally through technology, promoting education, and enhancing civic participation. It outlines various projects aimed at improving conditions in communities such as Myanmar, emphasizing accountability, communication, and data collection to support human rights. Additionally, it highlights opportunities for individuals to contribute, whether through donations, skills, or volunteer work, to foster positive change.

1. Digital
Democracy
Empowering people around
the world through new
technologies that encourage
education, communication
and civic participation.
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2. Democracy in the Digital Era
Democracy Digital Democracy
• Being heard • Empowerment of the
• Minority rights individual
• Accountability and • Fall of hierarchies
transparency • Wider participation
• Advocacy for change • Democratization of
• Access information
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whiteafrican/2736565604/
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3. How we work Where we work
1. Identify community Internationally
2. Needs assessment - pilot: Southeast Asia
3. Work with local & & USA
international partners - research: Southern
to develop Africa, Carribean,
programming Eastern Europe
New Words Media
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4. Burma/Myanmar
Population: 60 million
In Exile: 3.5 million
Sophisticated network of
community based
organizations
KEY INDICATORS
worst best
GDP per capita, PPP (constant 2000 international $) ........ 1,446 3.50
Life expectancy at birth (years) ............................................. 61 4.19
Literacy rate (% of people age 15+) ..................................... 90 6.00
Human development index (out of 177)............................... 130 3.52
Rule of law (out of 208) ...................................................... 202 1.87
Voice and accountability (out of 208) .................................. 208 0.69
KHRG
Digital opportunity index (out of 180) .................................. 176 1.36
Internet users (% of population) ........................................... 0.1 3.07
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Source (by indicator): IMF 2006; World Bank 2006a, 2006a; UNDP 2006; World Bank 2006c, 2006c; ITU 2006, 2004
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5. Future of Tech
in Burma /
Myanmar
• Magazines
• Conferences
• Censorship
• Privacy
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6. Digital
Democracy TV
• Exploring where
innovation happens
• Interactive
• Innovative workflow
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7. Project Einstein
“Because Einstein was a refugee but could still do great things”
Digital Pen Pals - Photography-based participatory education
program linking American students with refugee youth overseas.
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8. Project Einstein: Digital Pen Pals
Peace
Culture
Let’s Discuss: Happiness
History
USA Ideas Bangladesh
Pictures
Let’s Exchange: Lessons
Culture
Resettled Refugees Photo Books
with American youth Youth in
in US schools Let’s Create: Slideshows refugee camps
Videos
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9. Handheld Human Rights
Making human rights accessible and actionable
• Disseminate key information and messages to field workers.
• Facilitate communication between groups working on these issues.
• Collect data that can be mapped on the site.
• Rapidly spread news of human rights violations to the international
community and advocacy groups.
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10. Handheld Human Rights
Making human rights accessible and actionable
• Disseminate key information and messages to field workers.
• Facilitate communication between groups working on these issues.
• Collect data that can be mapped on the site.
• Rapidly spread news of human rights violations to the international
community and advocacy groups.
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11. What you can do:
• Donate money
• $35 buys a child a book of their photographs
• Donate skills
• Are you a designer, programmer, or have other skills
that you can provide? tell us and help grassroots
organizations make change
• Invest
• Change the world for the better through technology
• Volunteer
• Our partners in the field can benefit from smart help
DIGITAL-DEMOCRACY.ORG / @DIGIDEM
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12. What you can do:
• Join Us:
• facebook.com/pages/Digital-Democracy
• twitter.com/digidem
• youtube.com/user/digitaldemocracycam
• myspace.com/digidem
• flickr.com/digitaldemocracy
• hub.witness.org/digitaldemocracytv
DIGITAL-DEMOCRACY.ORG / @DIGIDEM
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13. Empowering people around
the world through new
technologies that encourage
education, communication
and civic participation.
Mark Belinsky - @mbelinsky Emily Jacobi - @emjacobi
mbelinsky@digital-democracy.org ejacobi@digital-democracy.org
facebook.com/mark.belinsky facebook.com/emilyjacobi
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