A talk given by Outi Kuittinen at Open knowledge festival in Helsinki on why open democracy, the we and the state desperately need, and can't exist without, each other. More on OK fest: okfestival.org/open-democracy-and-citizen-movements/

1. Why
open democracy,
the we & the state
desperately need each other
Outi Kuittinen, tutkija/researcher, Demos Helsinki +358 50 326 55 82 outi.kuittinen@demos.fi

2. (Open) democratic process

3. Why
open democracy and
the state need
the ’we’

4. ECI on 30 km/h speed limit by NGOs
Photo of Critical mass: hugovk, flickr Creative Commons
Citizen movements create
(better) things to decide on

6. Dodo’s urban farmers
Photo: Dodo ry
May 2009: Little knowledge, lots of
enthusiastic hands

7. Photo: Dodo ry
Citizen movements nurture active citizens that
are interested in, and capable of, grasping the
opportunities of open democracy
September 2009: Sharing the enthusiasm

8. Photo: Dodo ry
Open ministry
The state is slow and its resources are limited.
Without citizen movements people’s possibilities to
make use of the tools of open democracy remain
weak.

9. Photo: Dodo ry
September 2009: Sharing the enthusiasm

10. Photo: Dodo ry
In citizen
movements
‘me’ becomes ’we’
April 2012: Urban farming centre opens

11. Photo: Dodo ry
A ’we’ that
understands a
bigger picture
created together
through action
Instead of me,
’a self-service king’,
doomed to make
individual choices and
Keski-Pasilan
suunnitelma
carry the responsibilities
Kuva: Helsingin kaupungin kaavoituskatsaus

12. Why
the ‘we’ needs
open democracy and
the state

13. When people move,
structures move

14. 21st century citizen action
ass: hugovk, flickr Creative

15. 21st century citizen action
fast-paced projects, temporary
combines virtual and live environments
quickly forms networks across the world
combines people’s different capabilities
open processes, information sharing, deliberation
non-hierarchical, averse to formal organisation
is based on trust of being peers and trust is developed
ass: hugovk, flickr Creative
through action
”we + just like me”
lived experience ><
representative democratic process
> new action is not able to connect to it and
its potential of moving structures is lost

16. (Open) democratic process

17. Open democracy =
ass: hugovk, flickr Creative
+

18. What kind of action by citizen
groups and communities open
democracy needs to become
more than just a potential?
ass: hugovk, flickr Creative
What new links btw we and
the state is needed?
= new type of partnership
btw goverment and citizen
action?

19. Let’s co-think that
in the workshop.
Outi Kuittinen
Demos Helsinki
outi.kuittinen@demos.fi
www.demos.fi
slideshare.net/demoshelsinki
facebook.com/groups/8838070791/
flickr.com/photos/demoshelsinki
Dodo:
kaupunkiviljely.fi
kaantopoyta.fi