| Rudolf.Lichtmannegger on Sun, 4 Nov 2001 13:12:01 +0100 (CET) |
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| [Nettime-bold] AW: UK Government's Major E-Democracy Push - Reference to European Forum Alpbach 2001 |
if able to read/listen to German, you may be interested in presentations in the eGovernment working group at the European Forum Alpbach, August 2001, Alpbach/Austria. Presentations and videostreams (RealVideo) available at http://wko.at/alpbach/bm/start-e.htm#AK5. Sincerely, Rudolf Lichtmannegger Economic Policy Department Austrian Economic Chamber Wiedner Hauptstrasse 63 1045 Vienna Austria ph: ++43 1 50105 4411 fax: ++43 1 50105 298 e-mail: Rudolf.Lichtmannegger@wko.at http://wko.at/wp -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- Von: Steven Clift [mailto:slc@publicus.net] Gesendet am: Freitag, 26. Oktober 2001 18:34 An: pubpol-l@tc.umn.edu; huridocs-tech@hrea.org; eacn@ukco.org.uk; ispo@www.ispo.cec.be; Globalcn2000@yahoogroups.com; ElectronicGovernment@yahoogroups.com; E-DEMOKRATI@MAILINGLIST.STATSKONTORET.SE; communityinformatics@vcn.bc.ca; politech@politechbot.com; CARR-L@LISTSERV.LOUISVILLE.EDU; apple@apnic.net; rohrpost@mikrolisten.de; nettime-l@bbs.thing.net; gkd@phoenix.edc.org; air-l@aoir.org; cyberculture@zacha.org; civilsoc@vhost1.partners-intl.net; cpi-ua@vcn.bc.ca; list@ukpress.org; link@www.anu.edu.au; DIGITALDIVIDE@OWA.BENTON.ORG; FOI-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU; CYBERIA-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM Betreff: UK Government's Major E-Democracy Push - Articles, Releases, Key Speech (A BIG DEAL) I am on the look out for other government-led "e-democracy" efforts (at any level) similiar to the recent UK announcements (see below). If you are interested in this issue, join my 2200 person Democracies Online Newswire e-mail annoucement list <http://www.e-democracy.org/do> for updates on this new e-government trend. Thanks, Steven Clift Democeracies Online Newswire *** Democracies Online Newswire - http://www.e-democracy.org/do *** The "e-democracy" shot heard around the world. The UK government has just announced a major e-democracy policy. Yes, a government-led e-democracy agenda. In my opinion, e-government will succeed only if it stands on two equal legs - service and democracy. I expect that many leading governments around the world will take up the UK's call and launch their own e-democracy initiatives to build a more balanced and successful approach to e-government. This is a completely new phase in the evolution of thought about government's democratic role in the information age - that of an initiator and actor and not simply a reactor to political and civic uses of the Internet that wash over their old forms of decision- making while elected and appointed officials feel helpless without the online tools required to be better representatives. Think of this new movement as "Representative E-Government," where the two-way Internet is integrated into the governance and representation process on par with the provision of online transaction services. The alternative is a services first approach that automates the government services that people no longer want in a way the increases the power of administration over elective representatives and citizens. What the UK government has done is break through the narrow notion that e-democracy is about outsiders pushing for online voting about everything. Instead, building e-democracy is a fundamental responsibility of a legitimate democratic nation in the information age. Hooray. Below are links to some news coverage, a press release from the UK Prime Minister's office, the major speech given by Douglas Alexander the Minister for E-commerce and Competitiveness, and another more detailed press release from the Department of Trade and Industry. Steven Clift Democracies Online http://www.e-democracy.org/do Press coverage about the e-democracy policies announced by the UK government: E-democracy moves up the agenda http://www.ukauthority.com/articles/story378.asp UK Govt calls for e-democracy http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/22477.html Some semi-related coverage: Blair 'big bang' theory to delay freedom act (Not all rosey) http://politics.guardian.co.uk/whitehall/story/0,9061,581045,00.html Labour MP calls for e-mail democracy (Oct 22, related) http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001364829,00.html >From the UK Prime Minister: http://www.number-10.gov.uk/news.asp?NewsId=2840&SectionId=30 Opportunities for democracy in the information age The Government has called on the technology and internet community to work alongside it to open up new ways to encourage participation in the democratic process. E-commerce minister, Douglas Alexander said they could play a leading role in opening up new democratic channels, including: - New online voting, making the voting process more convenient and accessible; - electronic public participation, providing enhanced opportunities to participate in the democratic process between elections. Mr. Alexander also outlined the next phase of the UK online campaign that aims to enable everyone to make the most of the internet and make the UK a leader in the knowledge economy. The next phase of the campaign is designed to raise awareness and understanding of UK online, and will involve a national TV advertising campaign and provide an integrated contact centre. The second phase of UK online campaign will include: - An integrated consumer focused publicity campaign, involving TV advertising beginning in November; - A core UK online campaign run alongside a UK online for business campaign; - An integrated contact centre providing a service to answer any UK online enquiry directing people to their nearest UK online centre or People's Network Library; - A new campaign website. In a speech to the Democracy in the Information Age Conference Mr. Alexander said: "Getting people back into the democratic process is a huge challenge. New technology will help to empower people, encouraging them into and, strengthening the democratic process. I believe it is time to put e-democracy on the information age agenda and, for governments to set out what they mean by e-democracy and how they intend to use the power of technology to strengthen democracy." The Full Speech From: http://www.dti.gov.uk/ministers/speeches/alexander251001.html Douglas Alexander MP Conference on Democracy in the Information Age Thursday, October 25, 2001 Can I thank Wilton Park, the British Council and the Hansard Society for the opportunity to address this conference on Democracy in the Information Age. The attacks of September 11 are a reminder that we cannot take democracy for granted. It is fitting that over the next few days we will discuss how we can harness the power of technology for good - to strengthen our democratic systems. It is an indication of the importance of this subject that, even during these difficult days, so many people have travelled here from all over the world to take part in this conference. I welcome you all as fellow democrats. New technologies are already having an effect on our democracies; there is no doubt about that. From experiments in remote electronic voting in the Netherlands and on-line consultations in Sweden and the UK to Stephen Clift's Democracies Online Newswire in the US, a defining feature of the Internet is its interactivity. As such it has the capacity to greatly increase our capacity to participate at all levels in democratic processes. Turning now to the part new technologies may play in democratic life, I would like to begin by placing the discussion in the broader context of the role of the Internet in modern representative democracy. I'll seek to clearly identify some specific underpinning principles that must be satisfied before we can claim the Internet as a truly democratic tool. Firstly then, a little context for this morning's discussion. Needless to say we are only at a very early stage of understanding the full impact of the internet on our democracies, and so it is only appropriate that I begin by paying tribute to the e-Democracy Programme of the Hansard Society, which has begun to probe many of the issues involved. I am delighted that Stephen Coleman is working closely with my officials in the Office of the e-Envoy to develop policies in this area. I am also pleased to be able to announce at this conference the second phase of the Government's UK Online campaign. Started in October 2000, UK online is the national campaign to enable everyone to make the most of the Internet. Beginning in November, the objective for this second phase of UK online is to create a bedrock of awareness and understanding of UK online, what it is about and how individuals may use it to interact more directly with government. With an integrated contact centre providing a service to cover any UK online enquiry. The main UK online campaign in November will run concurrently with a DTI campaign for UK online for business. UK Online is both a vital part of our drive to become a leading knowledge economy and also a new democratic channel. As someone who played a central role in the recent General Election Campaign I am acutely aware that the UK is facing a challenge along with other countries within the European Union and the OECD is the decline in participation in the democratic process. High voluntary participation in elections is crucial for a healthy democracy. Voting is a core democratic right and, by exercising it, people choose their representatives and hold the government to account. The more people who vote, the stronger the legitimacy of the decisions taken by the elected representatives. The voluntary nature of the vote adds further legitimacy. In the UK, the turnout of voters at local, national and European elections is low, and seems to be falling. The 2001 UK general election gave us the lowest turnout since universal suffrage - only 59% of the electorate were sufficiently engaged in the democratic process to take a stake in choosing their government. However, delve below these headline figures and the warning is even more stark. The detail of the demographics reveal that in the 18-25 age group over 60% did not vote. This group represents the democrats of the future and, if unaddressed, this level of disengagement would pose a threat to the long-term health of our democratic institutions. While a healthy representative democracy is dependent on people voluntarily participating in elections, participation goes beyond voting. The decline in formal participation could bring with it the risk of reinforcing the exclusion of disadvantaged groups from the decision making process and the potential to undermine proper democratic decision-making procedures. Addressing this democratic deficit represents a huge challenge. In the UK, we have already embarked on an ambitious programme of democratic renewal - from reinvigorating local democracy with directly elected mayors to the new parliament in Scotland and new assemblies in Wales and Northern Ireland - we have sought to move government closer to the people. Yet we must go further, as Tony Blair wrote in his essay The Third Way The democratic impulse needs to be strengthened by finding new ways to enable citizens to share in the decision making that affects them...in a mature society representatives will make better decisions if they take full account of popular opinion and encourage public debate on the big decisions affecting people's lives." We must open up new democratic channels, through which government and representatives can relate to citizens. We must make citizens feel democratically empowered beyond their few seconds in the polling booth. We have already taken some steps to make e-democracy a reality in the UK. It is now possible to participate in government consultations online. Citizen Space on ukonline.gov.uk has a central register of all government consultations and provides opportunities both to search the listings and also to register to receive an email when consultations take place on specific subjects. In terms of e-voting, some limited pilots have already taken place and ministers have recently asked for new bids from local authorities to run more e-voting pilots at the next local election in 2002. I believe that it is now time to set all this activity into a clear policy framework and put e-democracy on the information age agenda. Government should set out what it means by e-democracy and how it intends to use the power of technology to strengthen democracy. I would like to share with you our thinking in this area and explore with you the role new technologies may play. Of course the act of voting is, and will remain, ultimately a political act. So declining turnout at elections challenges all political parties - here and across the Western democracies. That challenge is quintessentially to engage the support of citizens and so inspire them to participate in the democratic process by exercising their right to vote. So whilst of course I do not believe that new technologies can solve all the problems of declining participation, I believe they should form one part of a multi-faceted approach to democratic renewal. Facilitate Broaden and Deepen As I see it, new technologies can serve democracy in three ways. Technology can - facilitate participation: make it easier for citizens to exercise their democratic rights to access public information, follow the political process, discuss and form groups on specific issues, scrutinise government and vote in elections. The UK Parliament site, for example, already gives people lots of information via the Internet, including: - a full record of debates in the Commons and Lords; - details of issues under investigation by select committees and their reports; and - all bills before parliament. - broaden participation: open up new channels for democratic communication, to encourage involvement by people who, in the past, may have felt excluded from the democratic process or unable to participate. People who would not consider using traditional democratic forums and channels, such as town hall meetings and political parties, should have opportunities to use new technologies to make their voices heard. Both the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly have run online consultations. The Scottish Parliament also accepts online petitions - a feature that has also very recently been made available by the Prime Minister on the Number 10 web-site. - deepen participation: strengthen the connection between citizens and all levels of representative institutions, citizens and government and groups of citizens. People should be able to have a dialogue with their elected representatives and government between elections on issues that concern them. For example, in March last year the Hansard Society's e-democracy programme provided a facility which allowed women survivors of domestic violence to give evidence online to the All-Party Domestic Violence Group. An Approach - Two Tracks In considering how we should take these objectives forward and our approach is to adopt two separate, but inter-dependent tracks First, Electronic Public participation. The use of the new technologies to give citizens enhanced opportunities to participate in the democratic process between elections And second, Electronic Voting. The use of the new technologies to facilitate participation through elections. This separation reflects fundamental differences between the issues being tackled in the two tracks: - Introducing electronic voting is mainly a question of offering a package of electronic services (such as online voting, registration, postal vote application) in line with other online service initiatives. Of course there are policy questions to consider as well, such as authentication and security, but in broad terms, the act of casting and counting a vote can be considered the "service" element of the democratic process. - Facilitating participation between elections is much more complex. It depends upon establishing new relationships between government - in its broadest sense - and citizens, and using technology imaginatively to open up new democratic channels through which people can participate. It is important not to see either of these tracks in isolation. It seems likely to me that re-connecting people to their representatives and government and thereby re-engaging them in the democratic process overall holds the potential to, over time, have a positive effect on election turnout. Underpinning Principles But it is not enough to simply announce that the Internet can be a new democratic tool. Indeed I am reminded of the words of the Prime Minister in another context that "The internet is either an opportunity or a threat". To stay true to our democratic instincts while fully realising this opportunity we have a responsibility to ensure that it is: - a tool that is available to all, - effective as a means of democratic expression, and - accepted as such by all the participants in the democratic process. This is no easy task. I would like to suggest six key principles that should underpin e-democracy: Inclusion - a voice for all Inclusive access to the Internet is a fundamental e-democracy issue. If the Internet is to become a new democratic tool, through which people can participate in the democratic process and influence events, it is vital that everyone who wants it - irrespective of age, gender, occupation, income, or geographical location - has access to it and the skills and confidence to use it. Recent figures from the Office of National Statistics show that levels of home access to the Internet depend strongly on income. In 2000-2001 levels of household access were low in lower income groups, around 5 to 7 per cent. For the middle income and above groups the levels increase rapidly with income, to 71 per cent for households with the highest incomes. However, access through a PC in the home is not the only way to get online. Already we have over 1500 UK online centres currently open around the country, in high street shops, village halls, schools and libraries, even mobile centres. In addition Digital TVs, which are rapidly becoming capable of computer-like interactivity are more common in people's homes and may eventually turn out to be the method of choice for getting online. I am confident that we will succeed in our goal of ensuring that everyone who wants it will have access to the Internet. Security and privacy - a trusted space Secure online communications are crucial if citizens are to accept them as a means of democratic participation. Of course this is vital when we consider electronic voting and before any electronic voting system can be established, we must ensure that the it meets security standards at least as high as current manual systems. Responsiveness - listening to the people In order to attract people to get involved in online consultations and discussions, it is vital that government and representatives demonstrate their commitment to listening to and learning from the contributions that are made and to respond to them in a timely and transparent way. As millions of people log on and speak out the challenge to elected representatives is clear. There are vital issues to consider here; not least of which will be the resources that will be required to handle increased participation. Deliberation - making the most of people's ideas We must provide a trusted online environment that allows everyone to have his or her say. As well as technical security, it will require skilled moderation based upon agreed rules to ensure that contributors are treated fairly by each other and that important contributions are noticed. I do not mean that people's personal styles of expression should be curtailed or debates confined to the traditional language of politics. Letting citizens tell their own stories and make their own contributions in their own way is as much a part of e-democracy as creating links between citizens and democratic institutions. Openness - the provision of public information Certainly, in the UK The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives all people a general right to access information held by public authorities. The Internet has already destroyed geographic and other boundaries that previously constrained newspaper readership. From my PC it is as easy to access the New York Times or the Jerusalem Post as it is to access the Guardian. Yet at the same time as these developments our main Public Service Broadcaster the BBC is sufficiently concerned about the public's response to the coverage of the recent General Election that it has initiated a major review of its political coverage. So we need to consider how to ensure not just access but also accessibility - ensuring that the public is empowered to access the information they need to form and express their views. E-Democracy Charter - informing people of their rights and responsibilities Crucial for trust and willingness to participate is that clear information is provided,in advance, of what citizens can expect when participating in government online consultations, discussions and electronic voting arrangements. The Role for Representatives Beside the practical questions raised by these underpinning principles, there is a broader and related question of what role the Internet will play in representative democracy. Just as the Internet has not, as some suggested, rewritten every rule of economics, neither will it rewrite every rule of politics, but undoubtedly significant change will occur in the years to come. To some, such as the erstwhile Clinton electoral strategist, Dick Morris, the Internet heralds a new era of Jeffersonian direct democracy.200 years on from the town meetings of the early republic, according to Morris, the Internet has the capacity to re-connect elected representatives to their electorates. In so many other areas of our economy and society, the Internet is rapidly removing intermediaries. Whether through e-commerce, the provision of legal advice, stock trading, the Internet threatens the role of groups who have historically drawn power from their privileged access to knowledge and, in general, this is something to be welcomed. However, in terms of e-democracy in the UK context we need to understand that it is not our purpose to use technology to circumvent elected representatives. By improving and increasing opportunities for participation by the widest range of people we must seek to strengthen the role of elected representatives and help them better represent the people who elected them. As the Select Committee on Public Administration commented in it sixth report "the health of representative and participative democracy are intertwined" We are only starting to understand how the internet can contribute to the health and strength of representative democracy. At a personal level, I am one of the Members of Parliament with a web- site so I would like to close by offering a few thoughts on the role of political web sites. Many MPs are at a stage where the web-site is essentially a brochure publicising their work to their constituents. In future, the possibilities for interaction online will mean that constituents will be able to eliminate the traditionally higher cost and longer time frames to contact Members of Parliament and harness the capacity for dialogue the Internet provides. Some campaigners and organisations such as Jubilee 2000 have already developed this capability whereby electronic postcards are sent directly to Members of Parliament. In the years to come we can anticipate that as major votes beckon constituents will use the opportunity provided by the internet to contact their Member of Parliament to express their views and in turn expect a response from the MP explaining their conduct. Of course this will offer a major challenge both to the organisation of MPs office and their work more generally but few of us would doubt the fact that the turnout at the most recent election challenges all of us to seek a new means by which the elected representatives and the electorate maintain contact and dialogue. It will mean a significant challenge for politicians but I believe a significant step forward as a new channel opens up between the politicians, government and the people. So I am grateful to have been granted the opportunity to address this conference. Even amidst these difficult days it is important to take time to glimpse the possibilities offered for participative and representative democracy at the dawn of this new century. The challenge is great, but so too is the opportunity. That is why your deliberations are of such importance and why I wish you every success for the remainder of the Conference. Thank you very much. Another Press Release From: http://213.38.88.195/coi/coipress.nsf/7e4cd219f1e58adf802565250034fa39/eca70 dbb4d8645f380256af00037cba1?OpenDocument P/2001/583 25 October 2001 ALEXANDER: OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE INFORMATION AGE Alexander also announces next phase of UK online campaign E-commerce minister, Douglas Alexander, called on the technology and internet community to work with Government to open up new ways to encourage participation in the democratic process. He said they could play a leading role in opening up new democratic channels, including: - New online voting, making the voting process more convenient and accessible; and - electronic public participation, providing enhanced opportunities to participate in the democratic process between elections. Alexander also outlined the next phase of the UK online campaign that aims to enable everyone to make the most of the internet and make the UK a leader in the knowledge economy. The next phase of the campaign is designed to raise awareness and understanding of UK online, and will involve a national TV advertising campaign and provide an integrated contact centre. In a speech to the Democracy in the Information Age Conference Douglas Alexander said: "Getting people back into the democratic process is a huge challenge. In the UK we have already embarked upon an ambitious programme to tackle this. New technology will help to empower people, encouraging them into and, strengthening the democratic process. I believe it is time to put e-democracy on the information age agenda and, for governments to set out what they mean by e-democracy and how they intend to use the power of technology to strengthen democracy. "We must open up new democratic channels, through which government and representatives can relate to citizens. We must make citizens feel democratically empowered beyond their few seconds in the polling booth. "UK online is a vital part of our drive to become a leading knowledge economy, and is a key part of the process of opening up new democratic channels." In order to make internet technology an effective tool for e-democracy, available to all, Alexander laid out six basic principles for success: - Information, to inform people of their rights and responsibilities; - Inclusive access to the internet. Everyone who wants it has access and the skills and confidence to use it; - Security and Privacy. Secure online communication is essential if people are to accept it a means of democratic participation; - Listening to the people. Government and its representatives must respond in a timely and transparent way to contributions; - Making the most of people's ideas. The need to establish rules which ensure that contributors are treated fairly by each other; and - Openness. Access to public information is a cornerstone of democracy, but this must include accessibility, ensuring that the public is empowered to access the information they need to form and express their views. The second phase of UK online campaign will include: - An integrated consumer focused publicity campaign, involving TV advertising beginning in November; - A core UK online campaign run alongside a UK online for business campaign; - An integrated contact centre providing a service to answer any UK online enquiry directing people to their nearest UK online centre or People's Network Library; and - A new campaign website. Notes for Editors 1. Democracy in the Information Age - Wilton Park Conference is taking place between 24-27 October. Wilton Park is an Executive Agency of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the conference has been organised in association with the British Council and Hansard Society. 2. The Office of the e-Envoy (OeE) and Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) take the lead in developing and implementing e-democracy within central government. The OeE will also provide guidelines, promote best practice, monitor progress and lead on the development of internationally agreed technical standards required to support e-voting. A number of central government departments are involved in developing e-democracy, including the Department of Trade and Industry, Cabinet Office, the Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales Offices, Department for Education and Skills and the Improvement and Development Agency. Public Enquiries: 020 7215 5000 Textphone for those with hearing impairments: 020 7215 6740 Internet: www.dti.gov.uk ^ ^ ^ ^ Steven L. 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