Tag: democracy

Democracy unleashed: bringing agility to citizen engagement [Agile 2011 Experience Report]

Looking for the crowd-sourced mind map of the session? You can view/edit/copy/export it here.

Empowered individuals. Creative, participatory decision making. Connectedness and care for each other. These words apply equally to an Agile organization as to a healthy community. What might happen if we applied Agile values and methods to transform communities? I will share my experiences over the past year and up to Agile 2011 to nurture engaged community in my home town and beyond – tools and methods, trials and triumphs, how Agile applied to community differs from organization. This is bleeding edge stuff, an area of opportunity for Agile consultants to do work that transforms the world. My hope is to inspire and encourage others to join me in these efforts, and to meet others already on this journey.

Below is a copy of the experience report, best viewed in full screen mode.

Going to Agile 2011? There are two opportunities in the program to connect with me and other like-minded change agents:

  1. Thursday, 9 am30 minute experience report interactive presentation.
  2. Thursday, 11 am – 60 minute Open Jam event titled “Whatever the problem, community is the answer”. This was a proposed 90 minute session originally. I haven’t thought how I’ll modify the format for an Open Jam yet, though will likely shorten to one hour, depending on interest level. Space will be less than a dedicated room so not sure if World Cafe still best format. Ideas welcome.

Obama-style change, in Canada

changecamp-logo_highrez

This weekend I’ll be at ChangeCamp which in the words of chief organizer Mark Kuznicki

is designed to create connections, knowledge, tools and policies that drive transparency, civic engagement and democratic empowerment. We want to start a new conversation about citizenship and government that understands and employs both the tools of the web and participant-led face-to-face meetings like this event. The hope is to begin a national movement by creating tools that people in their communities can take and use to help start that conversation in a way that is relevant to them.

I’m going for 3 reasons:

  • Connect. I’ve met through Twitter a number of the people going – young, talented people motivated for social change. It’ll be great to meet many of them face-to-face for the first time to build on those budding relationships, including people connected to thmvmnt. There will be a diverse crowd: citizens, technologists, designers, academics, policy wonks, political players, change-makers and government employees there to answer one question: How do we re-imagine government and governance in the age of participation?
  • Participate. This will be a chance to be at the start of a new movement, one I am passionate about. Looking forward to getting my hands (and head) dirty, excited about the ideas that will come forth from the day.
  • Learn. I’ve never been to an unconference like ChangeCamp before, where the content of the day is created by the participants and anyone who wants to lead a conversation about something that they’re passionate about will have an opportunity to do so. I’d like to help organize events like this back in Sault Ste. Marie, including a local ChangeCamp.

Registrations going fast

Not many spots left at the conference, so act quickly if you want to go. I’ll be driving down Friday from Sault Ste. Marie and have room in my car for anyone living along the way. We could make it a ChangeCamp caravan. 🙂