*** Democracies Online Newswire - http://www.e-democracy.org/do *** Lately I've actually received a number of similar requests about the role of "e-democracy" in developing countries/new democracies. I encourage you to connect with each other, share stories, and keep us all on DO-WIRE informed. A current "e-democracy" example is the use of mobile phone-based short text messaging (SMS) to help coordinate the protests that brought down the President of the Philippines. "Millions of ordinary Filipinos, communicating with each other via mobile phone text messages, swarmed on to the streets of the capital, Manila, in scenes reminiscent of the 1986 uprising which ousted the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos." Must read: <http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4120391,00.html>. Also see <http://www.mozcom.com/elagda/> and links from <http://eraption.iwarp.com/>. If you can help bring down a President with text messaging, can you also use these tools to build a nation? Reply to Richard Ponzio directly at <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> per the request below. CC: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> if appropriate. Steven Clift Democracies Online From: Richard Ponzio <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: UNDP Human Development Report 2001 Dear Democracies Online participants, The Human Development Report for 2001 will be on the theme of "channeling technology for human progress", and we are currently in the process of preparing a section on e-democracy. In this regard, we are searching for examples of "good practices" in the use of ICT for promoting greater accountability/transparency and extending participation in government decision-making to new groups in civil society (ie, expanding the use of ICT as a tool for political empowerment). Although we would be happy to receive examples from Western industrialized countries, we are particularly interested in highlighting good practices in the developing world. Evidence of a particular initiative's progress toward a certain outcome would also be very much welcomed and appreciated. The UN Development Programme’s global Human Development Report series (please visit: http://www.undp.org/hdro/ ) advocates a shift in the development debate from a sole concern with economic growth (which is only a means—although a very important one—to serve human ends) toward a balanced concern for equity, sustainability, productivity and empowerment. With a circulation of over 120,000 annually in 13 languages, the HDR has provoked greater public dialogue on the many dimensions of human poverty and inequality, women’s rights and political freedom, and the repercussions of globalization. Thanks for any examples and/or suggestions and contacts you may be able to share. Richard Ponzio UNDP Human Development Report Office Please Reply to Richard Ponzio directly at <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ^ ^ ^ ^ Steven L. Clift - W: http://www.publicus.net Minneapolis - - - E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Minnesota - - - - - T: +1.612.822.8667 USA - - - - - - - ICQ: 13789183 *** Please send submissions to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** To subscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** Message body: SUB DO-WIRE *** *** To unsubscribe instead, write: UNSUB DO-WIRE *** *** Please forward this post to others and encourage *** *** them to subscribe to the free DO-WIRE service. ***
