New Voices and Civic Engagement in the Digital Age Roundtable - San Francisco

New Voices - Civic Engagement in Digital Age Meeting
August 1, 2013

Note: Virtual alternative on Sept. 18

San Francisco @ Code for America, Hosted by E-Democracy.org

Who: Civic technology leaders, digital inclusion advocates, government representatives, organizations representing diverse constituencies, civic engagement experts

What: Explore the results and analysis in the Civic Engagement in the Digital Age report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project

• What do the Civic Engagement in the Digital Age report numbers tell us? What further questions do we have?

• Understanding the gaps - where do the numbers suggest there are opportunities for civic tech and online engagement to help close the civic engagement divide both online and offline?

• Who is already doing what to raise new voices online? Possible action steps?
  

• Draft Agenda Below

Attendees are expected to have reviewed the report in advance and skimmed this summary. The meeting will allow us to take a preliminary deep dive and to discuss in a private setting opportunities for the civic tech/open gov/online civic engagement community to respond.

Amy Gahran’s nutshell summary:

To engage with civic issues or their government, people have always needed to get information and talk to people. Access to the internet, social media, and mobile communications has changed civic engagement somewhat -- but it's not really helping to bring in new voices or amplify marginalized ones. Well-educated, well-off people still tend to do it more, according to a new Pew report.

When: 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Pacific, Thursday, August 1, 2013
Note: Virtual alternative on Sept. 18

Where: Code for America, 155 9th Street San Francisco, CA 94103

Hosted By: Steven Clift, Executive Director, E-Democracy.org (Based in MN)
His report summary focuses on inclusion.