E-Democracy / Democracies Online Newswire

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Steven Clift is an online strategist and public speaker focused on the use of the Internet in democracy, governance, and community. He describes himself as having worked for the last decade to "fundamentally improve democracy and citizen participation through the use of the Internet." He says he seeks to "change the world one e-mail at a time."

About Democracies Online Newswire:

DoWire is a source for what''s important and happening with the convergence of democracy and the Internet around the world. DoWire is a free, low volume, moderated e-mail announcement list. Launched in January 1998, DoWire claims to connect over 2,750 experts, practitioners, journalists, and citizens across 80 countries. Each week, e-democracy expert and speaker Steven Clift forwards, with occasional analysis, no more than seven carefully selected messages. Posts include news, article, and report web links, event and conference announcements, calls for papers, and often uncover important "primary source" online resources, projects, and initiatives of significance. On July 26-27, 2005, Clift''s DoWire held an International Symposium on Local E-Democracy. Click HERE to link to the symposium page.

ABOUT E-DEMOCRACY FORUMS:
(An excerpt from the E-Democracy Guide for Creating Online Issues Forums
(http://e-democracy.org/uk/guide.pdf):
"For more than a decade, we have explored the frontiers of online citizen participation. We have found the power of the Internet to inform and engage citizens to be exciting to some and quite challenging to others. Despite these conflicting viewpoints, most observers agree that the era of online citizen engagement remains in its infancy and its potential has yet to be achieved. In this new environment, we are explorers and innovators charting a new course. We are laying a foundation and creating approaches and tools that can transform the role of citizens in a democratic society."