Letter from Participation Camp: The Digital Divide

As a relative newbie here at Forum One, I wasn't sure what to expect when as I headed to my very first "unconference." The event, Participation Camp, was organized by volunteers recently and sponsored, in part, by Forum One.

Participation, as we discussed it, relates to lowering the barrier to entry for all citizens in government decisions. When the vote happens, the conversation isn't over. It's only the beginning. The unconference was about connecting government managers and staff, public engagement experts, online tool developers, and citizens to encourage shared insights, decisions, and actions in government.

My colleague, Andrew Cohen and I were interested in learning about the impact of the recession on public participation. Thus, in typical unconference style, we created our own session on the agenda called "Fostering Participation in Hard Economic Times."

The stepping off point for our discussion was the stimulus money that is being used to expand broadband access. (Last December, the Obama administration started awarding over $7.2 billion in Recovery Act grants and loans to improve internet access in American communities.)

But our discussion quickly turned to local solutions. Appropriate to our discussion, one of the attendees in our session was unemployed and another worked for the D.C. Public Library. Both had first-hand knowledge of programs designed to help the unemployed get back on their feet. We talked about how the recession affects people's ability to participate in public discussions, and use web-based services we all take for granted. Limited computer time at D.C. libraries is still a challenge. And in a tough economy, volunteer trainers are especially important in helping less-savvy users understand how to use government services that are primarily online.

Some takeaways: 

• Assistance providers (libraries, community centers, nonprofits) often lack web-savvy volunteers and staff.
• A volunteer opportunity database is needed to connect service organizations with volunteers who have web and technical skills.
• Service providers should conduct training on free tools, such as Google Docs, that are more widely available for those on tight budgets.

• Do Something.org
• Service Nation campaign
• Serve.gov
• CreatetheGood.org

Raw, collaboratively-written notes from this session are also available.