• Spine Session Topics
• Spine Session Presenter Bios

The Topics:

Open Net Town Hall - Steve Anderson, Rocky Gaudrault & Jacob Glick.

An open town hall event giving local citizens the chance to shape Canada's broadband future. As Canada falls behind other OECD countries on Internet speed, cost, and openness this session will feature a lively discussion guided by a panel of web innovators, social change leaders, and public policy gurus. Citizen testimony will be used to develop the SaveOurNet.ca presentation to the CRTC and the “Open Internet Declaration” which will be put before MPs and policy makers.

When Citizens Don't Wait: A Case Study from Bowen Island - John Dumbrille and Peter Rawsthorne

A session tracing a self-governance project on Bowen Island from its genesis through to its current status, beginning with politics as usual in the community, moving to the creation of a roads status tool to empower citizens during the winter of 2008/09, and now to an online community at www.bowegover.ning.com. John and Peter will offer a pattern or counterpoint for self governance initiatives, encourage others to embark on their own projects in their own backyards, and show government the potential beneficial outcomes of citizen initiatives.

Old and New School Mapping in Vancouver - Karen Quinn Fung

A session bringing together groups involved in creating maps of the needs and assets of communities, using new technologies and data to create visual representations that help citizens and government better understand their local areas. Groups will explain the different uses of mapping, the role of technology, and their vision of the benefit mapping will bring to advocacy groups, the public and civil servants.

BC as Citizen Engagement Lab: Designing Citizen Engagement with the Province of BC - David Hume

The BC Public Service is planning work around citizen engagement to help improve the way it designs, develops and delivers policies and services to British Columbians. In this session, the Citizen Engagement Unit in the Office of the Premier will share thinking about what citizen engagement means and why it matters, and seek out opportunities to work with citizens to make engagement plans better.

Orange is the New Awesome: Running an Integrated Social Media Campaign - Kevan Gilbert

Union Gospel Mission raised over $23,000 through Orange Day this year (http://www.domain7.com/orange), by tapping into the power of local people and their passions. Organizers will share what went well and what went wrong, and their thinking on why social media alone isn't enough to sustain an organization. Participants will be invited to discuss what's missing for open-source fundraising tools in Canada, celebrate sucess, learn from failures and help each other get better at using the web for change.

Just Outcomes - Ashley Webster

This session will explore how to ensure that the results of participatory processes are genuine and truly reflective of the population. Better outcomes is a contested idea - this session will explore the need for not just better outcomes, but more just outcomes. Participants will identify the possible ways in which participatory systems could be manipulated and brainstorm ways to safeguard against misuse.