Netizens, Engagement and Empowerment

May 16, 2014

Is online engagement between citizens and government the way of the future? Tools such as the Better Life Index enable people to tell us what they think is important for wellbeing, but how can governments best capture the views of netizens in policy making. And are some groups, such as older people, excluded from this brave new online world? The OECD Forum session on Netizens, Engagement and Empowerment tackled all these issues. 

Quotes:

Anthony Gooch Director, Public Affairs and Communcation, OECD

“Democracies have people at the centre of them. The OECD's Better Life Index puts citizens at the centre of what we do."

Ken Bluestone, Influencing and advocacy manager, Age International

“Where netizenship is really going to come into its own is when you have a government that recognises an online campaign that has happened, and changes policy and gives feedback to the people that organised it.”

Jon Worth, Political blogger

“We do still need politicians … who is going to resolve that dispute between big corporate interests and an online citizens campaign … you need politicians for that.”

Eva Majewski, Chairwoman, European Democrat Students

“Political parties do not function as they used to … people are more likely to join civil society groups that are focussing on a single issue … for politicians the challenge is how to engage with those groups.”

This session took place at the OECD Forum on May 5 2014.

Related links:

“Healthy, happy and wise” (Press release)

Reasons to be cheerful .... (Blog)