Tomorrow night I am speaking at the Pecha Kucha event on The New Political Compass. The doors open at McDougall United Church 10025 - 101 Street at 7:00pm and the presentations start at 7:30. Tickets are $10.00 at the door on $9.00 online at http://www.tixonthesquare.com/
This Edmonton NexGen event is a very interesting and focused format. There are 11 of us presenting with very strict rules of engagementimposed by the Pecha Kucha "culture." Each presenter will have 20 powerpoint slides which will display for 20 seconds each. None of the slides are allowed to have have text on them. This is tight 6 minute and 40 second total time for each presenter. Obiously your must have a point, make it resonant, ensure its compelling and quickly move on to the next slide...and keep going. I imagine it will be like speed dating with an audience.
If your audience mind wanders you can always catch up...but you better not let that happen if you are a presenter. The lawyer's sin of being more voluminous the luminous willl be punished with this format and punished harshly. OMG - I may have to use a script.
It promises to be an engaging and entertaining evening with a wide array of important subjects and interesting speakers. the event is called "Psst! It's a Secret" so maybe I'm not supposed to tell you much about it. Come out anyway and have some fun - even if at my expense.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Alberta's Politics Needs Transformation, Not Just a Partisan Revolt on the Right
Here is a pretty good story in the Calgary Herald outlining some of the feelings of some conservative leaning citizens in Alberta. It is focused on rural attitudes but I think those in the cities are feeling much the same way. Of course there is much more behind this disaffection with those who have political power over us.
Citizen re-engagement is what Reboot Alberta is all about. It is about getting past the grumpy, the cynical and the disillusionment with our political culture and governing institutions. It is about taking back control of our democracy at the personal and community level. The decline of deference in Canadian politics has been well documented. That values shift is no emerging into a new sense of assertive citizenship and positive activism.
What is next for our democracy in Alberta and Canada is the emerging question. That is the the overarching theme of Reboot2.0, the next gathering of progressive thinking Albertans that are coming to Kananskis Feb26-28. You might want to come to Reboot2.0 if you yearn for some changes in the directions and the decision making in our province.
Check out Reboot Alberta. If you see some of your concerns and issues being discussed there, join in the conversation on the website and become part of this citizen's movement to rejuvinate democracy, one citizen at a time.
We need more than just a political revolt to change how we are governed. We need a transformation.
Citizen re-engagement is what Reboot Alberta is all about. It is about getting past the grumpy, the cynical and the disillusionment with our political culture and governing institutions. It is about taking back control of our democracy at the personal and community level. The decline of deference in Canadian politics has been well documented. That values shift is no emerging into a new sense of assertive citizenship and positive activism.
What is next for our democracy in Alberta and Canada is the emerging question. That is the the overarching theme of Reboot2.0, the next gathering of progressive thinking Albertans that are coming to Kananskis Feb26-28. You might want to come to Reboot2.0 if you yearn for some changes in the directions and the decision making in our province.
Check out Reboot Alberta. If you see some of your concerns and issues being discussed there, join in the conversation on the website and become part of this citizen's movement to rejuvinate democracy, one citizen at a time.
We need more than just a political revolt to change how we are governed. We need a transformation.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Democratic Deficits, Progressive Values and Reboot2.0
One of the Reboot Alberta theme streams progressives are following is the democratic deficit and what reform measures we could take to fix the problem. Alberta mirrors the national problem but the fact is the federal abuse of power is more blatant in the hands of Harper than in Alberta.
Yes to the Cons who will howl about Chretien's abuses too - as if that gave them license to continue to abuse our democracy. Especially since Harper ran an won - twice- on a platform of more accountability and transparency. The Harper hypocracy is coming home to roost and it is about time. Prorouging to avoid accountability and forgetting his Senate reform undertakings plus his deceit about the recession and stimulus funding are just some of the consistent character flaws our Prime Minister is showing. Canadians are coming to the conclusion Harper is a clever and conniving politician but he comes up way to short of the minimal standards to be worthy of our consent to govern us.
I will be dealing more with the reality of the Alberta democratic deficit in future blogs and post Budget to be sure we are as current as possible. In the meantime, to get you in come context consider this Globe and Mail column today by Lawrence Martin on the national democratic deficit.
There is a lot to consider in this area of our democratic deficit. People who came to the first Reboot Alberta event and many people who are coming to Reboot2.0 in Kananaskis Feb26-28 will be grappling with their citizenship concerns as Progressives. The obvious need for more integrity, accountabilty and honesty in our Alberta political culture is becoming apparent to everyone paying even minimal attention to the issues in the province. If you share these kind of concerns about the future of Alberta and want to know more about what is going on in and about our government consider joining us at Reboot2.0.
In the meantime, if you believe in the need a more progressive approach to politics, help Reboot Alberta by taking a conjoint survey on Albertan values. It will uncover some of the most and least important values we Albertans feel should be applied when political and policy decisions are being made by our government.
It takes about 8 minutes and is frustrating for some folks. You are required to chose a most and least important value from sets of four, and usually the values presented are all important. However we always make value tradeoffs and this survey brings that reality to the forefront. Which values do you think politicians and their advisors should consider mostly when they are making public policy decisions?
It is an anonymous survey but you can leave an email address in the survey and receive a copy of the results. The aggregate survey results will be presented in greater detail at the Saturday evening dinner at Reboot2.0. Take the survey. Don't get frustrated. Stick with it. Your input is important to help Progressives learn what values we share and how intently we hold to them. Click here to take the survey.
Feel free to forward this blog post to others in your networks who you believe are progressives and want to do the survey and personally reactivate their sense of citizenship. Reboot Alberta is all about citizen engagement and you are welcome to join the movement.
Yes to the Cons who will howl about Chretien's abuses too - as if that gave them license to continue to abuse our democracy. Especially since Harper ran an won - twice- on a platform of more accountability and transparency. The Harper hypocracy is coming home to roost and it is about time. Prorouging to avoid accountability and forgetting his Senate reform undertakings plus his deceit about the recession and stimulus funding are just some of the consistent character flaws our Prime Minister is showing. Canadians are coming to the conclusion Harper is a clever and conniving politician but he comes up way to short of the minimal standards to be worthy of our consent to govern us.
I will be dealing more with the reality of the Alberta democratic deficit in future blogs and post Budget to be sure we are as current as possible. In the meantime, to get you in come context consider this Globe and Mail column today by Lawrence Martin on the national democratic deficit.
There is a lot to consider in this area of our democratic deficit. People who came to the first Reboot Alberta event and many people who are coming to Reboot2.0 in Kananaskis Feb26-28 will be grappling with their citizenship concerns as Progressives. The obvious need for more integrity, accountabilty and honesty in our Alberta political culture is becoming apparent to everyone paying even minimal attention to the issues in the province. If you share these kind of concerns about the future of Alberta and want to know more about what is going on in and about our government consider joining us at Reboot2.0.
In the meantime, if you believe in the need a more progressive approach to politics, help Reboot Alberta by taking a conjoint survey on Albertan values. It will uncover some of the most and least important values we Albertans feel should be applied when political and policy decisions are being made by our government.
It takes about 8 minutes and is frustrating for some folks. You are required to chose a most and least important value from sets of four, and usually the values presented are all important. However we always make value tradeoffs and this survey brings that reality to the forefront. Which values do you think politicians and their advisors should consider mostly when they are making public policy decisions?
It is an anonymous survey but you can leave an email address in the survey and receive a copy of the results. The aggregate survey results will be presented in greater detail at the Saturday evening dinner at Reboot2.0. Take the survey. Don't get frustrated. Stick with it. Your input is important to help Progressives learn what values we share and how intently we hold to them. Click here to take the survey.
Feel free to forward this blog post to others in your networks who you believe are progressives and want to do the survey and personally reactivate their sense of citizenship. Reboot Alberta is all about citizen engagement and you are welcome to join the movement.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Social Media: Changing the Game of Politics
Had a great time doing a podcast at the request of the Alberta Liberals on social media and how it is changing politics. Here is the link to the podcast. Give it listen and let me know what you think about how social media can - and is - changing politics.
My sense is the impact is already dramatic. Just look at the Obama campaign. Also, we have just seen the tip of the iceberg The conventional old-school political ships-of-state command-and-control types will either hit the iceberg or they will sink even before they get there. If they sink beforehand it will be cause of they have not repaired their communications and political culture fast enough to adapt to the new world disorder on the Internet.
I have done a major piece for The Edmontonian on the reluctance of government and business to embrace social media. It will be in the February edition coming out soon.
My sense is the impact is already dramatic. Just look at the Obama campaign. Also, we have just seen the tip of the iceberg The conventional old-school political ships-of-state command-and-control types will either hit the iceberg or they will sink even before they get there. If they sink beforehand it will be cause of they have not repaired their communications and political culture fast enough to adapt to the new world disorder on the Internet.
I have done a major piece for The Edmontonian on the reluctance of government and business to embrace social media. It will be in the February edition coming out soon.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Reboot Alberta is Doing a Citizen's Survey on Progressive Values
RebootAlberta2.0 is scheduled for February 26-28 at the Delta Lodge in Kananaskis. The Agenda for the event will be on the http://www.rebootalberta.org/ site on Monday so people can see what is about to happen around progressive politics in Alberta.
SURVEY WILL EXPLORE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PROGRESSIVE IN ALBERTA:
Part of the process leading up to Reboot2.0 will be an online conjoint survey designed to glean insight into the kinds of values progressives attach to their citizenship and relations with governments. The survey will force participants to make some hard value choices and tradeoffs...just llike in real life. It will help Reboot Alberta participants answer the question they posed at Reboot1.0 "What is a Progressive?" There will be a link to the survey on the Reboot Alberta site starting about Wednesday next week.
There are discussion papers and blog posts on the Reboot website exploring that same question: What is a Progressive? Here is a link to them http://www.rebootalberta.org/index.php/whats-a-progressive. I encourage you to read them and comment too. Writers and bloggers love comments and feedback.
CAN REBOOT 2.0 BE A POLITICAL GAME-CHANGER IN ALBERTA?
The focus for RB2.0 is to get individual participants to share their personal stories and concerns about the direction Alberta is heading. Conversations are game-changers but only if they have good listeners as well as opportunity to voice ones own thougths. What Reboot2.0 is going to do is get individual progressive Albertans to gop beyond talking. Progressive citizens need to start taking personal responsibility to "Press for Change" and start taking effective action to impact the political and public policy agenda in Alberta.
Cynicism and indifference are luxuries we can't afford anymore. This is especially true if the only "viable" political choices we are being offered is a far right-wing or an extreme right-wing political culture. Albertans need more options and political choices to have an effective vibrant democracy.
LOTS OF WAYS TO PARTICIPATE IN REBOOT ALBERTA:
Many of the actions Reboot people will be undertaking will be within the four Theme Streams that are emerging in the Reboot Alberta community. They are to start a new progressive political party, to pursue ways to encourage more voter participation and democratic and electoral reforms. Some want to pursue the progressive political agenda as members of the conventional political parties and governing institutions. Others in the civil society stream want to enable ane empower the not-for-profit and voluntery sector to have more respect and influence on the politics and public policy decisions in the province.
REGISTER FOR REBOOT ALBERTA:
There is lots of Buzz happening about Reboot Alberta. The Twitter hashtag #rebootab is the second most popular provincial political hastag in Canada. The website http://www.rebootalberta.org/ has had 6000 visits and almost 22,000 page views since it went live on November 27 at Reboot1.0. Not bad uptake considering this was over the Christmas holiday period. Not too shabby from a standing start for Reboot Alberta merely 2 month ago.
If you consider yourself to be a progressive thinking person concerned about the future of Alberta you will be interested in Reboot Alberta. If you want to be part of this citizen engagement movement or are just curious about whzt the fuss is all about, you should come to Reboot2.0. You can register here: http://rebootalberta.org/rsvp We are a month away from Reboot 2.0 and space and hotel rooms are limited. So if you are coming, you best get registered ASAP. I look forward to meeting many of my new virtual friends in real life in late February in K-country at RebootAlberta 2.0
SURVEY WILL EXPLORE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PROGRESSIVE IN ALBERTA:
Part of the process leading up to Reboot2.0 will be an online conjoint survey designed to glean insight into the kinds of values progressives attach to their citizenship and relations with governments. The survey will force participants to make some hard value choices and tradeoffs...just llike in real life. It will help Reboot Alberta participants answer the question they posed at Reboot1.0 "What is a Progressive?" There will be a link to the survey on the Reboot Alberta site starting about Wednesday next week.
There are discussion papers and blog posts on the Reboot website exploring that same question: What is a Progressive? Here is a link to them http://www.rebootalberta.org/index.php/whats-a-progressive. I encourage you to read them and comment too. Writers and bloggers love comments and feedback.
CAN REBOOT 2.0 BE A POLITICAL GAME-CHANGER IN ALBERTA?
The focus for RB2.0 is to get individual participants to share their personal stories and concerns about the direction Alberta is heading. Conversations are game-changers but only if they have good listeners as well as opportunity to voice ones own thougths. What Reboot2.0 is going to do is get individual progressive Albertans to gop beyond talking. Progressive citizens need to start taking personal responsibility to "Press for Change" and start taking effective action to impact the political and public policy agenda in Alberta.
Cynicism and indifference are luxuries we can't afford anymore. This is especially true if the only "viable" political choices we are being offered is a far right-wing or an extreme right-wing political culture. Albertans need more options and political choices to have an effective vibrant democracy.
LOTS OF WAYS TO PARTICIPATE IN REBOOT ALBERTA:
Many of the actions Reboot people will be undertaking will be within the four Theme Streams that are emerging in the Reboot Alberta community. They are to start a new progressive political party, to pursue ways to encourage more voter participation and democratic and electoral reforms. Some want to pursue the progressive political agenda as members of the conventional political parties and governing institutions. Others in the civil society stream want to enable ane empower the not-for-profit and voluntery sector to have more respect and influence on the politics and public policy decisions in the province.
REGISTER FOR REBOOT ALBERTA:
There is lots of Buzz happening about Reboot Alberta. The Twitter hashtag #rebootab is the second most popular provincial political hastag in Canada. The website http://www.rebootalberta.org/ has had 6000 visits and almost 22,000 page views since it went live on November 27 at Reboot1.0. Not bad uptake considering this was over the Christmas holiday period. Not too shabby from a standing start for Reboot Alberta merely 2 month ago.
If you consider yourself to be a progressive thinking person concerned about the future of Alberta you will be interested in Reboot Alberta. If you want to be part of this citizen engagement movement or are just curious about whzt the fuss is all about, you should come to Reboot2.0. You can register here: http://rebootalberta.org/rsvp We are a month away from Reboot 2.0 and space and hotel rooms are limited. So if you are coming, you best get registered ASAP. I look forward to meeting many of my new virtual friends in real life in late February in K-country at RebootAlberta 2.0
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