About Liberal 2.0 Manifesto
This blog will self destruct on January 27th, 2009. Update: After the experience of ChangeCamp, we are going into extended play.
This blog is not an act of rebellion or discontent or meant to be subversive in any way.
It is an short term experiment. A call to arms for all geeks, wonks and anyone who feels like they have a great idea to revitalize the centre (particularly through the use of social technologies) in Canadian politics.
We would like to generate an open source manifesto, in the spirit of ChangeThis or a similar call to action that is focused on how social networking and social media can be used to empower ordinary Liberals from coast to coast.
This quote from the ChangeThis website resonates with us …
Are you an optimist?
Sometimes it seems as though our disagreements—over everything from politics to business to the designated hitter rule—are more serious and more divisive than ever before.
People are making emotional, knee-jerk decisions, then standing by them, sometimes fighting to the death to defend their position.
And yet, we’re optimists.
People call the team at Change This optimists because we don’t believe it has to be this way. We don’t believe humans evolved to be so bad at making decisions, so poor at changing our minds, so violent in arguing our point of view. We’re well aware of how split our country and our world have become, but we don’t think the current state of affairs is built into our very nature.
The problem lies in the media.
In the old days, we had the time and inclination to consider the implications of a decision. Everyone wasn’t in quite so much of a hurry. At the same time, most conversations (and most arguments) were local ones, conducted between people who knew each other.
Today, it’s very different. Television demands a sound bite. A one hundred word letter to the editor is a long one. Radio has become a jingoistic wasteland, a series of thoughtless mantras, repeated over and over and designed to fit into a typical commute.
To find out more, please download our ChangeThis manifesto.
Out with the grim and in with the grin!
What do you want to see the Liberal party change, in terms of how they connect with you?
What do you see as the key technologies to employ, why and what are good examples to point to?
Did you work on Obama’s campaign? Are you a Politics 2.O expert in Europe? Anywhere … have you read a great article or book recently about how Obama overcame the conservative organisation in some of the most difficult to win areas of America or another success story? Please post a link and if possible share some insight on how the approach can be applied in a Canadian setting?
If you do not share your authentic identity, we are unlikely to publish your comments.
If you clearly do not share our enthusiasm for the Liberal Party, then there are likely better places for you to express that then here.
If you consider yourself non-partisan or a worthy opponent and you have a great idea for us that will make the country better in your view then you are welcome!
Everyone is invited to make a guest post on this blog. Existing Liberal stars are welcome but hopefully we get additional voices here. If you are the hottest Web 2.0 guru at your company or non-profit, then why don’t you have a point of view??? Your talent for participation is just as important as the rampant passion for politics that we get so much of in the popular media.
Just draft the post and send it to us. If it is thoughtful, it is very likely to meet our relaxed editorial policies (which we reserve the right to tighten in the interest of our goals).
We are looking for like-minded colleagues in Quebec to figure out the best way to expand this discussion there asap.
This is not a back channel to Liberal organisers. It is an unsanctioned, unassociated, public forum for discussion. The outcome will be a summary of the discussion which will be published here and available for redistribution everywhere, including to your MPs and friends in official circles within the Liberal party.
Why do this?
It is an attempt to create another way to make the Liberal party better and in turn, it is a an act of commitment to a better Canada.
We think a freelance effort like this can be useful. Talent that typically steers away from political waters should feel free to offer their views. No crucible of power or media attention here to muddy the waters.
If we tap into a common sentiment, then we will ALL connect with other Canadians and talented friends globally who feel that we can all do things better and make Canada stronger in the 21st Century.
“The world needs more Canada.” Agreed.
What about the fear of sharing secrets with the other side?
Bull. This is a race to the top. There is no other side in the long run. We believe that publishing is key to new productivity. We believe that all efforts to establish Canada’s place in the 21st Century are good.
