I’m going to Washington DC for the Politics Online Conference & eDemocracyCamp 2!

Sorry I’ve been MIA these past few days. I was ill and at the same time trying to internalize everything that’s been going on.  Just in case you’re wondering why I’m going to Washington DC, its because I recently won the FutureGov competition to go to the Politics Online Conference in DC. Here is my entry video that won the competition

FutureMinds for FutureGov from Liz Azyan on Vimeo.

Just in case you’re wondering what the Politics Online Conference is all about, here is an excerpt from the website:-

The Politics Online Conference sits at the intersection of smart politics, good governance, transparent democracy, and innovative technology, spotlighting tools, applications, strategies, and ideas that affect a range of functions, from writing policy to organizing democratic movements to running a smarter political campaign to building dialogue with your constituents.

People come to the Politics Online Conference to learn about cutting-edge trends and to gain access to the visionaries who make those trends possible. They come to find solutions. They come to discuss their ideas with other experts in the field and outside the Beltway. And they come to network.

Here is the agenda for the two days of the conference.  I’m looking closely into the breakaway and trying to choose the sessions carefully.  I’m happy to hear your thoughts on this.  And possibly take with me the questions that you may have.

Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) has confirmed their participation in the 2009 Politics Online Conference.Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R WA-5) has also confirmed she will be on the panel, along with Congressman John Culberson (R-Texas-7), Congressman Steve Israel (D-New York-2) and Congressman Tim Ryan (D-Ohio-17).

Senator McCaskill and Rep. McMorris Rodgers to keynote “Elected and Connected: Uses, Dangers and Benefits of Being an Elected Official in a 2.0 World”

Taken from IPDI website

IPDI Director Julie Barko Germany said, “We’re very excited to have Senator Clarie McCaskill on board. She was one of the early adopters and has certainly become known for her use of twitter and other social media tools.We’re really looking forward to hearing her thoughts about the pros and cons of using the technology as an elected official.We are also thrilled to have Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference, joining us on this panel.”

“Online tools help me stay connected and get feedback from the people I work for,” Senator McCaskill said.  “I’m excited to talk about my experiences with these tools and learn more about new technology I can use to stay in touch with Missourians.”

“To inspire the next generation of America’s leaders, we need to harness the power of new communication tools,” Rep. McMorris Rodgers said.  “I thank the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet for hosting this discussion and for encouraging the use of new media tools.”

I will also be attending the eDemocracyCamp 2 in Washington DC on the weekend before the Politics Online Conference.

eDemocracyCamp is an unconference (what’s this?) about e-democracy (using the internet to support democratic processes) with a particular focus on e-participation (using the internet to support public participation). The goal is to connect researchers, developers, practitioners, citizens and other enthusiasts for a day of intense collaboration and knowledge sharing.

So the month of April will certainly be a busy one for me! I’m looking forward to go and start networking and interviewing knowledgeable individuals in this area. Please stay tuned to all the updates I will be writing posts and twittering live from Washington DC! I’ll make you feel as if you were there! 😉

Till then, take care and keep reading LGEO Research!

Liz