This document discusses how Facebook can help build a stronger society through activism and participation in government. It summarizes an survey of 500 non-profits that found benefits to having a Facebook presence, including mobilizing, organizing, recruiting and fundraising. Examples are given of activism on Facebook, such as mobilizing people. Resources for non-profits and activists using Facebook are provided. The document also discusses using Facebook and other digital tools to engage people in providing input to government through an online forum process. It analyzes the demographics of the participants and compares them to typical civic engagement demographics. The benefits and tradeoffs of digital democracy are discussed, such as scale but less depth and potential issues with privacy and inclusion. Lastly,
The Role of FIDO in a Cyber Secure Netherlands: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptx
Flexing Facebook's Civic Muscles
1. Image: EddSowden
Susanna Haas Lyons
Public Engagement Specialist
Researcher, University of British Columbia
susanna.haas.lyons@gmail.com
@zannalyons
Net Tuesday| Vancouver | Nov 2011 http://Engaging.ly
2.
3. Can Facebook help us build a
stronger society?
Activism
Participation in Government
52. How often do you normally use Facebook?
3.0%
11.3%
Several times a day
Several times a week
51.1% Several times a month
34.6% Several times a year
53. Have used the Internet, your mobile phone or both to
do any of the following in the past 12 months?
Post on a social networking website
US Internet
Users, Pew
Email someone about a government n=1676
policy or public issue
City of Vancouver
Internet
Users, Mustell
Join a group online that tries to n=428
influence government EVTF
Participants, n=1
36
Post online about a government
policy or public issue
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
54. Participant Age
City of Vancouver
Public Meetings 19-24
(written respondents)
n=120
25-34
Facebook 35-44
Participants
n=537
45-54
55-64
2006 Census,
Vancouver
65+
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
57. • This is all
experimental
• Take risks
• Plan to learn
from our #fails
Image: Denn
58.
59. 5 Must-Dos for Digital
Engagement
1. Ensure a value exchange
2. Focus the discussion on a clear and compelling question
3. Make it easy to participate at all levels of skill, time and
interest
4. Find and encourage early adopters
5. Plan to learn from your #fails and #wins
We use Facebook, a lot. 750M accounts. In Canada, 50% penetration. That’s 16.7 million user.In US, 38% of population
Activism is intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. includes radical and non-radical behaviours
Chile student protests
List building
Also recruitment
Heather Mansfield
Gov 2.0 is a governing method that utilizes online, mobile and Internet-enhanced face-to-face techniques to offer communication between government, citizens and stakeholders. The intent is to increase transparency of operations, improve public participation, and inspire collaboration and innovation through better government openness, accountability, and effectiveness. These changes are fundamentally transforming the way government works, both internally and externally
That’s a lot of residents who’ve got valuable on the ground experience, expertise and willingness to help shape more responsive policy
Governments around the world are using interactive Internet technology to engage citizens in the design and execution of government services, an effort known as Gov 2.0City of Vancouver taking some bold approaches to engagement, this is one of a number of experiments that is part of the Greenest City process
Problem: but the rapidly changing nature of digital media together with limited research on online public participation means that little is known about the benefits or limitations of social media-based public engagement.
I partnered with the city to explore the use of Facebook as a site of civic engagement. Facebook-based public discussion about the City of Vancouver’s Transportation Plan, This study applied best practices of in-person public participation methods to online small group discussions hosted with a specially developed Facebook application.
Explore the viability (from citizen and government perspectives) of social media as a site of government-led public deliberation on sustainability policyAffordances of the tool / how does the Facebook deliberation application encourage or discourage participation?Does participation impact participant’s views of sustainability?Is it possible to host ‘serious’ thoughtful dialogue and deliberation in a social media context where there is a norm of ‘light’ engagement
500+ participants Vancouver area-residents and commutersVoluntary, targeted selection
Three simple tasks
Technology challenges are inevitable!
High levels of interest and satisfaction with the overall approach and location within FacebookParticipants’ views on benefits: at your own pace, wherever you areDrawbacks: too little time for complex discussions