Democracy in a Networked World – Ian Schuler (New Rights Group, SAD)

Ian Schuler (New Rights Group, USA) on today’s Conference talked about the topic of new methods of financing, organization and infrastructure needed for the activism in digital age.

He presented the trend of strengthening of online activism on the expense of traditional methods of working of the civil society sector. He underlined the need for adjustment of the civil society sector towards online model of working. Furthermore, he emphasized that many state agencies around the world, including many international organization have already made a step further and have established an online model with the public. However, he mentioned specific problems which occur in regard to information flow through the current online model, which very often depends on foreign money, thus, he reiterated that the internet communication did not fulfill the expectations for promotion of free flow of ideas and that states even today can control the information flow.

Additionally, he also mentioned the security risk which internet poses for many activists and organizations.

He also opened the debate about the ownership of the internet data, while expressing the need for opening a debate about models of online activism, which will not be owned by any private owner or a possibility for state surveillance.

In the end, he said that he still does not see a trend which will contribute to significant change of the current model of online activism, but hopes that the opening of such debate could initiate process of changes.