Social Media and Social Change collide at Vancouver ChangeCamp – June 20th!
This post first originally appeared on TechVibes.
If you look closely, there’s a major trend happening in the exciting world of social media.
Mashable is organzing the Summer of Social Good. The next Twestival launches tomorrow at the 140 Conference. Techvibes recently sponsored Social Actions’ Change the Web Challenge. As I write this, #IranElection is the #1 trending topic on Twitter. As a community, more and more of us are beginning to see the potential of using social media as more than conversation tools – and more as tools for tackling local and global problems – helping us unite to change our world for the better.
A number of Vancouver’s community members are helping to define this trend – by organizing Vancouver’s first ChangeCamp. “VanChangeCamp” is a unique participatory conference happening June 20th to bring together technologists with changemakers, not-for-profits, business leaders and political & government representatives to explore new ways to collaborate for change and open governance in the digital age. Other successful ChangeCamps have already taken place in Toronto and Ottawa.
VanChangeCamp is unique in that it marries structured conference sessions and “unconference” BarCamp-like sessions – where attendees will be invited to create most of the program during the event itself. A few presenters already slotted include David Hume, BC’s Executive Director for Citizen Engagement, Jacob Glick, Google’s Canada Policy Counsel, and Kevan Gilbert, Union Gospel Missions’ Project Coordinator for Online Strategy. All participants are strongly encouraged to pitch a session for the “unconference” portions and share their experiences and expertise.
VanChangeCamp also builds on the motion recently passed by Vancouver city council endorsing the principles of open source, open standards, and open data — covered by Techvibes here.
Vancouver has an array challenges – VanChangeCamp represents an opportunity to gather diverse communities together to learn, share, and explore solutions in an open and inviting environment. We welcome Techvibes readers and interested technologists (developers, designers, entrepeneurs, consultants, etc.) to help make this event a great success.
VanChangeCamp is this Saturday, June 20th! Tickets are selling fast so sign up to reserve your spot at http://vanchangecamp.eventbrite.com. Please note that this is a no-barriers event, so if cost is the only thing that keeps you from attending this event, please contact our event coordinator Elijah van der Giessen at elijahv@gmail.com to register for free.
We look forward to exploring challenges and building new solutions with you at VanChangeCamp 2009! See you at the event!
Vancouver’s ChangeCamp is made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of Open Web Vancouver, SAP BusinessObjects, Communicopia, and Social Venture Institute at Hollyhock.
ChangeCamp Ottawa Reflections
Citizens lined up at microphones and didn’t yell or make accusations like at most “town halls” in Ottawa. Instead, people proposed sessions, self-organized and taught each other about governance, the Internet and what it means to be part of the community of Ottawa.
I believe a real testament to the long-term impact of relationships built, ideas and thoughts shared at City Hall on May 16 is the ongoing work – online and in real life – because of ChangeCamp Ottawa.
Over 100 citizens came together around one question:
How do you re-imagine government and citizenship in the age of participation?
And now, the conversation continues online and in real life – the ChangeCamp wiki is being tended to by participants and people are still posting, podcasting and processing their thoughts on the day. Ottawa was Canada’s second ChangeCamp. (Here is a great recap how ChangeCamp arrived in the nation’s capital.)
As organizers we knew the event was going to work when people “got it”: citizens pitched ideas, the grid was built and sessions started all with only mild guidance at a few key points. Organizers could sit back and see City Hall was abuzz with activity and ideas.
But, did we make “change”?
