Second PEP-NET online discourse on eParticipation in Central and Eastern Europe

The Pan European eParticipation Network launched its second online discourse.

The discourse starts today and you can go to www.internet-discourse.eu to take part (or go directly to http://www.internet-discourse.eu/demos.php?&page=new_author to register). eParticipation and civic engagement practitioners from Central, Eastern and Western Europe will discuss a wide range of issues: from opportunities and challenges, to the structural, political and cultural problems that may stand in the way of successful eParticipation in the region.

The focus of the discourse will be the development of strategies to enhance eParticipation in Central and Eastern Europe and overcome the obstacles identified. The final outcome of the discourse will be a paper, describing the situation of eParticipation in the region and making recommendations for improvement, which will be presented to the European Commission and other influencers of eParticipation.

The discourse is broken down into three phases: “broadening”, “deepening” and “consolidating”. In the broadening phase, ideas and possible topics for discussion are fielded. Some of these are then selected for a more in-depth discussion in the “deepening” phase. This means that you can decide what is discussed before you discuss it. The final phase, “consolidating”, aims to summarize the results of the discussionand to highlight both areas where consensus has been achieved as well as those where different view points remained, resulting in a situation paper. The whole discussion is moderated by a dedicated team, so you can engage in a constructive and structured discussion.

This is the second of three PEP-NET discourses. The first discourse was successfully held in early 2009 as a support action for the European eParticipation Study.

We look forward to reading your contributions on internet-discourse.eu!