What problem are you solving?:

– Turn the focus toward the real aspects of governing and economy that are negelected by the local media.
– Provide a look to the bigger picture of social and economic development through new forms of information visualisation.
– Promote transparency by providing raw data and structured data about what our governement does.

Describe your idea:

We aim to create a project that will provide Data and Data visualization! Through new forms of Data Visualization, it will be easy to draw concrete and logical conclusions regarding the progress or regress of certain aspects of economy and social life in Albania.

By providing a Web Services system, we can provide a first approach to a Gov 2.0 system that can be later initiated by the Albanian Government, just like many other developed countries have created recently.
In conclusion the object of our project will be:
– use and development of information technology for easily understandable visualization of statistics where it is easy to draw conclusions
– provide free dissemination of the results
– publish and distribute value content based on these data via the Internet and other media.
– create communication channels with the public through our website. The public can contribute or ask questions related to the data presented and the operations behind these data.

What country will this operate in?: Albania

Who are you?:

We are a group of IT professionals with an interest in online media. We have been running one of the largest national portal for Albania since year 2002(www.shqiperia.com), and we have contributed to a couple of non-profit open dialogue websites in Albania.

Working with internet and social projects since 2002, we have gathered a lot of internet experience to understand that information is the key factor to a righ decision making policy. There is a need for valueable content in the Albanian Media today.

What problem are you solving?:

By definition e democracy means utilization of the Internet to enhance democratic processes, where the enhancement comes in the form of making the processes more accessible and public participation more direct so as to enable broader influence in public policy outcomes.
With creation of the regional multilingual e democracy platform, we will encourage thinking about Internet as a democratic medium, increase effective participation, voting equality at decision stage, enlighten understanding, enable citizen’s control of the agenda, and increase inclusiveness.
Regional approach will also address the lack of available information about legislations in SEE, lack of civic participation in comparative analysis, lack of adaptation of regional legislatives and lack of involvement of citizens and CSO’s in the processes of policy making and decision taking.

Describe your idea:

Basic concept of the idea of regional e democracy platform is to create public space within the existing community and democracy. Our plan is to involve ICT policy and Advocacy organizations which are already our partners in the region, together with their collaborators from SEE in joint action in order to develop and maintain the regional multilingual and interactive e democracy portal within a network of organizations, promote it and make it effective and useful.
We want to create a multilingual information portal which will include set of multimedia tools that support policy advocacy around ICT’s and regional advocacy and policy making processes. Portal and its components will increase the use and relevance of information resources about elections, governance, the media, and public affairs to help address public challenges and promote active citizenship.
Platform network will include organizations form Croatia, B&H, Serbia, Kosovo, Montengro, Macedonia and Albania

What country will this operate in?: Bosnia-Herzegovina

Who are you?:

I am part of owpsee team as Networking and regional cooperation manager.
Oneworld – platform for south east europe (owpsee) is a civil society network in a virtual on line space. We are the multi language and multimedia platform for civil society organizations in the SEE. Our portal www.oneworldsee.org and all our newer supported platforms use information to enable civil society collaboration and mutual learning in the region. We are also a community and network for/of civil society itself with over 80 partner organizations in SEE
Owpsee channel all activities, programs and initiatives according to two main working areas:
1.Information and knowledge
2.Networking and regional cooperation:
Strongly convinced that world is not neutral and that the means need to be coherent/consistent with the goals, we have chosen to pass all our initiative, programs, events trough the filter of:
* Openess in the information and communication technology
* gender sensitized approach

What problem are you solving?:

Transparency and accountability are amongst many other issues on the Agenda of any Government. In order for Govs to be accountable to their citizens, Govs need specific instruments for doing it. Implementation of these instruments require a certain capacity, knowledge and expertise from various stakeholders at the country level in areas related to information dissemination, Internet, E-Governance and Internet Governance with all components following under the last two…
The experience of the Youth Leaders for Community Development through Internet Governance project implemented by the CMB Training Center Moldova back in 2007-2008 showed that there is lack of this capacity, skills and expertise at the local level and that more should be done in terms of capacity building for the Govs and their agencies in this area. http://cmb.md/igf

Describe your idea:

The main idea of this proposal is build the capacity of 25 key stakeholders in the country in area of Internet Governance including on transparency and accountability via the systemic use of Internet and other ICTs for Development.
The main idea is to provide
1. A capacity building program for representatives of NARTI,Ministry of Information Technologies and Communication, Molddata, Center for special telecommunications, etc.
2. Research on the effects Internet and the information disseminated via Internet on the developments in the society/on the community;
3. National conference on the role of ICTs and Internet on transparency and accountability in the community, based on the main findings of the project.

What country will this operate in?: Moldova

Who are you?:

“CMB” Training Center is active since 2002 in Moldova.

EXPERIENCE RELATED TO INTERNET GOVERNANCE: Veronica Cretu, President of the CMB Training Center acted as an online coordinator for Europe region, within the Internet Governance Capacity Building Program, with DiploFoundation, Malta since May 2005 – till May 2008.

Additionally, Mrs. Cretu acted as At Large Advisory Committee Member for South-Eastern Europe within the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbering (ICANN) from USA during May 2007-May 2008. Mrs. Cretu was in charge of the Organizational Development of the At-large Advisory Committee.
Additionally, Veronica participated in the 1st and 2nd Internet Governance Forums (Athens and Rio de Janeiro), as well as acted as Internet Society Ambassador for IGF in Rio! Veronica also coordinated the Youth Leaders for Community Development for Internet Governance project in Moldova with support from Global Knowledge Partnership, Malaysia.

What problem are you solving?:

We want to work on transparency of inspections in Serbia. The main problem of the work of inspections and is non-transparency of their work. The business subjects and citizens are not adequately informed about:

• Their duties and responsibilities which are subject to the control by inspections;
• Policies and procedures that inspections use in implementation of regulations;
• Individual procedures that they are subjected to (case management in the first and second instance of the inspection procedure).
Moreover, inspectorates have not established adequate mechanisms for open and timely information sharing with the public about results of controls that were undertaken, and that are important for the citizens and general public (such as: findings of the controls performed by the Sanitation Inspection in restaurants and hotels; the results of control of the Environmental Inspection performed on business entities / factories polluting the environment, and so on).

Describe your idea:

The aim is to support business sector and citizens in their right to have transparent and accurate information about their duties and responsibilities which are subject to the control by inspections, as well as policies and procedures that inspections use in implementation of regulations. Moreover, this project aims at offering to inspectorates adequate mechanisms and models for open and timely information sharing with the public about results of controls that are undertaken, and that are important for the citizens and general public.

Objectives:
• Establishing mechanisms for information sharing related to the work of inspections in Serbia (such as: publishing of policies and procedures, reports and relevant data on web-sites, on a permanent basis);
• Decrease of corruption (bribes) in the work of inspections in Serbia;
• Streamlining of practices of inspectors;
• Increase of responsibility of the state services towards citizens.

What country will this operate in?: Serbia

Who are you?:

THE BALKAN CENTER FOR REGULATORY REFORM IS A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED IN 2004 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF SERBIA.

THE FOUNDERS OF THE BALKAN CENTER FOR REGULATORY REFORM ARE A GROUP OF REPUTABLE LAWYERS, ECONOMISTS AND ACADEMICS.

THE FOUNDERS RECOGNIZE THAT SERBIA NEEDS A MORE EFFICIENT AND MARKET-ORIENTED ENVIRONMENT WHICH WILL BOOST MARKET REFORMS. REGULATORY REFORMS AND BUSINESS SIMPLIFICATION CAN INCREASE INVESTMENTS, BUSINESS START-UPS AND INCREASED EMPLOYMENT.

THE MAIN GOALS OF THE CENTER ARE TO:

• GIVE ITS CONTRIBUTION IN THE REFORM OF THE LEGAL AND ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK IN THE AIM OF ITS IMPROVEMENT AND MOVING TOWARDS EUROPEAN STANDARDS;
• GIVE ITS CONTRIBUTION IN THE CREATION OF THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK WHICH IS NECESSARY FOR THE EFFICIENT FUNCTIONING OF THE MARKET, OF THE STATE, DECREASE OF POVERTY, PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT ETC.;

What problem are you solving?:

As a result of the transition to a market economy and years of conflicts and political instability, Serbia is one of the poorest countries in the region. There are an estimated 700,000 people living below the poverty line and many more just above it, 300,000 people with disabilities, 500,000 Roma, many of whom are living in slums, squatter settlements, etc.
Citizens have major needs for social services, however they are not well informed on how to access existing services, where services are located, the quality of the services, etc. Additionally, there are no real mechanisms to influence decision makers and policies are created without feedback from beneficiaries of services. Furthermore, the state lacks the capacity to monitor existing services.

Describe your idea:

Our idea is to start up a forum for citizens of Serbia to ask for information and receive answers, express their views and suggestions regarding social welfare services.

Additional benefits:
– Service providers (state, local governments, NGOs, associations, individuals, etc.) are be able to offer their services, receive feedback from citizens to improve their services, get ideas to start up services…
– Citizens who have already had experience with services could recommend (or not) these services, putting pressure on service providers to improve their services….
– Information from the web site would provide feedback to policy makers, i.e. which services are useful to citizens, which services do not exist, what the main issues are around implementing services/policies, which part of the country doesn’t have appropriate services, etc.

The project would be implemented in cooperation with the Serbian Institute for Social Welfare and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.

What country will this operate in?: Serbia

Who are you?:

LINK 011 was founded in 2005, in Belgrade. The aims of this organization are: to contribute to the development, implementation and monitoring of reforms directed at improving the quality of life of all vulnerable and marginalized groups, their empowerment and inclusion into society, and to develop citizens’ awareness through the promotion of the values of democracy, equality and tolerance.

Some of our donors are and have been:
The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of the Republic of Serbia
The Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Serbia
City of Belgrade
UNDP
CIDA
UNICEF Serbia
Norwegian Government
Social Innovations Fund
The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia

In the past few years our individual members have been working as consultants on the implementation of social policies of international financial institutions such as the EBRD and EIB, in relation to investment projects and loans.

What problem are you solving?:

One of the most stringent problems of the Moldovan society at the moment, especially of the rural society is the absence of the access to information or limited access to the public information.

Describe your idea:

The right to information is fundamental, and limiting it, or even enclosing it, is an infraction of the human rights.
Editing some special supplements to the “Adevărul” (Truth) publication, the topics of which will be fundamental rights and freedoms of the human.

What country will this operate in?: Moldova

Who are you?:

Terra-1530

What problem are you solving?:

1) Prague is one of the absolutely dirtiest cities in Europe and with the worst environment protection policy.
2) Insufficient support and protection of pedestrians in Prague: Although 24% of people in Prague walk, neither politicians nor officials support walking systemically.
3) Children are the most endangered as pedestrians: Walking is very important for a healthy development of children. They should be encouraged to walk, but in many places in Prague they are in danger of fatal collisions with automobiles.
4) Careless attitude of the public and administrators to problem solution: Frequently the reason for the passivity is the fact that officials and politicians do not take the public voice seriously and ignore problems that citizens report to them.
5) There is no functional public forum to share information on the problems and dangers posed to pedestrians, celebrate successful achievement of positive change or address demands directly to competent officials and politicians.

Describe your idea:

Our objective is to create an interactive communal web portal, where people could share information on pedestrian problems in Prague and achievements, and via which they could also address their demands to competent officials and politicians.The core of the portal would be a map.

The project will take advantage of the Internet, which allows collection of information in one place and sharing it among unlimited numbers of users. At the same time, it allows categorisation of information depending on the user’s needs.

The aims are to:
-increase the visibility of pedestrian issues and importance of walking;
-activate the public for more efficiently solving problems;
-actively involve children and schools in the project;
-improve pedestrian safety;
-improve communication between administrators and citizens;
-increase transparency of decision-making in public administration on pedestrian issues;
-improve Prague environment by creating better walking conditions.

What country will this operate in?: Czech Republic

Who are you?:

Oziveni, a citizens’ association established in 1997, has been dealing with issues of corruption and conflicts of interests in public administration and promotion of sustainable development principles through systemic support to sustainable transportation in Prague. Our vision is a functioning and self-confident civil society observing the principles of sustainable living.
The point of our activities in transport segment focus on the weakest and most vulnerable citizens – pedestrians and cyclists. We provide citizens with necessary information as well as professional assistance in solving their problems related to traffic in Prague, we defend their interests in dealing with public administration, and we arrange media coverage for their problems. We support citizens’ involvement in decision-making and public governance, creation of good and equitable infrastructures for pedestrians and cyclists, and promotion of sustainable modes of transport.

What problem are you solving?:

After three years of the application of the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Character in the Republic of Macedonia, the majority of the citizens are not aware of the Law and the possibilities stemming from it, as it was shown by a survey conducted by FOSIM in the beginning of 2009. This project is therefore aimed at raising the awareness amongst individuals on the Law by using Internet, social media and available technologies. So far, there is no information about the application of the right to submit electronic requests and this segment of the implementation of the right to access to information has not been monitored yet. Thus, another aim is to monitor the implementation of the Law in regard to the obligation of information holders to answer to electronically submitted information requests. Moreover, the project is expected to raise the awareness of the citizens about the potentials of new technologies for effective democratic participation.

Describe your idea:

Within this project, a website for electronic submission of requests for information of public character (similar to mySociety’s project WhatDoTheyKnow.com) will be built and maintained by Metamorphosis, with support on the legal aspects by FOSIM Law Program. Electronic requests submitted by the citizens will be received and redirected to the relevant information holders. When answers are received, they will be sent back to the requesters and at the same time disclosed on the website for further promotion of the Law. In addition, there will be activities directed towards raising the awareness about the project and the Law itself, such as announcements on the social networks (Facebook and Twitter). On monthly intervals, direct contacts with citizens will be made, where notebook computers will be taken to the streets and squares and people will be offered to ask for information from state bodies and other information holders instantly, through the established website.

What country will this operate in?: Macedonia

Who are you?:

Foundation Open Society Institute – Macedonia (FOSIM) is a non-profit foundation, established in 1992 as a representative in the Republic of Macedonia of the Open Society Institute network in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2010 the FOSIM Law Program will be focused on achieving the following goals: (1) ensuring government accountability through supporting strategic litigation and independent NGO monitoring aimed at greater access to public information; (2) facilitating transparent process of legislation approximation towards the EU by informing and supporting civil society participation; and (3) improving the protection of human rights by supporting introduction of a new mechanisms for control of government officials and respect of human rights.
Metamorphosis is an independent, nonpartisan and non-profit foundation based in Skopje, Macedonia. Its main goals are development of democracy and prosperity by promoting knowledge-based economy and information society.

What problem are you solving?:

Presently many public activists use already existent social networks for planning of the actions, mobilization of volunteers and search of resources, for realization of own ideas.
Existent social networks do not have the proper functional. This stops activists from more active use of newest WEB 2.0 projects.

The specialized internet-project must cover next necessities of public activists, who work on grassroots levels.
– mobilization of activists/volunteers,
– search of resources,
– search of social technologies and civic instruments,
– co-ordination and management of initiatives.

Describe your idea:

The purpose of project – create an internet-functional which will help to organize the public activity by facilities the Internet. A social network for practical activity of public activists must become a result projected.

It’s planned, that a portal will have three blocks:
1. Actors: people, organizations, community,
2. Actions: projects, petitions, problems,
3. Knowledge: how to do changes.

The feature of project will be a presence of separate block of project management. It will be to conduct planning of actions, measures, campaigns. To co-ordinate the collaboration of activists within the limits of one project. In public – collecting a money and other resources for embodiment of project.

As a result an internet-resource must help:
– search of activists,
– search of knowledges (examples, histories of success, public instruments),
– realization of ideas.

What country will this operate in?: Ukraine

Who are you?:

Civic Assembly of Ukraine is an informal network of NGO’s, independents experts and activists, which was formed for the position consolidation of civil society to the strategic problems of Ukrainian society through a open discussion.
Assembly based on «grassroots activity» principle. Assembly activity operates in principles of responsibility, openness, objectivity, solidarity and indifference towards political parties.

What problem are you solving?:

In Hungary people do not have easily accessible and digestible information on how their MPs work. Although the website of the Hungarian parliament contains all important information, it is not at all user-friendly and citizens seeking for information must go through hundreds of pages of Word documents if they seek information on a given subject.

Contacting one’s MP is a possibility but there is no publicity of such correspondence: citizens are unaware if their MPs answer questions or suggestions.

A number of MPs are very passive – they rarely attend the sessions, they do not give speeches, they are out of touch with their constituency.
As parliamentary elections are coming up in April 2010, we are planning to launch the beta-version of a websiteby the end of February to provide information to voters about current MPs who are also candidates in the next elections. By the time the elections are over we plan to become a reliable resource for journalists.

Describe your idea:

We adapt UK website TheyWorkForYou for the Hungarian conditions. On the Hungarian site the emails sent to the MPs and the responses will appear for everyone to read. We’ll also publish MPs’ voting record (currently available only as a mass of data on the Parliament site)highlighting the hottest topics of H. politics, numbers on participation (and active participation separately), register of MPs’ business interest,expenses,
other positions they have (local governments, businesses etc.)
The main difference between the UK and the Hungarian version is that as the Hungarian parliament does not provide data in XML format, we have to use human workpower to transform HTML into XML. However, as we are planning to launch a campaign for easily accessible and user-friendly data this website might be the most important factor in our arguments.
We give the opportunity to our users to give us feedback on the information we provide so we can adapt the site to the users’ needs.

What country will this operate in?: Hungary

Who are you?:

We are an informal group of IT professionals, Freedom of Information activists and journalists. We have experience with online media and we are interested in transparency and accountability projects.