I read a short article in the May 6, 2004 issue of Time about a website that embraced a goal that was similar to the one I have for this blog. Unfortunately, the article is not online to link to.
The article was about an American and New Zealander who have created an e-Parliament website (www.e-parl.net). Their goal is to serve as “a town hall for legislators from around the globe.” They created the e-Parliament to allow lawmakers the ability to common challenges. “[There is] no way for M.P.s to learn among themselves, no Google for politics.” says co-founder William Ury.
They hope to provide members with the ability to address issues more swiftly and effectively by allowing members to search for global colleagues who have already begun developing policy on issues like early childhood education and counterterrorism. According to the article, they are in currently trying to figure out how tools like email, chat software and intranets can be best employed.
This is a project I would like to grow out of my blogging here–collecting feedback and ideas to create a resource for cultural organizations to consult. Nobody is contributing right yet, but I have only been around for a few months. In time, perhaps….