The Open Knowledge Foundaiton is hosting its second-annual forum in London next week, with speakers from the Office of Public Sector Information, Your Right to Know, Public Whip and Love Music Hate Racism. I spoke at last year's event and it was fantastic — a great evening of good, meaty discussion about the ways that information that is produced at public expense can be used by the public.
This forum will focus on open 'civic' information. Civic information is material produced by government or other groups which is relevant to political activity by citizens. In particular it includes:
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The law, be it in the form of statutes or judicial decisions
2.
Statements of elected representatives at the local and national level (for example the records of parliament in the form of Hansard).3.
Information about the activities of elected representatives and other governmental officials
As with the first forum on civic information our focus will be on both:
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projects and software that work to produce or make available open information
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the legal and social issues involved in obtaining and providing such information
Motivating all of these efforts is the goal promoting greater public involvement in the democratic system and increasing the accountability of a government to its citizens.
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When: Tuesday 28th November, 1845 for 1900 start
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Where: UCL (London), Sir David Davies Lecture Theatre, Roberts Building G08
(Thanks, Rufus!)
