Presented by Gregory Asmolov
March 29, 2011
gregory.asmolov@gmail.com
ICT enabled mobilization of power:
Outsourcing
Out of the system/ Top down
Crowdsourcing
Bottom up from within the system
as a resource of power
Programming power:
Construction of meaning for
networked activity (what is the
problem and how to respond).
Switching power:
Connecting networks
How the meaning is
constructed? By whom?
Bottom up or top down?
What are the networks
that are engaged in
mobilization?
In time of crisis or challenge for society the construction
of meaning to (programming) tend to be more bottom
up and switching is able to connect between more
various networked segments.
William Dutton
The Internet is a platform for networking individuals in
ways that can challenge the influence of other more
established bases of institutional authority, and that
can be used to increase the accountability of the
press, politicians, doctors and academics by offering
networked individuals with alternative sources of
information and opinion.
Networked Individuals
Networked Institutions
TRASNSPERENCY
ACCOUNTABILITY
agenda setting/ framing
SELF GOVERNANCE
• Power to frame situation as crisis that requires engagement
• Power to mobilize for engagement
Networked
citizens
State
Networked
citizens
Wildfires
Russian wildfires
State
Russian elections
State
Actors:
Traditional media
Government, parliament,
police, courts (etc.)
Reality:
5th estate
Blogosphere, social
networks, websites
Increasing transparency,
investigating, holding
government accountable
Fulfilling the gaps
organization
organization
Non hierarchical/ networked
Lack of transparency
Unaccountable
Limited action
Controlled space
Security, Welfare
Functions: Law enforcement, justice
Emergency response
Structure:
4th estate
TV, radio, print
Online media
Network society
Relatively uncontrolled
The selforganization
capacity of
society
Functions of power:
The nature of
challenge
and how it’s
framed
1. “Power to”
2. Counter power/ social protest
• The core issue is the capacity of society to self organize and respond to challenges/ crises.
• Mobilization is not only engagement of people to participate in addressing the challenge,
but also creation of new tools for power mobilization (innovation).
Scenarios of relationship between
traditional institutions and networked
citizen based formations:
• Top down/ bottom up programming
• Taking under control existent
initiatives
• Collaboration - synergy between
traditional institutions and
networked crowds
• Ignoring (alternative modes of
governance)
• Restricting – Internet control/
filtering/ DDoS/ prosecution
Mobilization of civil society around social issues:
• Programming and mobilizing the network power
around social issues
• Supporting creation of new tools and platforms
• Supporting skills to use ICT for social: information
literacy
State
Development of capacity to collaborate:
New tools for dialogue and new modes of collaboration
between traditional institutions and networked citizen based
bottom-up structures. Creation of equal partnerships
between state and society
collaboration
State
switching
Programming
Supporting
Network
society
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Development of mode for dialogue and
collaboration frameworks/ platforms
Exchange of data
Division of responsibilities and modes of mutual activation
Information support
Sharing resources (Grid)
Design of platforms that enable equal participation of network
initiatives and institutions
E-gov strategies as enabling infrastructure for collaboration
Online presence not only of politicians but various officials
Removing legal obstacles for activities of networks without
organizational identity
Mapping potential networked resources/ topics for collaboration for
various sectors of governance and monitoring new initiatives.
National Resilience is based on bottom up (citizens, society, small business(
and top-down (authorities, leaders) elements.
Despite the concept that the state and authorities are responsible for emergency
response for national crisis, in the time of crisis there is a significant gap between
the expectations of citizens and the capacity of the state. State can not provide
effective emergency response alone.
Civil Resilience Network – it is a networked infrastructure of individuals and
various organizations that are interested in increasing the capacity for response on
local/national level and promotion of cooperation between various sectors.
Mega-Society: networked coalition of organizations from various sectors, that are
ready to cooperate for addressing challenges, that can’t be addressed with the
current capacities.
http://reut-institute.org/en/Publication.aspx?PublicationId=3729
You know, this is a problem of the people who work for the government. I would be very sad if
every government engagement would require presidential participation. […] I think it's a question
of the people growing up, in general. The only thing that I can promise, that I will continue to
provide a personal example. But eventually, it is a question of how the ministers and head of
departments feel. If they don't want to stay at the dumping ground [to be fired], they should
react in this regard.
D.Medvedev
State-network collaboration in risk society.
National emergency
Constant emergency
Daily common emergency
Networked individuals:
1. Internet users that have
capacity to participate in
collective action
2. Create networked
institutions
Networked institutions:
Enable collective actions that is focused
on solution of specific problem.
(switching power)
Lizaalert.org
Platform that distributes a call about
missing child and create search groups.
It’s very common to have lack of cooperation. In some cases we were asked not to
participate: “Why do we need you? Everything is good here. We can do it without
volunteers”. In some cases they didn’t let us to enter to the police station and didn’t
give us information. In many cases they just want to stay on low profile and avoid
real action. Looking for lost people is not on their mission list.
But after 2-3 days of search they get closer, and the cooperation starts. And if we
are talking about a region where we already worked, sometimes we get a call with
a help request from police.
A platform for coordination of mutual
aid in daily emergency situations.
http://firedepartment.mobi/
Matchmaking
I can help
I need help
Personal profiles
User’s filters :
How to help
When to help
Where to help
Filter-based notification subscription
For: Individuals, NGOs, Gov. agencies
Интеграция с системой документооборота
органов власти Пермского края
Citizens
Problems
registration
Solutions control
Streetjournal.org
Government
Moderation by community
Receiving reports
Defining priorities
Defining responsible
Available to everyone
Implementation control
Прозрачная и эффективная схема взаимодействия с гражданами по
проблемам на территории
From presentation by Alexey Shaposhnikov
Russian regime is focused on
the imitation of governance
without actually governing
the country.
Liliya Shevtzova
The Kremlin is “using the Internet
to create a parody of a real
political process.” Russian officials
were using online tools like Twitter
to demonstrate they were close to
the people on a personal level,
while at the same time avoiding
real political change.
Luke Allnutt,
“Russia's “Youtube democracy” is a
Sham”, Christian Science Monitor
Technology/ crowdsourcing as a substitute to governance.
“
When we
assume people
are principally
selfish, we design
systems that
reward selfish
people …
Elinor Ostrom,
Nobel laureate in Economic Sciences
“Like” society: internal immigration.
“We can do it” – society
Mobilization of network power:
High
High
S
T
A
T
E
H
O
O
D
Low
Crowdsourcing - mobilization of
networked power.
1. “Power to” – сrowd-to-crowd
emergency response mediated
through ICT
2. Counter power/ social protest –
against traditional institutions
3. Power to collaborate – synergy
between traditional institutions and
networked crowds
R
I
S
K
Low
Peer-to-peer governance
From Client-Server
(citizen-government)
towards Peer-to-Peer
emergency response;
New opportunities for
state-society
cooperation.
gregory.asmolov@gmail.com