E-democracy project resurrects its parent

Ten years ago, when the Internet was young, my friend Richard Stubbs and others put enormous efforts into giving birth to e-democracy through an organisation they called UK Citizens Online Democracy. The first project, commissioned by the EU office of the European Parliament was to host and manage an online discussion on whether Britain should join the EMU. UKCOD was also heavily involved in research work contributing to the Freedom of Information Act 2000, but despite forming a charity and fundraising it faded from the scene.
I was delighted therefore to see that UKCOD has been revived as the charitable parent - maybe foster-parent - for the very lively mySociety project that is famed for  PledgeBank, TheyWorkForYou, and the No 10 e-petitions site.  The New Statesman New Media Award nomination says:

The No.10 Downing Street e-petitions site was the catalyst for e-democracy hitting the mainstream.

... so this must be an unusual example of an adopted child re-birthing a parent. Or something. Anyway, as soon as I saw the new UKCOD website I checked in with one-time chair Richard, and also with Irving Rappaport who was I believe the first mover of the project.

Richard said he was delighted with all mySociety's good works, and that the work put in by the people who had set up UKCOD and achieved its charitable registration had not been wasted.
Irving came back full of bounce and a fascinating bit of history.

I remember that UKCOD's main claim to fame was as the world's first national online democracy experiment. In the heady, cutting edge days of 1996 - 98, we connected politicians directly with the public they represented using the new internet technology. This led to the public being directly consulted on the Freedom of Information White Paper even before MPs had discussed it in the House of Commons. As a result,  a meeting with Tony Blair was arranged in December 1997 and I have a cute photo of my 3 year old daughter Leah showing dear Tone the future of electronic democracy and how to use the the new 'Have Your Say' website (which was designed with the help of some of Blair's local consituents in Trimdon).

I also remember how we recruited celebrities from the world of film, TV, theatre and music who queued up to have their say on our website with the help of a lovely and very dedicated PR woman by the name of Sarah Macaulay, now Sarah Brown, wife of our soon-to-be Prime Minister.
I am delighted that UKCOD (gotta change that name!) still lives and breathes to startle the world anew! The trick now will be to learn from the success of other mass appeal community sites such as Myspace, Facebook, and Last.fm so that democracy can be enjoyed, rather than endured, by the great British public and evolve into something refreshing and refreshed for the 21st century. That was my vision in 1996 and it still is now...

Richard pointed me to a link on the site which reveals an archive of the Have Your Say website, and the very pic. Click on the thumbnail for full view. That's one of the great things about the Net. You never really die, you are just archived for  possible resurrection.

Technorati Tags: e-democracy

Comments

[Anthony Barnett]

Hi David

The thumbnail does not come up and I can't see the picture. Wouldn't mind reproducing it on OurKingdom so would like to know how to get to it.

many thanks
Anthony

[James Cronin]

The UCKOD "archives" are a bit light, so if there's anything that you still have in your posession that you think should be catalogued, stored and kept then do please get in touch with me.

We're flattered to be associated with your groundbreaking work and are very greatful for the opportunities that standing on your shoulders has given us.

Bests,

James Cronin.
(current) Chair UK Citizens Online Democracy

[gary]

I think we need to take democracy even further...

http://www.UnitedDemocraticNations.org

What do you think? Should we give democracy a chance on the global scale?

gary

[Richard Stubbs]

In view of currrent Chair's comment above I thought worth noting down the following, not least because it might encourage some of them to post!

The original guarantors of UKCOD in November 1996 were:

Manar Hussain
Horace Mitchell
Adrian Norman
Craig Pickup
Bryan Pyne
Iriving Rappaport
Ray Sheath
Richard Stubbs
Dane Wright

Irving never became a Director as he was a paid officer and for him to be a director would have undermined our bid for charitable status. The rest became directors in Nov '06 as did Stephen Coleman. Scott Aikens
and Wendy Thomson became members in '98 albeit they were actively involved before this.