Smart Lobby Firms Need an Open Mind

My latest post on LinkedIn:

Knowing someone who can frame an issue in your language and make it relevant to your immediate concerns or plans is incredibly helpful, as is having someone on the outside you can speak with to get a safe read on the external landscape.

Self-serving?  Maybe, but it's also sound advice.  Altruism, after all, is selfishness that plans ahead...

SOS - Shindig On Society (co-written with Derek Alton)

Shindig on Society (S.O.S)

This is how we play!

There is a growing movement of people re-imaging and re-building society in Canada and around the world.  This movement is embodied in places like CSI and MaRS and in communities like Studio Y, Ashoka and SiG.

These are people moving in the same direction and playing with similar ideas but without common ground to play on.

We aim to change that.

The Shindig on Society (SOS) will bring this emergent community together in a playscape that is the Internet made physical.  This space will be in the real world everything the Internet is online – a place to explore, try, hack, dismantle and recreate (possibly on the site of an abandoned town or facility).

SOS is not a conference, nor an un-conference; there is no agenda.  Instead, SOS is a festival of the possible, a playground for change-makers to explore, consider and build:

1. Relationships - building, renewing and deepening authentic relationships
2. Ideas - hearing, sharing, developing, challenging and reimagining each other ideas
3. Tomorrow - visioning/dreaming of possible futures

The following core values will provide form to the SOS experience:

• Collaboration and Co-creation
• Acceptance
• Curiosity
• Creativity
• Inclusivity

Let’s do this in 2017 to build off the energy and the zeitgeist of Canada’s 150th birthday, but also to envision our legacy - what we want our country to look like by our bicentennial and what will have to happen over the next 50 years to get us there.

-------------

In 2067 Canada will be 200 years young; the 52 years that separate today from that bicentennial will be defined by our generation.  Let’s create a festival that brings together people from across Canada to celebrate the country we are creating, the societies we are becoming and the communities that are emerging.  

This festival is a chance for people to mix with other like minded individuals, to share ideas, cross-pollinate, discuss issues, dream and build together.  It gives permission for the growing movement to get to know itself, and for the individual members to start to feel part of something greater than the sum of its parts.  Let’s do this every year, creating an expanding space across geography and time that  allows ideas and people to reconnect, build and grow.  

Patronizing Citizen Richard

 

I want to be Canada's first non-government public servant

I've spent the last four years actively working in the Open Government, Open Data, and Civic Engagement space.  I don't consider myself as an advocate, activist, lobbyist, or expert.  I like to think of myself as a Fanboy and I celebrate change instead of damning the status quo.

 

There really isn't anyone that I know of on the Canadian (or any) landscape quite like Richard.

 

He's pretense-free, which is rare.  He's thoroughly committed to his ideals, of which he's not at the centre - we are.  Richard has a code of ethics that he follows, religiously, because be believes integrity matters.  Richard is open, a natural communicator, great at breaking down complex issues and ridiculously committed to making a difference.

 

Best part is, Richard does what he does because he believes in it.  He's not after profit, even to his own detriment sometimes.  This doesn't mean he's got trouble securing funding or donations for projects - #OGT14 is proof of that.  It means that you never need worry about him being inefficient with resources.

 

What that means is he's the kind of public servant we'd love to have more of.

 

It's kinda hard to save the world on an empty stomach, though, so Richard is looking for support to do what he does.  To be clear - his services aren't for sale; he believes that they're valuable enough that someone out there will surely be willing to pay for them.

 

Richard isn't looking for an employer, an investor or a sponsor - he wants a patron.  Consider him a civic engagement artist.

 

I'm going to invest in Richard - he's earned it and besides, I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.  Whatever it may be, it's something Canada will benefit from.

 

Check him out, folks - this is community art like you've never seen before.  We need more like him.

 

Open Tune: The Music of Something Beginning

 

"Data is the orchestra, creative is the music.  You need both."

 

It was the music of something beginning
An era exploding, a century spinning
In riches and rags and in rhythm and rhyme
The people called it...

 

What should we call it, folks?  This new music we're writing.  We're giving the nation a new syncopation, but every movement needs a name.

 

We're open to suggestions.

Long Emails, Big Ideas and Shared Solutions

 

We all know that money is tight these days.  We want to be sure that whatever financial resources are being used get used effectively, efficiently and towards the realization of the right goals.

 

That doesn't happen in silos.  It can't.  Society is a complex machine with multiple moving parts - we need all hands on deck, all parties collaborating to make the thing work.  It takes discipline, patience, foresight, communication and a great deal of empathy to bridge the gaps, mend the fences and build the relationships necessary for success.

 

Here's the good news.

 

If we can get past the barriers that divide us, overcome the turf wars fostered by a silo-based, top-down work culture that impedes ownership and shared solutions, the table is already set with all the tools, ideas, organizations and people we need to make success happen.

 

Here's an email I sent yesterday that, while long and cumbersome, maps out some of those organizations, individuals and initiatives and indicates how they can connect.

 

All it takes is for the people with money and influence to step up - or help others to do the same.

It's good to hear that there's both recognition of an interest the importance of providing youth positive, skills/employment related alternatives.

Be warned: a lot of content follows!

There are a lot of players looking to support the same thing in different ways; what's needed is a strategy and some lateral-thinking, dedicated outreach to bring all these ideas and organizations together.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTRE

Andrew Cox/Teisha Mullings had a great idea for a safe space that local residents (their focus was youth) could go to for computer access, table space, a business-book resource library, etc.  Andrew also had the idea of this space holding info sessions around how to do business plans, where to find funding, etc.

Sylvia Kim, manager of CSI Regent Park has invited whoever wants to come from Lawrence Heights to visit the office, see how it operates, etc.  I've offered to help Andrew with the logistics, planning, timelines, etc.

I don't know where he's at in the process, but I haven't heard from in a while.  All these resources are available, just waiting for a call to action.

ONLINE COMMUNITY AND RESOURCES

Additionally, I've connected with AJ Tibando, CEO of an NFP web platform called My SoJo that is a resource hub for people wanting to turn ideas into action (a new project, a business, a political campaign, etc.).  One of the things I'm hoping SoJo includes are templates and how-to videos on everything related to start-ups and campaigns.

OPEN DATA

The City (as well as the province and the Feds) are pushing Open Data initiatives - making public data available for public usage.  This serves as a tool for government accountability (ie, backlogs for community housing repairs and whether come communities get more timely repairs than others), but also economic opportunity.  There are many active public servants working with whoever's willing to make this happen.

RocketMan is a great example of how Open Data can be turned into a business idea; public info on where public transit is has become an Ap that lets people know when their bus is coming.

Make Web Not War (a Corporate Social Responsibility project of Microsoft) is pushing for governments to open data for all these reasons, using Microsoft's cloud for presentation.  They are looking for stories of how open data has made a difference/led to businesses as part of their advocacy push.

PUSH ELITE

Jabullah Murray (of Lawrence Heights) has a cool program that provides basketball training, but also leadership training and community engagement for youth.  I don't know how effective his curriculum is, but this is the kind of grassroots, success-oriented program that could do wonders if properly supported.

And, if it works, could be promoted as a model to be copied in other communities. That would be a great win and branding opportunity for Lawrence Heights, as well as a source of pride.

GOVERNMENT YOUTH PROGRAM FUNDING

There is a ton of money available through existing and emerging government programs (as per the Wynne budget) that could go to creating new, duplicative programs instead of being directed towards tying existing programs like everything above together.

Trillium has a focus right now on youth and all things digital that could be tapped into by community youth if they knew it was there and knew how to access it.

If provincial/city funding goes to salary top-ups for summer programs for youth, we know that's not sustainable and ultimately demoralizing for the youth.  If a condition of that funding were to be tied to leaving youth time to participate in leadership-building, business-skill building, financial literacy, etc., more youth would get this support as well as getting the summer jobs.

There is a lot that could be done right now if existing programming were lined up and funding properly allocated - the problem is that nobody's paid to be the middle man and few people have the bandwidth to bridge the gap between all of these communities.

Happy to discuss/connect you gents with players in this space.

Cheers,

Craig
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

The Fall, The Fire and The Garden

But it remains the case that, in this as in other areas, we have vested far too much power in one man, with results we can now plainly see.

Lots of questionable actions in politics these days.  Lost of hasty decision made on narrow interests - go fast to go far, the message goes; win the race and it's too late for your opponents to do anything about it.  Victor, spoils, etc.

Every time that turns out not to be the case, vested interests dig their heels in a little harder, thrust out their elbows a little further.  The choices being made are increasingly selfish and, therefore, increasingly short-sighted.

What's the message that's coming across?

Several themes run through these: a contempt for civil liberties, for due process, for established convention, for consultation, for openness, replaced throughout by a culture of secrecy , control, expedience and partisan advantage.  Worse, there is virtually nothing anyone can do about it. All governments have displayed some of these traits.  If this government has pushed things further, it is because it can: because we have so centralized power in the Prime Minister's Office, with so few constraints or countervailing powers.

PMO has become the new Privy Council; the Prime Minister has replaced the Crown as the divine authority of the land.

It's a system that cannot work, is not working and given the complex, integrated nature of our challenges, will fall sooner or later.

I'm all for reparations, taking what we have and working patiently, collaboratively and structurally to make it work.  It's possible - just not easy.

People tend to prefer the quick and easy path - especially when they're angry.  We're increasingly frustrated; when that boils over, it won't be pretty.

But there will be no excuse, not at any level, for not having seen this coming.  

We can nurture the social garden, but only by committing sociology.  The alternative is brushfire.

Whatever path we choose, we're going to end up in the same place regardless.  Whether the journey is through fire or not is up to us; which is why it pays to look ahead.

Building Brand for the Journey Ahead

IN THE COMMUNITY 

Our focus is on innovation, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and those who hold those values dear.  

Together we're leading a movement to break rules and challenge convention.  We are a brand of builders.

Here's how my head works.

I'm reading an article about how violence is not a product of mental illness when I see a Frank and Oak ad on the right side of the page.

What makes this add really stand out?  Why, the beard, of course.  The model's sporting one manly face carpet.

Kinda like this gent on the right.

Mark MacDonnell is a serious dude with a seriously awesome, ZZ Top-worthy beard.  

Mark's a confident guy, comfortable in his own skin.  He commands authority with his presence, which is the look Frank and Oak was going for in their add.

This gets me curious, for reasons to be made clear shortly.

I go to Frank and Oak's website to suss out what they're all about, if their overall brand holds true to the emotional impression I've formed from their ad.

Turns out it does.

Innovation.  Entrepreneurial. Challenge Convention. Brand of Builders.

And my favourite - For the Journey Ahead.

Frank and Oak believes that every day is Day One - that's the mentality that keeps them motivated, keeps them open, keeps them moving.  They've got a mission to shake things up a little.

Which is, to a tee, what the Open Community is all about.

The tech geeks, civil servants and agents of change like Richard Pietro are all about breaking new ground, harnessing new tools and disrupting the status quo of government to build a truly responsible society with a matching Open Government.

It's a long road, a challenging ride, but an adventure worth taking.  In fact, it's one we can't avoid.

This summer, Richard Pietro will be taking the sweet, sweet ride Mark's sitting on across Canada on an OpenGov Tour.  He's going to be exploring the country, connecting with its people.  He's also going to be spreading the word about what Open Data is and why it's such an amazing opportunity for Canadians of every rank and station.

Richard's a pretty confident guy.  He tends to have a beard, too.  And he's taking a motorcycle across the country, paving away for the journey ahead towards an Open Canada.

The connections form.  Frank and Oak represent the same basic theme as Richard and the OpenGov road tour, #OGT14.  They want to disrupt, to build, to innovate a community.  Those are the same themes that permeated yesterday's #GOOD14 conference.

How might we break down the walls that separate us, overcome the biases of the past and build an Open Community together?

Frank and Oak have the same basic mission; best of all, the look and attitude they champion is Richard's Road Trip personified.  Or vice versa.

Opportunity knocks.  A tweet gets sent.  

Now, Richard has a set of values that I respect a great deal and would never dream of challenging.  His tour is his, and his alone.  The message he carries is a universal one, but he is committed to not being a signboard for any organization.

Web Not War has provided him a great deal of funding for the trip because they believe in his mission, not for direct personal gain.  But they gain anyway, of course; altruism is really just selfishness that plans ahead.

There's an opportunity for Frank and Oak to do the same, building their brand along the way.

And the journey begins...