The Rationale: From Digital Divide to Doing Democracy

Participation is a simple, powerful idea. It is the core principle of our ongoing social experiment in democracy. In practice, inclusion and participation define self-governance. Meaningful participation is power. The expectation is citizens can and will act to protect a common or public interest when given the means to participate and support to act. We call this active process of engaging, inquiring, learning, and acting together community competence. Community competence does not just happen. It is the result of "doing democracy".

The "doing" requires the right places, tools, and interactive processes. The key to public access in Austin is selecting the right places as CTCs, ensuring that CTCs have technology that favors citizenship over consumerism; and supporting CTCs and their members as they find and test inclusive and participatory ways to bring citizens together to learn better ways to teach and learn from each other about solving problems.

Comprehensive development of people, organizations or communities does not occur in a vacuum. And, it is not assured by just more income and more consumption.

More info

Digital Divide in Context

this page last updated
April 18, 2002