(This is a draft for posting to the localsustuk discussion list)
Re: International conferences....
I can't help feeling that the objections to using modern technology in this case video/tele conferencing and similar, simply echo the kind of objections people used to come up with against using, trying out, getting comfortable with computers, email, discussion lists, websites, and so on. Even those of us interested in this kind of stuff probably don't know about more than a small fraction of what's out there, what's already possible. It's often not the technology that's not there, but our openness to expose ourselves to it.
I agree with Stephen (if understanding correctly) that "building trust and engagement ..., actually working together" is probably much more of a social and cultural thing rather than anything to do with whatever technology is being used. (Most of us probably wouldn't use a badly designed meeting space as a scapegoat for an ineffective meeting would we?)
"...sharing through on-line" will continue to seem difficult if we continue to view the opportunities for it as (only) time-limited and episodic (via conferences), rather than something in which we can engage continuously (and so learn to get better at). This, it seems to me is the mistake that government continues to repeat over and over again with community involvement generally. (As long ago as January 2004 recommendation no. 1 of the Phillis report included the idea of "continuous dialogue"), Civil society surely has the potential to be much better than this, doesn't it?
Phil Green
Sustainable Community Action wiki
nearly up to our 1,500th article!
posted and awaiting moderation Philralph @sca21 15:18, 3 October 2008 (UTC)
Post accepted Philralph @sca21 14:55, 6 October 2008 (UTC)
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