SL Residents Invited To Help Shape Universal Broadband Discussion
August 5th, 2009 | Published in Second Life News
by Avarie Parker
Second Life residents have a unique chance to participate in an upcoming Federal Communications Commission workshop on national broadband and civic engagement. On Thursday August 6th at 6:30 SLT (6:30am PST/9:30am EST), the FCC’s workshop will be streamed into SL’s MacArthur Foundation Island. In-world hosting is being handled by Global Kids and Kuri Minotaur (Krista Hund in RL) will be forwarding Second Life resident questions directly to Washington D.C.
The following topics are scheduled to be discussed. If you have a topic you would like to see included, you may submit your suggestions here.
* Key new technologies for government operations
* How government operations might change if there were universal broadband
* How can access to broadband amplify the goals of open and accessible government (increasing public awareness and participation in government)?
* What are potentially new uses of broadband that might further open government and civic participation?
* How do new media – including social networking tools – advance civic participation and are there limitations or concerns associated with such use?
* How can broadband infrastructure and services improve citizen access to local and national news, information, dialogue with government and other citizens, transactional efficiency, and participation in governance?
* Does access to broadband increase the ability of the average citizen to make her voice heard by the government and other citizens and if so, how can this be advanced?
* What are the benefits of video streaming or video conferencing of government meetings to enable participation by those who cannot attend a meeting in person (because of distance, cost, disability, illness, and the like)?
* Are there other applications of broadband technology that can improve civic participation and how can they be encouraged?
The workshop will also be offered online via a webinar. Registration is required.
MacArthur Foundation Island- http://slurl.com/secondlife/Foundations/120/245/36
Global Kids (GK) is committed to educating and inspiring urban youth to become successful students as well as global and community leaders. Using interactive and experiential methods to educate youth about critical international and foreign policy issues, GK provides students with opportunities for civic and global engagement. Through its professional development program, GK provides teachers and educators with strategies for integrating a youth development approach and international issues into their classrooms.
The goal of the workshops will be to promote an open dialogue between the FCC and key constituents on matters important to the National Broadband Plan. Key constituents will include service providers, equipment providers, applications providers, community groups, and other groups that have a stake in the future of broadband. The FCC intends to conduct the workshops during August and early September. Please check the workshops schedule for more details. In the meantime, please suggest topics and questions for the workshops.