internet - openDemocracy (Page 52)

Real democracy in Iceland?

After the crash that destroyed Iceland's economy, Icelanders started to take an interest in new forms of political and economic governance. So - what can we learn from the country's experiments?

By Kristinn Már Ársælsson

/ 12 Nov 2012

Iceland: direct democracy in action

ARCHIVE: The Icelandic experiment raises many intriguing questions: how do citizens of a country get called to this office? How do they draft a new constitution? What sort of political forces do they have to balance? An insider view from a former member of the Constitutional Council.

By Thorvaldur Gylfason

/ 12 Nov 2012

Radio Liberty making waves: have no lessons from the past been learnt?

The imminent withdrawal of Radio Liberty from medium wave broadcasting has dented the image of American public democracy, which is perceived as kowtowing to the autocratic will of the Kremlin. The outcry has, predictably, been ferocious. Kristina Gorelik looks back at the Soviet and more recent pa

By Kristina Gorelik

/ 7 Nov 2012

The internet and Tolstoy’s vision of history

The digital age brings with it the promise of micro observation and indefinite memory. This will bring about a different approach to history - similar to what Tolstoy described one and a half century ago.

By Andy Yee

/ 7 Nov 2012

This week's window on the Middle East - November 5, 2012

Arab Awakening's columnists offer their weekly perspective on what is happening on the ground in the Middle East. Leading the week: Putting humpty together again: can the FSA ever be unified?

By Arab Awakening

/ 4 Nov 2012

RuNet, hate crime and soft targets: how Russia enforces its anti-extremism law

The internet is a tool that can be used for good, but it can also be manipulated by fanatics preaching violent hate propaganda. Policing is never going to be easy, but the Russian police inflate their statistics by choosing soft targets and ignoring the truly dangerous criminals, says Natalia Yudi

By Natalia Yudina

/ 30 Oct 2012

Civil liberties, Britain and the US election

No matter the final outcome, the presidential race has already brought about grim prospects for the future of civil liberties in the US.

By Ryan Gallagher

/ 24 Oct 2012

The Icelandic constitutional experiment

This Saturday, a year after a Constitutional Council has written a draft constitution with the help of citizens, voters agreed this draft should be the basis for a new constitution. This writing experiment stands out for its surprisingly democratic process, but a closer look reveals some of its li

By Giulia Dessi

/ 23 Oct 2012

The rise of the sharing economy

The networked world allows an unprecedented degree of collaboration within communities. This could enable a new kind of economy - in Britain and elsewhere.

By Tess Riley

/ 10 Oct 2012

CLEAN IT: the secret EU surveillance plan that wasn’t

There are elements in Europe who would dearly like to see the CLEAN IT wish list put into practice (including from the law enforcement community, the industries that serve it, and the European Commission), but we must distinguish between transnational talking shops, EU working groups and draft EU

By Ben Hayes

/ 9 Oct 2012

Calling for democracy from behind closed doors

Of course, bringing all of the passengers onto the Captain's bridge wouldn't have saved the Titanic. But the current situation in Europe is closer to having all the first class passengers fighting over how to steer the wheel, while those in second and third class jump off the ship in disgust.

By David Krivanek

/ 9 Oct 2012

Icelandic constitution on the way

After Iceland’s financial collapse in 2008, Icelandic citizens wanted a plan to clean up the island’s political system. A new draft constitution, written by a council of ordinary people, was handed over to the parliament. And on 20 October, all Icelanders will be asked for their opinion in a consu

By Giulia Dessi

/ 8 Oct 2012