DavidM 510 Project Notes

DavidM: project under development is described here: http://wiki.zooid.org/wiki/Intervention_2009

Selected target communities

• Plateau arrondissemont municipal affairs
• CEDEC (research)
• EYE Steel films (open access)
• Plateau heritage group / tourism
• Mayor's office - participatory budgeting
• SDC - merchant association
• Parc Ex CEDEC discussion

• Urban Ecology Center:

Advocate for municipal transparency and citizenship. Founder of the organization is co-creator of Montreal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities and founder of Montreal citizens summit. Bilingual organization. http://www.urbanecology.net/ (dmitri)

• PARC -EX (physical community) Project Genesis

http://www.genese.qc.ca/

We address people's questions and difficulties related to tenant-landlord law, welfare, pensions, family allowances and other income supplement programs, immigration issues, access to public health insurance, and other areas. In a neighbourhood where over 40% of households live below the poverty line, we involve people in defending social and economic rights through individual services and community organizing.

Question: How can information technology be used to allow better transmission of information from government --> Project Genesis --> client citizens. What information does Project Genesis need and not have? What information do citizens need and not have? How could Project Genesis use information technology to more effectively advocate for it's clients?

Specifically there is the possibility of creating mapping tools with this community either for use by citizens or use by the organization to identify economic factors of their area.

• Accessibility

A key issue in discussing use of information technologies by community organizations is access for the disabled population. The aims of improved services for citizens and increased accessibility are complementary in terms of the innovations and changes required. There is an important need to ensure web accessibility standards in all of the technology built during this project.

• Strategic support - Montreal Charter:

Using the Montreal Charter as a document to leverage social change - specifically the following sections:

Whereas Montréal recognizes that it may, through its actions and authority, help promote the rights and responsibilities of citizens;

Whereas Montréal intends to engage its elected officials, employees, para-municipal agencies and city-controlled corporations in an effort aimed at promoting and protecting inclusive citizenship;

Montréal hereby proclaims through this Montréal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities its commitment to work with its citizens in building on these rights and responsibilities and in ensuring their application.

ARTICLE 16 | Commitments

To foster participation by citizens in municipal affairs, Montréal is committed to:

a) Encouraging public participation and providing citizens with useful and clearly formulated information;

b) Facilitating access to documents pertaining to municipal affairs;

Project Overview:

Take advantage of the Urban Ecology Center as a place of municipal innovation and citizen engagement to assist community group working in a geographic area to assist them through identifying areas where IT (probably web based) could be used to facilitate better information transfer. Keep relationship with disabled association to make sure that solutions benefit everyone, including disabled, and keep a look out for areas which the three groups could participate together to push for policy change, possibly using the assistance of the Ombudsperson for the Montreal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities.