Should local authorities encourage grass roots campaigns, or by doing so are they simply creating sticks with which to be beaten?
These issues - and others surrounding dialogue between councils and communities - will be explored at a conference being organised by Bristol City Council's e-Democracy team.
To be chaired by Professor Stephen Coleman of Leeds University, the conference will include presentations supporting opposing points of view. Those presentations will be given by: Steven Clift of Democracies Online; Jamie Rose, Head of Participation Unit, MORI; Matthew Pike, Executive Director, The Scarman Trust; and Paul Slater, Birmingham Community Empowerment Network.
Interactive voting will be used at the start of the event to gauge delegates' opinions and again at the end to see if convictions have been swayed.
The conference will also include the national launch of CampaignCreator, an online campaigning toolkit which is to be available to members of the public for free. Aimed at encouraging community campaigning, CampaignCreator offers advice on all aspects of campaign management. Users can also create their own campaign websites, produce their own posters and manage their own mailing lists. The scheme has been piloted in Bristol and achieved 160 registrations in the first three months.
The 'Activists and Authorities' conference is open to representatives from the community, public sector and government and is free of charge to delegates. It will take place on on Friday 10 March at Explore @Bristol, Anchor Road, Harbourside, Bristol BS1 5DB.
Anyone interested in attending should register at www.campaigncreator.org. Further information on CampaignCreator can be found at www.campaigncreator.org
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