Obama: "America's First Online Social Networking President"

From Wednesday's Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/30/AR2008123003518_pf.html

"With some notable exceptions, federal Washington -- how agencies deal with citizens, the process in which policies and laws are created -- is stuck in the Encyclopaedia Britannica era. A relatively small group of editors and contributors is in charge. A growing portion of the country, however -- the Web-enabled set that swears by MySpace and YouTube (and note the emphasis on "My" and "You") -- lives by the wisdom-of-the-crowd, I-have-something-to-contribute ethos of Wikipedia.

In the same way that anyone can edit a Wikipedia entry, not only will Web-acculturated citizens speak their minds, but they also won't ask anyone's permission to do so.

It has been only a decade since an American president first used the Internet. In the mid-1990s, the Clinton administration created WhiteHouse.gov and ordered all federal agencies to get online. For the first time, the government used the Web to describe what it was doing in its own terms, bypassing media middlemen. George W. Bush's two terms brought podcasting, online chats and videos to the presidency's online presence."

Change Can Begin with YOU

With the inauguration around the corner, we have been asking ourselves
"What's Next?" How can we be a part of the change? In response to those
questions, this campaign calls for Americans everywhere to think about the
change they can make in their community in the coming year, then visit the
Case Foundation's web site and share this commitment with us ­ and the
world. The campaign is simple and easy. There is no idea too big or too
small.

Just by pledging to make a difference, one lucky individual will win an
all expenses paid Inauguration trip for two. This includes airfare, a three
night hotel stay, and tickets to the Inaugural ceremony and the Hawaii
Inaugural Ball. And, in the spirit of giving, this person will be set up
with a once in a lifetime opportunity to serve in Washington, D.C. as part
of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

The Change Begins with Me campaign is just the beginning of our year-long
effort to help transform inauguration excitement into community action. In
the coming months, the Case Foundation will connect commitment makers with
ongoing opportunities to serve, provide a venue for discussion and networking, share inspirational stories, invite participation with our civic-engagement programs and partners, and catalyze action through mini-grants and other incentives, including:

· A six month survey reporting on the status of commitments;

· Monthly spotlights on inspiring commitments to change;

· An Ask the Changemaker online chat and Q&A series, highlighting government and non-profit leaders at the helm of change efforts;

· Talk + Action = Change monthly mini-grants competition, where five $500 grants will be given away each month to passionate individuals with innovative ideas about simple ways to connect with others in their communities, talk about what's needed, and then take action together.

Financial Illiteracy is Not Merely Generational

Financial illiteracy is not just a problem of the Millennial Generation, but it has and will continue to become a problem that the generation will be forced to solve.


http://www.freep.com/article/20081216/OPINION02/812160340/1070/opinion02

There is an intergenerational problem with spending and credit in this country that has contributed to the current financial crisis. Members of the Millennial Generation may not necessarily be "bad with money" or "financially illiterate," but are victims of changed circumstances.

For example, state education is no longer at affordable prices in many states. That used to be one reason many young adults were able to go to college is because education at a state school was so affordable. Now, students are forced to take out thousands of dollars worth of loans or make the decision not to attend college. Further, especially today, stopping at a bachelors's degree does not seem like an option to many, and graduate level education, once again, seems like a "must have" to survive.

One might point out that many people who cannot afford to attend college simply do not go. One may claim they made a financially prudent choice. Yet, many Millennials who do not or will not attend college are also running into credit problems, and are barely able to make ends meet.

Millennials, on the whole, have access to a wider variety of information, both on and offline. Many are fully aware of the risks of taking on high-interest student loans or extending credit lines, but when the decisions of previous generations have left them with their hands tied, it is not always a choice to make perhaps imprudent financial decisions, but a necessity of the times in which we live.

Millennials have inherited financial illiteracy and will have to teach themselves how to overcome it.

The Fundamental Needs of a Millennial

I often ask myself “What are the fundamental needs of a millennial? What are the needs that we have that are unique to us, to where we are in life as a population?” If you are trying to mobilize a population and give them a distinct voice, I think you would have to base your efforts around what is fundamentally unique to them. Kind of like a Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, but specific for the 12-32 population. That’s what the AARP mostly does for the retired population and people 50 and older. They focus on health care and prescription drugs, social security, insurance, and financial planning. Those are the main issues for that population due to where they are in life.

I have come up with three main fundamental needs that are unique to where we are in life as Millennials:

1. Becoming individually self-sufficient
2. Making friends and starting our own family
3. Being a civically engaged citizen who gives back to our world.

These three areas are the bottom line for all the other issues we care about. They are the end product. They should be the foundation of what mobilizes our population.

Being individually self-sufficient is a major goal of our population. That’s why groups out there are fighting for issues like higher education access, lowering of debt, increased job opportunity, and affordable healthcare. It all leads back to economic self sufficiently. Reaching that point of economic freedom is huge a milestone for people in our generation.

Making friends and starting our own family is another major goal for our population. When we are young, having meaningful friendships is a vital part of life. But as we get older, meeting a special someone and getting ready for family life (however you define that), is something almost everyone eventually wants. That’s why social networking groups and online dating sites are so popular with our population. They help fill that need.

The third major need is being a civically engaged citizen who gives back to our world. We all want to discover our own political voice and stay informed on the issues that are affecting our community. We all want to have our say in what goes on in our government, at every level. We all want to play a part in creating the solutions that will makes peoples lives better.

I believe these three needs are what drive the millennial population. They are the end product. Any mobilization effort would be greatly improved if it recognized how their specific cause or program tied into these overarching needs.

In my next article, I will talk about the Six Fundamental Needs of a College Student, and how my organization, Student Advocacy Network, was created to define and address those needs. Access to higher education is a major contributor to fulfilling all three needs of a millennial: becoming individually self-sufficient, making friends and starting our own family, and being a civically engaged citizen who gives back to our world.

The Internet in 2020

The Pew Internet & American Life Project is out with its third report, "Imagining the Internet: A History and a Forecast" today, including hundreds of respondents from the field of computer technology with their thoughts on what the Internet will look like 11 years from now. From the executive summary, here are some key findings:

• The mobile device will be the primary connection tool to the internet for most people in the world in 2020.
• The transparency of people and organizations will increase, but that will not necessarily yield more personal integrity, social tolerance, or forgiveness.
• Voice recognition and touch user-interfaces with the internet will be more prevalent and accepted by 2020.
• Those working to enforce intellectual property law and copyright protection will remain in a continuing "arms race," with the "crackers" who will find ways to copy and share content without payment.
• The divisions between personal time and work time and between physical and virtual reality will be further erased for everyone who is connected, and the results will be mixed in their impact on basic social relations.
• "Next-generation" engineering of the network to improve the current internet architecture is more likely than an effort to rebuild the architecture from scratch.

Check out this site, http://www.imaginingtheinternet.org/, which includes the report.

A Craigslist for Service

Check out this from The Huffington Post:


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-newmark/a-craigslist-for-service_b_150924.html

Seasons Greetings!

The Mobilize Staff  - Maya, Ian, Ana, Chris, and Nick - wishes you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday.

DC Office:

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Information Team:

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Millennial Generalization

Wanted to post this for our readers: http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/2008/12/10/melliennial-barack-obama-ent-manage-cx_sb_1209berglasmillennial.html.

We invite your comments, and my own are coming later today.

The Blagojevich Scandal: A Call For Change

The indictment and arrest of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is yet another example of a broken system of government where the opportunities for real change are impeded by the corrupt ambitions of a few. The FBI audio recordings which will no doubt be played at a forthcoming trial provide substantive evidence to those who argue that they no longer live in a country whose government is responsive to their needs. Further, the Governor’s refusal to resign, even when faced with near-certain impeachment by the State Legislature, shows that elected office has become an institution mired in its own self-gratification and isolated from the needs of the people it is structured to service. It is easy to look at the Blagojevich Case and decry the damage that it does to the present state of our Democracy, at what we already know is a critical state. As Bob Edgar, President of Common Cause, said yesterday, “It is always disheartening to see elected officials appear to veer off the path of the public interest that they pledged to serve.”

Although it is harder to do, the case is also, more importantly, a compelling example for citizens to become engaged, demanding that their elected officials be agents of change, accountability and leadership. As Millennials, we are uniquely positioned to leverage our social networks through new and evolving channels of information to demand that our democracy be upgraded.
Coming just a month after a historic election that produced, for many, a hope that America would return to a road of progress, the news from Illinois this week show that the work ahead will be difficult and that change will only come through cooperative efforts. For many Millennials, who voted for the first time just four weeks ago, it is frustrating to see the promise that was associated with the presidential campaign still be far off in the future.

Yet just as campaigns are won and lost on the grassroots effort, so too is our theory of Democracy 2.0, our Millennial-generated plan to upgrade the process of American governance. Beginning at the local level, individual citizens identify problems affecting their communities. Once problems are identified, they must engage in conversations searching for innovative solutions, and then these solutions must be implemented, assessed and adjusted as necessary. The ultimate vision for Democracy 2.0 rests with the institutionalization of this process within the framework of every level of American governance.

As Millennial leaders, we are compelled to not let egresses examples of corrupt abuses of power deter us from advancing our cause or suppressing our voice. Joining together, we will demand our elected leaders uphold their office to the highest standards possible. The first way to begin this process is by dialogue and we encourage you to become involved and engaged through the channels that Mobilize.org offers on our blog, website and other online networking sites. Offline, the conversation of bringing Millennial-generated change will dominate our forthcoming grant summit, Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0, where teams are invited to summit project proposals and compete for funding. For more information, visit www.democracyupgrade.com.

Behind the results

Survey reveals voting disparities on Nov. 4


African-American voters waited more than twice as long as others to vote in last month's presidential election, and Hispanics were asked to show identification more often, a survey released Tuesday showed. Although Election Day ran smoothly for most voters, the survey of 10,000 people by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found at least one in four voters lack confidence that their votes were counted correctly…

For the full article review USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-12-09-voting_N.htm

More than a month after the elections, there is still news on how the voting process developed in different regions of the States. Although it went very smooth for most of the American population, there were others that were not as lucky.
I recommend this article only because I believe it is important to be informed of every detail, and analyze the different scenarios in order to understand the behavior of the American society.

Others Reaching the Same Conclusions on Democracy 2.0

Ever since this presidential election, the term "Democracy 2.0" has popped up all over the place. While some have a different definition of the term or merely use the term to describe the new administration, it is great for Mobilize.org to see others independently define the term in the same way we do: educated and enabled citizens creating change from the citizen-level.

I read a blog today which referenced Democracy 2.0:

"When Democracy 2.0 takes off with the pervasive availability of web 2.0 technologies and a growing awareness and capabilities of well educated populations, the new debate will be on the relevance and sustainability of those 19th century institutional artifacts of democratic forms of governance."

"There is a real possibility that within the next 25 years civil service reform and the re-invention of the State will once again be on the radar screen. Unlike the Reagan/Thatcher era the challenge will not come from some ideological view of how best to organize the dynamic of state, industry, and society relations but rather because increasing forms of disintermediation occasioned by technology and a more autonomous population render the traditional 19th century forms of democratic governance less relevant."

We are seeing the re-emergence of a service culture, and arguably, we are seeing debates with how government should run, placing ideology versus practicality and best outcomes for the entire population.

The post references these trends abroad as well: http://tinyurl.com/6ldswb.

Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0 Updates--12.08.08

The Summit team wanted to share with all our readers recent updates to Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0.

First, we launched an innovative web platform this week, www.democracyupgrade.com, where users can engage an interactive online community in a discussion about upgrading American democracy. Among the features is a Wiki with the text of the Constitution which users are invited to edit. Participants can exchange ideas about building grant summit teams for projects, collaborate on post-election issues, and are invited to submit YouTube videos proposing upgrades to the Constitution.

“Using Web 2.0 platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, we are providing a platform to engage in a discussion about Democracy 2.0 before the Constitutional Convention begins,” said Nick Troiano, 19, Mobilize.org Technology Officer. “All content submitted and discussed on the site will be integrated in deliberative dialogue sessions during the Convention,” noted Troiano.

Second, in addition to exciting technology, both Generation WE and 18 in ’08 have joined the host of sponsors for the Convention. 18 in ’08, led by 19 year-old David Burstein, will be filming a documentary of the Convention, collecting video from Convention participants and working to get participants flip cameras to document their post-election experiences.

"Now that voters have made their voices heard, the Constitutional Convention provides a unique post-election opportunity for young voters to remain engaged in democracy," said National Constitution Center President and CEO Joseph M. Torsella. "We are proud to host this event at the Constitution Center in Historic Philadelphia, the birthplace of democracy."

Constitutional Convention: Building Democracy 2.0 will give Millennials the opportunity to sustain the election momentum they created to ensure that the civic and political dialogue around major issues affecting them continues and results in action that causes systemic and lasting positive change.

Millennials and their Economic Impact: The Housing Market

From Millennial Makeover:

http://millennialmakeover.blogspot.com/2008/12/millennials-can-also-fix-housing-market.html

Millennials Sound Off on Bailout

Stumbling across this youtube video today, I was reminded of the amazingness of Web 2.0. This young man makes a plea to the country to support the Detroit bailout. He was featured on the UAW's site as well. And who said these issues were too complicated for us young folk?

To Answer the Identity Question, We are "Game-Changers"

Care of Kristen Cambell over at The Case Foundation:

http://www.socialcitizens.org/blog/are-todays-young-people-policital-game-changers


We are game-changers. We do not accept how things are being done and constantly look for ways to innovate and reform. We are just stepping into the political sphere, and I think the in the next few elections, both major gubernatorial elections nationwide and congressional elections, we will see the impacts of Millennials, not just at the polls, but behind the scenes on campaigns and even running for office themselves.

Who Are We?

"Welcome to the socio-literary parlor game of 'Name That Generation,'" writes William Safire of the New York Times in a recent piece that detailed the frustrating and recurring exercise of giving an entire generation a single identity. 

Off the top of my head, these are just some of the names the 95 million young people of America have been dubbed:

Generation Y – due to the fact that we follow Generation X

Generation We - dubbed by billionare Eric Greenberg in a new book

Generation "O" (for Obama) – presumably because the mania has no end

9/11 or Freedom Generation - as a result of the generation-shaping events in 2001

DoSomething Generation - which is leading with 78 votes on the organization's Website

Generation Net (for Internet) - complements to the technology that shaped us 

Generation S (for service) - because Usher wanted in on this game too

Millennial Generation - resulting from the new Millennium we are growing up in

 

The list goes on, whether reflective of the times in which live, the events that have shaped us, the new technology that surrounds us, the rather egoistic ambitions of those who want to be the next Tom Brokaw (who is credited with naming the “Greatest Generation” with his book), or even the alphabet we use.

I have a feeling I am not the only one suffering from this never-ending identity crisis. But maybe it is not a bad thing. Perhaps it is characteristic of the time in which we live when deliberations on these topics are extended by the very nature of their being open to so many voices that have little to no barrier to entry in the debate. No longer can a single book, a single billionaire, or a single artist come along and give an identity to tens of millions of people, though they may try. 

It seems time will be the only solution to this consequence of inclusivity. Everyone has their preference - mine is Millennial Generation - and that's understandable. What is problematic is something being stuck to our generation and not adopted within itself. Maybe we should put all of our technology to good use and settle this once and for all.