Refreshing the Forum
From:
Gavin Sealey
Date:
2007 Aug 31 11:03 UTC
Short link
Thank you Charles and Raymond for the kind words. While I will be stepping down
from the role of forum manager I would certainly like to remain an active
member of an active forum. A space for discussion about local issues that is
not 'owned' by any particular interest is of potential benefit and I hope that
forum members will help promote its development and expansion.
The forum was originally set up with the support of our American colleagues
Steve Clift and Tim Erickson from the E-Democracy. The goals of the forum are
simply outlined on this page: http://e-democracy.org/center/whyjoin.html - The
forum was set up with the support of Newham Council and most of the steering
committee members were council officers; while this had some advantages it
meant that those managing the direction of the forum were perhaps not
sufficiently rooted in the community and felt obliged to act as facilitators
rather that active participants. There is clearly a tension between being an
employee of a council and being a leading member of a body often critical of
that council; particularly when that criticism is at times personalised. The
setting up of a new steering committee whose members are not, or are not
predominantly, council officers is pretty essential in moving the forum
forward.
Charles said "Until such time as this Forum is known to the wider populace of
Newham it will never get off the ground". This is of course the key factor.
There have been a number of suggestions as to how we could get more people
involved ... what is needed is a collective will to implement these
suggestions.
.