The Scottish Parliament's e-democracy work, including its eEurope award nominated e-petitioning initiative, has been showcased at the 6th Worldwide Forum on e-Democracy. Delegates at the conference in Paris heard about Holyrood's use of the internet as a tool for democratic engagement from presiding officer George Reid.
Reid explained how the Scottish Parliament uses technology to engage voters, and emphasised the power of the internet to motivate groups like young people and people with disabilities to get involved in democracy.
The Forum also heard how the website allows voters to interact with the Parliament's Public Petitions Committee. The 'e-petitioner' initiative enables the public to raise and sign e-petitions, add comments to online discussions and gives individuals and groups the chance to raise issues of concern to the Parliament. A third of all petitions are now submitted to the Scottish parliament electronically, and the initiative has been shortlisted for an eEurope award - the awards funded by the European Commission that recognise innovation and good practice in eGovernment in Europe. And in August, the Bundestag in Germany followed Scotland's lead and launched its own e-petitions service.
The Parliament's website also carries webcasts of chamber and committee debates, interactive forums on issues such as draft legislation and committee inquiries, and has dedicated pages for young people. Each MSP has their own webpage containing video messages and contact details. Information on the Parliament is carried in a variety of languages, and there are also details of how the hard of hearing can get involved.
Speaking after the event, Reid said: "This was an excellent opportunity to share the Scottish Parliament's experience in the field of e-democracy, and to demonstrate that the world of politics must keep pace with the world of information technology."
Quelle: eGov monitor, 04.10.2005
