Icelanders on Friday delivered what may set the template for other governments: a crowdsourced constitution.
A group of 25 citizens presented a draft of the constitution to Iceland’s parliament. The group, which is made up of ordinary residents, compiled the document online with the help of hundreds of others. The constitution council posted the first draft in April on its website and then let citizens comment via a Facebook Page. The council members are also active on Twitter, post videos of themselves on YouTube and put pictures on Flickr.
Iceland’s original constitution was created in 1944 when the country gained independence from Denmark. The country’s economic collapse in 2008 prompted calls for a rewrite with checks and balances to prevent a repeat of the financial crisis. The draft was due before the end of July. It may be put to a referendum without the input of parliament.
Iceland may be ahead of the curve on using social media to inform its new government, but it is not alone: Earlier this month, volunteers at a series of hackathons at Stanford University created a site where Egyptians could discuss their proposed constitution.
Image courtesy of Flickr, WorldIslandInfo
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Posted on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:05:18 +0000 at http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/Mashable/~3/-ANMC-DrZDk/
Comments: http://mashable.com/2011/07/29/iceland-crowdsourced-constitution/#comments
A group of 25 citizens presented a draft of the constitution to Iceland’s parliament. The group, which is made up of ordinary residents, compiled the document online with the help of hundreds of others. The constitution council posted the first draft in April on its website and then let citizens comment via a Facebook Page. The council members are also active on Twitter, post videos of themselves on YouTube and put pictures on Flickr.
Iceland’s original constitution was created in 1944 when the country gained independence from Denmark. The country’s economic collapse in 2008 prompted calls for a rewrite with checks and balances to prevent a repeat of the financial crisis. The draft was due before the end of July. It may be put to a referendum without the input of parliament.
Iceland may be ahead of the curve on using social media to inform its new government, but it is not alone: Earlier this month, volunteers at a series of hackathons at Stanford University created a site where Egyptians could discuss their proposed constitution.
Image courtesy of Flickr, WorldIslandInfo
More About: crowdsourcing, facebook, flickr, Iceland, twitter, youtubeFor more Social Media coverage:Follow Mashable Social Media on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Social Media channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
Posted on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:05:18 +0000 at http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/Mashable/~3/-ANMC-DrZDk/
Comments: http://mashable.com/2011/07/29/iceland-crowdsourced-constitution/#comments