Last year, with support from the Omidyar Network (ON), we launched a special new vertical called “WeGov,” offering original reporting on the many innovative ways people are using technology to increase government transparency, fight corruption, open data and hack on civic problems.
This year, we’re proud to announce that in addition to a renewal of support from ON, we have also begun receiving support from the United Nations Foundation to expand WeGov to cover how tech is being used in innovative ways to strengthen economic development, address environmental problems, improve public health and education, and advance the conditions of women and children all over the developing world.
In tandem with our renewed support from ON, we’re happy to announce that Rebecca Chao will be joining our editorial team as assistant editor. She and Lisa Goldman will jointly oversee our expanded WeGov section. Rebecca recently graduated from Columbia with an MA in International Affairs, where she was an editor of their Journal of International Affairs. She also recently traveled to Bhutan to consult with the Bhutanese government on creating a freedom of information bill for their new democracy, wrote a report for TechSoup Global and The Guardian Development Professionals Network on non-profit technology trends, and has also written for The Atlantic, the Christian Science Monitor, The New York Times Local, and CNN.
We’re also excited to be launching an editorial partnership with the engine room, which uses research and networks to close gaps between advocacy initiatives, technologies, strategies and resources. By producing and sharing knowledge, and by matching initiatives with specialized expertise, the engine room seeks to better understand how technology is powering social change projects around the world. The engine room’s writers will enable us to deepen our coverage of the government transparency side of the WeGov space, producing in-depth reports, features, live-blogs and convenings of practitioners around the world. For more details, see the engine room’s post announcing our partnership.
Over the coming weeks, watch this space for more original reporting, analysis and news coverage. And if you have suggestions for story ideas or you’re a freelance writer with a pitch, write to us at editors at personaldemocracy dot com.
June 05, 2013