Digitalisation and data-based decision-making have completely transformed the rules of the game for democratic governance in India. The old rules for ensuring participation and inclusion of citizens in welfare systems, public information outreach and deliberative forums are no longer adequate. What must we do to reinvigorate grassroots democracy in the the context of this transition?

Organised by IT for Change, along with Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) and National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI), this two-day workshop will focus on evolving a comprehensive policy approach to data-based governance and digital democracy, grounded in a rights and social justice framework.

The workshop aims to:

• Discuss the institutional norms, rules and practices appropriate to the rise of ‘governance by networks’ and ‘rule by data’ that can guarantee democratic accountability and citizen participation.
• Articulate the steps to claiming the civic-public value of digital technologies, so that data and the new possibilities for networking are harnessed for a vibrant grassroots democracy.

The organisers hope that the workshop can create a civil society coalition which can build effective strategies for legal and policy reform to further participatory democracy in the digital age.

When: 13 and 14 November 2016
Where: United Service Institution of India, New Delhi, India

Visit the IT for Change website for more details of Voice or Chatter?, their Making All Voices Count research project.