Wiki leaders on the rise

RNW, 28 January 2012, by Maike Winters

(Graphic: Radio Netherlands Worldwide)

               

Could our new world leaders be one of the young people who camped out as part of the Occupy movement or who fought for their lives during the Arab Spring? All these young people were inspired by the idea of change. Now a new political platform wants to unite people with ideas to bring about reform in the Netherlands. Partij2030 is part of a global trend. 

The man behind the initiative, 33-year-old Joop Hazenberg, has spent years searching for new ways to get society ready for the future. In addition to a pro-European policy and an alternative welfare state, his vision centres on crowdsourcing: a kind of wiki government in which our leaders build on the knowledge of citizens, comparable to how we consult an internet encyclopaedia like Wikipedia.

Trend

As Joop explains, he's not alone in his ambitions:

“This model is already being used in other parts of the world. In the UK, for example, major cutbacks are taking place. The government has asked people to contribute money-saving ideas. It’s a fairly controversial move, but it’s generated no fewer than 200,000 responses.”

He continues: “That’s a list a policy officer could never have come up with. It’s all about utilising society’s collective knowledge. Thanks to internet and social media, that knowledge is very easy to find.”

Paul Lucardie, political scientist at the University of Groningen, sees this as part of an international trend.

“People want to have more of a say; they want change. Just look at how the Pirate Party has become an international movement, enjoying great popularity in Sweden and Germany. The trend is to start something new that can be passed on quickly. Unfortunately, these kinds of initiatives don’t usually last long.”

Time and energy

Lucardie is referring to the Occupy movement. After disenchanted Americans occupied Wall Street in September last year, it wasn’t long before demonstrators had set up tent camps in over 900 cities across the world.

“That sounds impressive, but in the end how many people actually took part? Perhaps 100,000. That’s not much out of a population of six billion. People want change, but unfortunately there’s only a small group with the time and energy to persevere. People are more concerned about keeping their jobs and pensions than genuine government reform.”

The founder of Partij2030 begs to differ. The first public brainstorming session is scheduled for next week. People from all regions and backgrounds have been invited to contribute their thoughts and ideas. The aim is to get a new political movement off the ground.

Radical edge

“A fine initiative, very much geared towards the future,” says Ringo Ossewaarde, associate professor of sociology at the University of Twente. But he believes the plans lack a radical edge. As he sees it, a wiki government is nothing new.

“It has existed for years under the name civic engagement. And it’s worth asking what the quality of a policy created by ordinary citizens will be.”

The younger generation needs to be able to trust in government again, believes Joop Hazenberg. Time Magazine declared 2011 to be the year of the demonstrator. Will 2012 be the year of wiki government?

“No, it’s still too early for that. I hope this year will be a year of unity: uniting groups of campaigners and people with ideas and trying to bring about change together. Bringing people together in this fragmented society. Partij2030 is an experiment, to see whether we can take part in the 2014 elections with a radical reform agenda for the Netherlands.”

Agents of change in Cuba and Yemen

Across the world, people are trying to change political structures. For example, Yoani Sánchez from Cuba has devoted years to writing a blog about Generation Y.

The aim of her writing is to promote freedom of information. She was given the opportunity to interview President Obama, who praised her for giving him a unique insight into the lives of Cubans.

Yoani Sánchez has also received a Prince Claus Award and the International Press Institute’s World Press Freedom Hero Award. In an interview with Radio Netherlands Worldwide, she said:

“If this generation of young people gain access to social networks, all kinds of things will happen. I believe that if we can try things out in a virtual Cuba, our encounters in the real Cuba will be less violent and less traumatic.”

Yemeni journalist and politician Tawakkul Karman is another example. She founded Women Journalists Without Chains, fought for press freedom and set up a news service for mobile phones.

Tawakkul Karman led demonstrations during the Arab revolution. In 2011, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her non-violent struggle for the rights of women.

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