Two weeks ago, I traveled to Strasbourg, France, to meet the Edgeryders team, a new project run by the Social Cohesion Research and Development Division of the Council of Europe, with financial support from the European Commission. I am very pleased and honored to be part of this team.
I’m not a European, but my vision extends to Francophonie, and beyond.
I ‘shared my ryde’ (I told my personal and professional story) at Edgeryders, since it is through the eyes of citizens that these government agencies wish to understand what is important to European youth (and not so young people as well). From this information, the Council of Europe will seek solutions to help youth overcome adversity (particularly with regard to unemployment). Thus, this is how should be an open government: listen, show a genuine interest in what is proposed by the citizens, and use this information (the creation of knowledge) to improve public policy.
At Edgeryders, I talked about my open government dream, because this is what has concerned me for several years, enough to have spent much of my time and my energy to try to achieve this ideal. To date, no Francophone country in the world truly adopted an open government policy. None have succeeded in applying the fundamentals of this philosophy (transparency, participation and collaboration).
My opengov dreams are still alive, although what I proposed, the Open Government and Francophonie project, has not come to life yet. When something inside drives you with such intensity, nothing and no one, can destroy it. While government authorities have rejected the ideas I proposed, these ideas were not destroyed. They continue to exist somewhere in me, and in other people as well.
At Edgeryders, I shared the details of a project that does not exist yet. Maybe it will, at one point. It is not real for now, but it has gravitated inside me, and in other people, for more than a year.
These ideas are not just mine, they belong to the community.
By sharing my story at Edgeryders, I met on my way a philosopher. A special type of philosopher: an experimental philosopher. Last week, with Michel Filippi, a discussion took shape, about leadership and open government models. This kind of discussion has never taken place yet in the Francophone world (and probably beyond): I was happy to see it take shape in a place like Edgeryders.
Michel Filippi also shared his story at Edgeryders. Thus, I learned that he is good at creating relationships between things and people, he excels at making models. He pointed to an article by Karl Dubost, dating from 1999, entitled “Semantic proximity”:
"Let the form of action emerge, rather than model the action of the form."
This sentence has been floating in my mind for several days. I was wondering how I would shape a collective Edgeryders mission in connection with open government issues. This sentence comes to me at the perfect timing, as a gift. Thanks Michel Filippi!
I invite those who have open government dreams, like me, and also those who are concerned about the future of our society, to share their story at Edgeryders, and join in discussions, missions, and campaigns, as we weave together valuable information knowledge over the upcoming months.
