Using Technology to Promote Civic Engagement
By By Joel Pierson - Business Network
Sep 1, 2006 - Bloomington
http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/htoxtras/busnetpdfs/BizNet_2006_09.pdf
An educated electorate is an engaged electorate. Too often, voter turnout is low when citizens feel they don't have the information they need to vote intelligently. One local business is working to improve this situation. Its name is Humanetrix, and its mission, as detailed at www.humanetrix.org, is "to create and support the development of open innovative technologies which serve to bring people together across the spectrum of the human condition and to promote positive change in society at large." Humanetrix does this by using information technology, specifically the Internet, to provide tools for the good of the public. At the heart of this mission is "the promotion of human dialog, personal interconnectedness, cultural understanding, the cultivation of civil society, general lifelong curiosity, and the greater enjoyment of life."
Clearly, these are all good goals, but what do they entail on a tangible level? For that information, Business Network spoke to the human behind Humanetrix, Mr. Rick Dietz. He explained some of the things the company is doing to meet these goals. "We hope to contribute by building new community bonds and a strong, civil society. I will be the first to admit that technology is not the be-all and end-all; its reach is limited, even though it's becoming more and more ubiquitous. We recognize this, but believe there is a place for technology and technologists in the philanthropy world that transcends building websites and providing tech support for not-for-profits." Dietz added that a secondary mission of the company is to provide a volunteer outlet for technologists that taps into a broad range of expertise.
Dietz pointed out that Humanetrix is not trying to be at the forefront of I.T. innovation. "This is intentional. What we are trying to do is bring to bear technologies that are already in relatively common use, but focus them on projects that have a community benefit. We certainly have some novel ideas, but the application of technology for the community good is our focus."
An important project for the benefit of the community is the Citizens' Toolkit, a project of the Humanetrix Foundation, found online at www.citizenstoolkit.org. The site has been active for two election cycles, and provides local citizens with election information that is easy to access, understand, and use. This includes candidate lists and profiles, and links to local media coverage, plus a function called the "Poll Finder." This database contains registration data from the County Clerk's office, which allows Monroe County citizens to confirm their registration, locate their polling place, and print a map or get directions online. Additionally, the site features information on early voting and absentee mailin voting for those who will be out of town on Election Day.
Humanetrix views the Citizens' Toolkit as an educational tool, rather than as a deciding factor in the outcome of any given election. Dietz pointed out that the service doesn't play a huge role in the election results, but "we do get thousands of visitors to the Toolkit in the days leading up to the election, and it is heavily used on Election Day itself. Our largest single user on election days has been the Monroe County Library. I presume the bulk of this traffic is librarians on staff, assisting library patrons with their Election Day questions. This was a pleasant surprise the first cycle the Toolkit was open, and it's been consistent since then."
At present, the Citizens' Toolkit is a local project. Dietz believes that given Indiana's shift to a statewide voter registration system, it could very well expand to the statewide level. He admits, however, that this would be a costly procedure, and would limit the group's current focus on Monroe County. "We have certainly considered expanding the scope of this project," he said, "but this coming election, our efforts will likely be focused locally. That having been said, we're always looking for opportunities to expand our impact."
To help in expanding that impact, Humanetrix welcomes the contributions of technology expertise or tax-deductible donations from local citizens and businesses. The company is a 501c3 charitable organization. Election information will be posted and updated at the Citizens' Toolkit website through Election Day on November 7.
