After a busy week in Tallin at #OGPEstonia and in Boston at the Berkman Klein Center @timdavies considers the question -

"Are we capable of governing ourselves?"

In his #WeekNotes Tim looks at power, institutions, privilege and the importance of facilitation.

https://connectedbydata.org/weeknotes/2023/09/08/tim-weeknotes

Yesterday was goodbye to Tallinn and #OGPEstonia. It was inspiring to see so many pro democracy people and to hear and share in their experiences. I had to get back to Stockholm to get the train to Narvik though #interrail

If you attended #OGPEstonia, you probably saw this face always asking the same question (in an Argentine accent): What about a public infrastructure for electoral processes? This is @pdelboca, Senior Developer at @okfn, finding allies for a project he's starting to develop 🧵

Really interesting and important panel at #OGPEstonia looking at how Environmental Defenders should be encouraged and protected. Lots of examples of why this is important from the audience, but salient in the UK/EU as Environmental Defenders are vilified and prosecuted.

Building Resilience is a hot topic at #OGPEstonia and it is the topic of the next panel.

Join our Global Directory and help us build a resilient and international open community
⤵️
https://network.okfn.org/specialist/

Commitment 2: Participatory development of national data and AI strategies.

Governments should adopt a robust co-creation approach in the development of any national data and AI strategies.

#OGPEstonia

Commitment 1: Oversight bodies for technology procurement.

Public sector organisations should create local oversight groups to supervise procurement processes that involve technology and AI platforms.

#OGPEstonia

Our @timdavies & Helena are with @GavinFreeguard (& many others!) at #OGPEstonia.

Earlier this week we hosted a design lab fringe event exploring "How should the toolkit of open government be applied to the governance of data and AI?". The group agreed the answer was that we need policy commitments that move beyond transparency alone & to centre the informed voice of citizens & affected communities. We co-created three draft model 'commitments' for #OGPEstonia which you can read in this thread.

"How can #openness be seen as strength and not weakness in governments?" Question by PM Kaja Kallas on #OGPEstonia opening session.

https://www.youtube.com/live/XnoB-rTQHAo?si=cQ7_1DKlGTbLQWx6

How did we get to a point where being closed could be possibly seen as a gov strength or security?

#opengov

After our side event yesterday, the @okfn team continues in #Tallinn until the end of #OGPEstonia, moving around different sessions. Come talk to us about how we can help you with #opendata, push for #opengov models, and learn more about our work on #electoraldata standards.

Really thought provoking and useful side event by @ConnectedByData yesterday at #OGPEstonia. Good AI and Data Governance is essential for a fair and just society. When you have so much our personal data held by private organisations, we need action now.

Tallinn! Arrived at 10.30 this morning, so discounting the #railstrike it has taken 49 hours to get here overland/sea from Manchester. It is more expensive than flying, took a lot longer, but has been a lot of fun. Returning via Narvik will be interesting #Interrail #OGPEstonia

Bye bye Stockholm. Tallinn here we come #OGPEstonia

Last minute exhibitors joining The Tech We Want to Open Governments (http://okfn.org/en/ogp2023/, Sep 4, Tallinn) #OGPEstonia

Wikimedia Finland and Wikimedia Estonia are local @wikimediafoundation chapters promoting the creation and use of free content.

Glad to have you onboard!

4) Made it to Stockholm although got woken up at Odense at 2am by a party on the platform, blind didn’t shut which added to the fun. Noticed that the crows at Stockholm Central have learnt to peck the dead insects off the front of the trains. Next leg ferry from Stockholm to Tallinn #Interrail #OGPEstonia #corvids

Last train of the fast train, destination general
Thoughts that seem to draw me
Heading for Stockholm Central - yay! #interrail #OGPEstonia

EC8 has made up 9 minutes by the time it got to Bremen. There is hope, there are also a few other people on this train hoping that EC8 gets us there. Feel like I need a few more of these though. #interrail #OGPEstonia

So, the EC8 is now 54 minutes late and I had a 46 minute window to get the train. Do I hope that the train will catch up on time or cancel the sleeper ticket - if I can - and make alternative plans? The carriage I'm in is pretty smart though, like a greenhouse on wheels #interrail #OGPEstonia

Got to Cologne OK - very doable and interesting journey from Manchester in a day. Concerned that the connecting EC8 to Hamburg Altona has been retimed as I’m catching the Hamburg to Stockholm Sleeper at 22.01 and this train is going slooooow #interrail #OGPEstonia

Brussels to Cologne - If you are travelling from Brussels towards Germany - a fascinating journey through the birth of the industrial revolution in Belgium - you pass through Liege with its fantastic Santiago Calatrava designed station #interrail #OGPEstonia