Saturday, June 11, 2011

Constitution by Crowd

Well, not exactly. But Iceland is bringing the general population (and followers around the globe) into the process of creating a new national constitution this summer, using the new social media. Iceland is soliciting citizen suggestions on the Constitutional Council website, where the most recent draft is posted in Icelandic, along with an English translation by Google Translate. A JURIST post has more on the process, which also involves Twitter and Facebook pages and a YouTube channel (in Icelandic), not only to facilitate comments but also to post interviews with delegates and live broadcasts of Council meetings. It's all part of the Council's stated intention to "open communication with the Icelandic nation" and give "the people an opportunity to participate in the formation of a new Constitution of the Republic of Iceland." A 21st century version of the constitutional convention has arrived.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

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