Technology for Transparency The South Asian Story

By Namita SinghResearcher – South Asia

The current context

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South Asia

South Asia

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• Democracy and South Asia

• People’s movements

• Citizens and Governance

• Initiatives by citizens, civil society, government

• Several challenges, successes and failures

Technology: its access and its effect

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South Asia

• Access as an issue

• Impact on urban and semi-urban • Generating interest among users

• Initiating action

• Offline efforts tied up with online

• Governments have taken notice as well

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Impacts : Some case studies

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South Asia

Mumbai Votes

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About: Tracks politicians and political parties, comparing their promises to

performance in order to better inform voters.

What they say:

“While voting for the first time, I realized that my nation, my parents, teachers etc., were casting their vote, their engagement with democracy, in blindness and lack of information - on the basis of perception, opinion, gossip and crude parameters, such as personal charisma!

I understood that blind voting was behind the deficiencies and maladies of our democracy. I vowed to myself that my next vote will be the most informed one, ever!”

Key perspective:

• Informed Voting• Promise Vs Performance

Kiirti

South Asia

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South Asia About: Kiirti is a one-stop citizen reporting and petitioning platform for India,

addressing civic and governance issues.

What they say: “Once in Chennai, I noticed things like, traffic police missing from his post on a

busy intersection and I wanted to figure out, how and where to complain - a simple way, where people can complain about simple issues… That’s when ‘Fix Our City and Kiirti came about.

Someone complained about the streetlights, not working. The next day, the department came and fixed it. This small incident, but from a citizen’s point of view, was a dramatic incident – made a big difference - there’s an easy way for them to report, and then to effect a change - that’s the power of this platform!’

Key perspective: • Platform for different initiatives to engage with civic and governance issue. • Impactful ground work

Centre for Monitoring Election ViolenceSri Lanka

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About: An election watchdog group that monitors violence and voting irregularities to

ensure an informed electorate.

What they say: “In a regional election, in the late 90s, completely marred with violence,

because of our monitoring, the government ordered for re-polling. CMEVs reports are not easy to brush aside, because of the detailed research.

We do plan to develop and use tools for mapping, plotting, graphing or putting up information, in other interesting ways, for citizens and even governments to understand the process better and act” says, Sanjana Hattotuwa, senior researcher, CPA founding member, CMEV.

Key perspective:• Well-researched information • Visual mapping of election violence

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iJanaagrahaSouth Asia

South Asia

About: An online 'touch-point', between citizens and government, for information,

empowerment and accountability

What they say: “It is not true that people are totally apathetic. There are a lot of people, who

want to engage with governance, but they don’t know, how to go about it. With Janaagraha’s experience over the last decade, we thought, we need to

have an online, citizen training and information platform, especially for the urban youth, with the notion – nation-building starts from your neighborhood’, says Velu Shankar, Co-ordinator, iJanaagraha.

Key perspective: • Bridge between the government and citizens• Involve citizens in their neighborhood

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Looking forward: The Future

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• Better online tools

• Strengthening offline campaigns and work

• Working with the government

• Evoking wider interest in the current internet users

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South Asia