The mission of the Public Sphere Project is to help create and support equitable and effective public spheres all over the world. We develop resources such as the Liberating Voices pattern language and eLiberate and sponsor events to further this aim.

Projects

Working together to solve problems for the common good

Civic intelligence is a key element of the Public Sphere Project. We are currently developing online resources that will help people participate in a collaborative learning process and build this theory from the ground up! Please...

Democracy and the Internet

Since its inception the Internet has been touted as a medium with revolutionary potential for democratic communication. Although other media including television and radio have not lived up to their democratic potential, it is too early to dismiss the Internet...

A Pattern Language for Communication Revolution

The Liberating Voices pattern language is intended to help us develop the social imagination we need to better face the future as engaged and empowered citizens. Browse the...

Pattern Language

The pattern language that has grown out of the Liberating Voices project is an integral part of the Public Sphere Project. The example below is one of hundreds of patterns developed by members. If you're new to the site, please browse the patterns and feel free to ask questions in the forum.

Online Anti-Poverty Community




Because anti-poverty advocates and activists often don't have the education and training resources or communications they need, their opportunities for building communities are limited. At the same time, poor and marginalized people don't have the information they need to exercise control over their lives or get the resources they need. The most effective online anti-poverty communities are defined and created by advocates and poor people to address needs as they arise.


Language Translation Status for Liberating Voices Pattern Cards

Recent Blog Posts

doug
Saturday, November 9, 2013 - 14:51

On November 7, Shelly Farnham and others organized a lively meeting of 40 or so Seattleites who are interested in using technology for social engagement and social change. Speakers included Kate Starbird (Disaster Events and Digital Volunteerism), Seth Vincent (Civic Hacking), Shelly Farnham (...

Michael O_Neill
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - 19:58

As the means of communication have changed over the course of American history, so has the way public discourse has been carried out. National radio was a revolution that could put the voice of the president in every living room across the nation for fireside chats. With the rise of television,...

Recent Activity

If you have information about projects or organizations that demonstrate civic intelligence, please consider making it available on the online civic intelligence knowledge repository vis this survey. For more information about this project, please read on.

Introduction

A Pattern Language for Communication Revolution

The Liberating Voices pattern language is intended to help us develop the social imagination we need to better face the future as engaged and empowered citizens. Browse the patterns in the book or see all of the patterns in the pool environment

Marc Smith used the NodeXL tool to generate some graphics based on the pattern links in the book. Although these are preliminary they're still worth a look. Marc and I are planning more work on this in the near future.

Abstract: Rural communities face tensions motivated, in part, by (mis)perceptions between homophilous groups. When tensions lead to conflict, crossing boundaries to give all parties an equal voice can be a challenge. This qualitative research project seeks to investigate how Digital Storytelling has the potential to act as an effective bridge across boundaries that occur within rurally-located intergenerational groups. Digital Storytelling, along with a selection of Web 2.0 tools, will be used as a method of communication in two rural Case Studies.

Fill in this form if you have something to describe that demonstrates civic intelligence and you don't have the time or energy to fill out the long form.

A project, product, campaign, etc. demonstrates Civic intelligence if it helps address one or more shared problems in a participatory, just, and sustainable way.