Build Awesome Local Communities Online, Avoid the Shiny Object – Video Interview and Highlights from Aspen Institute FOCAS 2011

The other month I had the honor to participate at the Aspen Institute’s Forum on Communication and Society.

One morning they stuck me in front of the camera …

Steven Clift: When you roll up your sleeves you can shape democracy from Knight Foundation on Vimeo.

Some of my comments were mixed into this great compilation video as well:

The Digital Revolution & Democracy (intro) from Knight Foundation on Vimeo.

The event was a heady experience. It was quite a contrast to our inspiring grass roots online inclusion work in diverse communities this year. I believe I was invited in part to be the voice of those on the front lines of online community engagement for all, not just those who already show up. I made a point of sharing a draft hand-out on Digital Inclusion for Community Voices and shared a number of real life examples during the event. Watch Archon Fung from Harvard tee things up on citizen engagement online and my comments at 14:46 via LiveStream. (Note Archon’s insightful slides – also below.)

Watch live streaming video from aspeninstitute at livestream.com

Delegates included folks like former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Paula Kerger the CEO of PBS, Norman Ornstein, Alberto Ibarguen head of the Knight Foundation and others. Vice President Gore stopped by one morning too (he didn’t realize this session at Aspen was uniquely being webcast live). I recall noting to myself in a breakfast buffet line, “Hey there is someone in jeans, I should have worn jeans too. Oh, it’s a Supreme Court justice.” Elena Kagan was in Aspen for a different seminar on justice.

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