Speakers

Karina Brisby, Oxfam GB - cancelled due to last minute injury

Karina oversees Oxfam GB's campaigning via the Internet, mobile phones and beyond. This role also sees her supporting and working with colleagues from other Oxfam's around the world for Oxfam's global campaigning initiatives. With her leadership and influence, Oxfam GB has continued to be a UK leader in its campaigning via new media.

Sara Chamberlain, BBC World Service Trust

Sara will outline how the BBC World Service Trust is trying to get people to participation via new media with case studies featuring:

1. An Iranian online youth magazine that's tackling taboo issues (such as drugs, women's rights and homosexuality) via online discussion and a virtual news room for trainee web editors
2. Reducing HIV stigma in Cambodia by involving audiences in the development of soap opera storylines (via SMS)
3. Using new media to Train journalists in environmental issues in India

Brian Fitzgerald, Greenpeace International

Brian Fitzgerald has spent most of his adult life as an environmental and peace activist, most of it with Greenpeace, where he has been a fundraiser, senior manager, computer geek, ship's crew, cannon fodder, campaigner, hot air balloon pilot, press officer, webby, felony trespasser, organisational development officer, and governance director.

Since 2002 he has been running Greenpeace Intentional's online communications and mass networking efforts from Amsterdam.

At "Participation 2007", Brian will talk about examples of Greenpeace's (and others) innovative campaigns, how the online component fit into the overall campaign mix and where they are on a rudimentary scale of participation. A discussion which moved toward a folksonomy of participatory campaigns would be an excellent result.

Examples will include:

• Coke CFC campaign (in 2000)
• Iceland Whales Pledge
• The Green My Apple campaign
• Various non-Greenpeace campaigns

Ricken Patel, Avaaz

Ricken is the Executive Director of Avaaz, a new (launched January 2007) international campaigning organisation making strategic use of the Internet to help achieve their campaigning objectives. Avaaz is the latest example of a participation-led campaigning model exemplified by MoveOn in the USA and GetUp in Australia that have started to transform US and Australian politics over the last few years. With Avaaz operating in the multiple languages and attracting members in multiple countries, including the UK, it is quickly becoming a major player in international politics.

Duane Raymond, FairSay

Duane is the Managing Director of FairSay, one of the UK's leading consultancies on campaigning via 'new' media. Previous to this he pioneered e-campaigning at Oxfam GB as the eCampaigning Manager from 2001-2004. His work with a range of clients including Amnesty International, WWF, Greenpeace, Oxfam, NSPCC, Christian Aid and World Vision as well as his organising of events like the annual eCampaigning Forum allowed FairSay to stay at the leading edge of campaigning while being grounded in organisational realities.

At "Participation 2007", Duane (also the event facilitator) will provide a big picture of what is happening in terms of participation, campaigning organisations and new media: what is leading edge and what is bleeding edge. He will also use his expertise to help draw out relevant insight from the speakers and the other participations.

Steve Ward, Oxford Internet Institute

Prior to arriving at OII, Steve Ward was a Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Salford. His research interests are in the area of e-democracy, particularly, political participation and campaigning online. He has received funding for three ESRC projects including:

• Political organisations and participation online in the UK (2000-2003) funded under the ESRC's Democracy and Participation programme
• Parliamentary representation in the age of the Internet: An Anglo-Australian comparison (2003-2005), which examined MPs and Parliaments' use of new information communications technologies (funded under the e-society initiative)
• Campaigning in cyberspace: 2005 general election online (2005-2006), which examined the role and use of new ICTs in the 2005 UK election campaign.

David Wilcox, Designing for Civil Society

I blog about engagement, collaboration and social media at Designing for Civil Society. My first career was as a journalist writing about London planning, lending a voice to those campaigning against destructive development. I've worked as consultant on a lot of local and national public participation and partnership programmes ... and become increasingly skeptical about the capacity of public agencies to listen and respond effectively. I believe that social media is a way in which people can increase their influence, around a cause, or to challenge participation programmes that don't deliver. I also hope it can help those working within government reach out more effectively to citizens.