An Update on the Shorty Awards and why they matter (a little)

Many thanks to all of you that have voted for me for a Shorty Award in Government. As of this morning I remain in first position, amazing as that is, ahead of great US Government officials like President Barack Obama and Mayor Cory Booker.

This lead in the voting can be attributed to many factors, but the ones that inspire me the most include:

• Government, and Open Government, is not a US-only topic of interest. We are at the cusp of potentially great change, across the world. The need for, and the desire to achieve, more openness in government is inspiring people from all walks of life.
• The support of many people in our community, again, from all over the world. Many have voted, many have gone further and asked their own communities to get involved by giving me a vote. I want to thank those that have asked their communities to join in, people like:
  • Lyne Robichaud (Canada).
  • Josepf Haslam (USA)
  • Laura Madison (Canada)
  • Susan Hess (All over)
  • Andre Lima-Cardoso (Brazil)
  • And many others that I am sure I am forgetting and I apologize.

Why do I want to win this award? It is not for the award itself, I assure you of that. It is, unfortunately, for a somewhat ideological belief that in winning any award you are given 15 minutes of fame, 15 minutes in which you can grab the attention of an audience and make a statement.

What is this statement? Open Government matters. Through open government we can improve the lives of our citizens, of municipal employees, and of politicians. That open government is a change taking place across the world, not simply in english-speaking democracies. That open government provides a opportunitiy for the citizens of the world, regardless of artificial national boundaries, to better understand one another and to ultimately lead to real, measurable, benefits: economic, political, and yes, emotional.

Very optimistic, I know. Achievable, however, for those brave enough to provide the leadership needed, the strategies, the tools, and the passion. Lets go out there and keep moving the needle forward on a daily basis. And yes, if you haven’t yet given me your vote, give it some thought please.

John