Alternative approaches to governance in the information society: Workshop on 'Technology, governance and citizenship'

The information society phenomenon presents a paradigmatic shift in redefining political, social and institutional systems. However, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) which constitute a vital component of this phenomenon are mostly guided by neo-liberal principles and are nested in technical domains, resulting in the absence of traditional development actors in ICT policy making spaces. Further, e-governance spaces are devoid of any debate on governance reform concepts of active citizenship, participatory democracy, etc. The current e-governance processes need to be replaced by one with a strong emphasis on participation, decentralisation and government responsiveness, while using ICTs to enhance citizen participation, improve transparency and accountability. This presentation was part of the workshop on 'Technology, governance and citizenship' held on 13 December 2007 in Bengaluru (India).