Saturday, October 27, 2012

# Iceland held a referendum asking voters if they agreed to using the crowdsourced new constitution


Icelanders Approve Crowdsourced Constitution | 
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3:09 PM - 23 Oct 12 · Details

Icelanders Approve Crowdsourced Constitution

Neha Prakashby 9
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Social media has proven successful in giving Iceland’s citizens a key to the government: For the past year, the country has used Twitter, Facebook and other sites to crowdsource provisions to its new constitution, and Icelanders seem happy with the final result.
Saturday, Iceland held a referendum asking voters if they agreed to using the crowdsourced document as the frame for the new constitution — 66% voted yes. Half of Iceland’s 235,000 eligible voters took part in the referendum, according to reports.
After the 2008 financial crisis put an end to Iceland’s banking system and previous government, the country’s original constitution — created in 1944 — was deemed antiquated. The country named 25 citizens as a Constitutional Council and were asked to help create the new governing document.
SEE ALSO: How Iceland Is Rebuilding Its Economy With Social Media
The council took to the Internet to raise ideas and provisions from the public. A first draft was made available online in April 2011 and citizens could comment through a Facebook page. The council also remained open about decision-making posting status updates to Twitter and videos on YouTube.
The document still must pass through the parliament where it will seek official sanctioning (to be finalized by the spring 2013). Nonetheless, the social media efforts of the public injected a strong dose of transparency to the constitutional process.
Do you think crowdsourcing government policies is a process every country should adapt? Tell us why or why not in the comments below.
Posted by Robby Ball at 1:45 PM