[Okfn-dk] nordic+baltic okfn cooperation and school of data

Tue Jan 14 10:35:56 UTC 2014

Hi all,

I think it's a great idea to try to collaborate.
For Open Data Day, however, we're also organizing an event in Copenhagen,
so maybe some kind of link-up would be better for us.

Also eager to hear what others think about the idea of collaborating in
general!

-Christian

On Tue, Jan 14, 2014 at 10:16 AM, miska knapek <contactmiska at knapek.org>wrote:

>
>
> Hello everyone,
>
> Sorry about posting this in English - I'm posting this on the
> Nordic+Baltic OKFN mailling lists, and am trying to do a bit of 'recycling'
> ;)
>
>
>
>
> In ultra short:
>
> - What do you think about more grassroots Nordic+Baltic cooperation in the
> OKFN-like spheres?
>    We could do a lot to help one another and use historic Nordic+Baltic
> cooperation to our advantages.
> - A Nordic+Baltic School of Data?
> - Let's meet : the Norwegian Open Data Day could be one place to meet and
> chat about this
> ( february 22nd
> http://blog.okfn.org/2013/12/12/planning-your-open-data-day-2014/ )
> - Make yourselves heard!
>
>
>
>
>
>
> In a bit more text:
>
> This could be a very good time to start Nordic+Baltic open data / okfn
> cooperation.
> I'm asking for opinions, suggestions, criticisms, and help trying to
> realise this. Please make yourselves heard.
> The Nordic countries have historically done a lot of cooperation, and have
> had a supportive attitude for government transparency - much the the dismay
> of some EU partners :) - and democratic processes. I'm afraid my historical
> knowledge fails me, but I seem to remember there being good cooperation
> between the Nordic+Baltic countries historically too.
>
> I propose that the OKFN enthusiasts in the Nordic+Baltic countries
> investigate how they can cooperate - perhaps having similar working groups
> and run a joint Nordic+Baltic School of Data - to support one another and
> perhaps investigate how international open data initiatives might be look
> like and be realised.
>
> Norway is holding an arrangement for the international open data day,
> where OKFN international visits, to help get an OKFN community in Norway
> going.
> This could be a good place for some of the Nordic+Baltic okfn supporters
> to gather and chat.
> ( If not then, and not some common skype sessions, then some sort of
> Nordic+Baltic meetup at the Open Knowledge Festival in July, could be an
> option ).
>
>
>
>
>
> And the longer version:
>
> Context
> I have a tentative proposal, to get the ball rolling, something that's
> meant as an appetizer more than a concrete and finished plan.
> Admittedly, I'm perhaps not the best to make these plans concretely, and
> so, also keeping with the 'open spirit', I'm opening the floor for others
> participation.
> Please make yourselves heard. Let your thoughts on the matters be heard -
> suggestions, criticisms, initiatives, etc... are entirely welcome.
> (I might be doing this all wrong - please point out this too :)
>
> I'm part of the OKFN scene in Finland, and have been involved with some
> international open data work lately, involving the Nordic countries.
> I've noticed that the OKFN scenes in the Scandinavian and Baltic countries
> are at somewhat early stages, eager to grow and become more active.
> This is might well be the right moment to build some collaboration between
> the countries.
>
> On reason to do this in the Nordic+Baltic regions is the historic
> cooperation between the countries, and similar attitudes to government
> transparency and democratic access to education - i.e. themes very much
> overlapping with open knowledge culture.  These historical taditions could
> be seen as good fertile soil for growing some new forms of open
> data/knowledge cultures. Maybe I'm idealistic, but perhaps something could
> be started in the Nordic+Baltic regions, that would be harder to get off
> the ground elsewhere. It's very much worth thinking about.
>
>
> Ideas
>
> Common working groups
> In Finland** we've, since about a year, set up a series of working groups,
> covering topics like open science, open cultural data, open democracy, open
> sustainability, midata, etc… http://fi.okfn.org/wg ( all the work is
> documented on open online platforms btw ).
> To get things going in the other Nordic+Baltic countries, one idea could
> be to set up similar working groups - or yet others that don't exist in
> Finland, but should - amongst the Nordic+Baltic countries. This way there'd
> be a larger crowd looking at these issues, the groups could inspire, share
> experience, and work on international initiatives together.
>
> ** -  While I'm still a bit Nordic enough - I've grown up in and lived in
> three Nordic countries - to be modest and hasten to add that this is
> nothing special, I'll add that there's been a fair bit of activity in
> Finland, that the other Nordic+Baltic countries. The knowledge gleaned from
> getting Finland off the ground - very much something that's thanks to the
> hard work of a lot of volunteers, as well as government openness+support -
> could possibly be used to provide some advice to the other countries in the
> region.
>
>
> Nordic+Baltic School of Data
> A different initiative that's worth considering is a Nordic+Baltic School
> of Data. ( Modelled partly on the OKFN's School of Data - but perhaps with
> in a more commonly accessible form ( OKFN's School of Data is perhaps aimed
> a touch much towards specialists )).
> If open digital media and information networks are the "new literacy", we
> need for data literacy to be more commonplace and publically acessible than
> it is now.
> Openly accessible classes in data literacy would be going on the right
> track.
>
> Doing a touring Nordic+Baltic School of Data could, besides educate
> people, also be a platform for building networks between the Nordic and
> Baltic countries.
> That is, importantly, the Nordic+Baltic School of Data teachers would be
> comprised of mixed group of people from the Nordic+Baltic countries,
> teaching together. This would further contact between the countries, and
> could also give School of Data participants insights into how open
> knowledge is handles in the other countries, how to get hold of
> international open data, as well as open the door to doing international
> projects.
>
> Common hackathons and projects
> Well, hopefully the title is a bit self-explanatory. Let's do them :)
>
>
>
> Let's meet!
> It would be really great should it be possible for organisers and
> activists in the Nordic+Baltic region to meet sometime - or failing that,
> to communicate/coordinate somehow.
>
> One possibility to meet is the Open Data Day the Norwegians are arranging
> ( 22 nd February )
> ( http://blog.okfn.org/2013/12/12/planning-your-open-data-day-2014/ )
> It could be a good time+place to meet in many ways - the  Norwegians are
> trying to get their OKFN communities going and are holding some initiatives
> for this to happen, including bringing in some OKFN International people to
> help inspire and guide things.
>
> The next meetup could otherwise be the Open Knowledge Festival  (
> okfestival.org ) in Berlin, July.
> I could try propose some sort of Nordic+Baltic coordination session there.
>
> And besides that, it would be great should some common communication
> between Nordic+Baltic countries be possible.
> I can help coordinate that, as interest arises.
>
>
>
>
> Ok - sorry about the long text.
> Let's see what we can do.
> There's a lot of opportunity out there, in the Nordic+Baltic sphere.
> Do make yourselves heard.
>
>
> All the best,
>
> miska
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> miska michael knapek - your local illusionist (designer)
> mob. +358-50-320-2616
> web: http://knapek.org
> http://twitter.com/miskaknapek
> animations: http://vimeo.com/miska
> images: http://flickr.com/miska_too/sets
> code/github: https://github.com/miskaknapek
>
>
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