Policy Roots of the Digital Justice Agenda

Grantor: 
Minneapolis Foundation
Grantee: 
Minnesota Independent Scholars Forum
Project Leader: 
Mary Tracey
Project Duration: 
Jun 1 2006 to Jun 30 2007
Project Description: 

The Telecommunications and Information Policy Roundtable (TIPR) took the lead 1) To strengthen itself as a venue for identification and discussion of policy issues implicit in technology decisions; 2) To convene information sessions that are readily accessible to community groups currently grappling with technology developments; 3) To establish an online issues alert system; 4) To identify and share existing resources with community action groups; 5) To assist communities of interest to use technology tools and resources, including access to public information, to substantiate their needs; 6) To identify and try to mitigate barriers, including language, geography, physical challenges, cultural specifics; 7) To craft specific content and tools to be used by communities of interest, particularly communities of color an economically challenged groups; 8) To link existing resources with current needs at the community level.

Organizational partners in this project were TIPR, MISF, MNCOGI, the Minnesota Coalition for Freedom of Information, the Joint Media Committee, and the MN Chapter of the American Society of Information Science and Technology. As a result of these efforts, a major conference was held in March, 2008, at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, and entitled “Afloat in the Wireless Pond.” A MISF journal report on that conference, by Charles Cubrimi, is included in June, 2008 issue of the MISF journal.