NZGOAL framework
This week the draft version of the New Zealand Government Open Access and Licensing framework (NZGOAL) has been released for public feedback. The release of NZGOALF is part of the Open Government Information and Data Re-use Project led by the State Services Commission in partnership with, among others, the ICT Group at the Department of Internal Affairs.
The framework will enable greater access to many public sector works by encouraging State Services agencies to license material for reuse on liberal terms, and recommends Creative Commons as an important tool in this process.
Here is a comment from Te Whainga Aronui The Council for the Humanities to accompany the release of the draft.
Democracy, like culture itself, must be a collaborative project (Siva Vaidhyanathan, http://www.opendemocracy.net/media-copyrightlaw/creativecommons_2596.jsp)
Te Whainga Aronui The Council for the Humanities and its project Creative Commons Aotearoa New Zealand are proud to introduce you to this draft framework outlining the State Services Commission’s guidance on open access to, and licensing of, government held information and copyright works.
We see a shared purpose in the creation of this draft framework, because its intent and our vision encircle a mutual desire to see that all people can access all relevant public sector information, information from which we can collectively build and apply knowledge to create wellbeing and innovation, both socio-cultural and economic.
The six New Zealand Creative Commons licences are enablers for the sharing of both copyright information and the licensed materials. They are the keys that will further open up public sector information to a public that can use and reuse its data. This framework has the potential to usher in an era of national knowledge sharing, translating not only into cultural and economic benefits for us all, but also facilitating a truly democratic exchange and dialogue between the Government of Aotearoa and its people.
These are lofty ideals, but point a real way forward, not only for New Zealand but the world. Open access to public sector information is the crucial first step that will truly enable ‘government for, with and by the people’- no longer a distant democratic dream, but a very real possibility. Open access will ensure scrutiny and transparency of government processes, public engagement in policy making, greater participation in political debate leading to better policy, conversation and dialogue in the democratic exchange of different perspectives and, ultimately, unforeseen private and public sector collaboration and innovation around the opened data. But even democracy 2.0 is not the ultimate ‘GOAL’.
The world stands poised at crisis point, environmentally and economically. As early as 2003, Douglas Rushkoff predicted the widest outcomes of open access. We are at the moment where
An open source model for participatory, bottom-up and emergent policy will force us to confront the issues of our time. (Open Source Democracy, 2003, p.61)
Releasing the data and information the Government holds on behalf of its people through open access and liberal licensing, and working in closer partnership with those people is the only way we can hope to solve the very complex issues we face as an ‘endangered species’ on this planet. As the Global Voices Online Draft Manifesto states,
We believe in the power of direct connection. The bond between individuals from different worlds is personal, political and powerful. We believe conversation across boundaries is essential to a future that is free, fair, prosperous and sustainable – for all citizens of this planet
In the same draft manifesto, Global Voices Online puts it even more urgently. This reiterates why we are so very pleased to support the draft NZGOAL:
This is a small planet in need of some big ideas. The more people there are in the conversation, the more likely we are to find them. (www.worldchanging.com/archives/001769.html)
In doing so, we add our voice to the process of open and participative democracy. The draft NZGOAL framework enables us as national and global citizens and netizens to join the conversation. We encourage you to add your own voice to this framework in the form of constructive and collaborative feedback.
Stephanie Pietkiewicz
Executive Director
Te Whainga Aronui The Council for the Humanities
Jane Hornibrook
Project Developer
Creative Commons Aotearoa New Zealand
Date: 26/10/2011
Web link: Access NZGOAL via SSC blog here
