Meaningfully engaging young people in the civic process is one of the biggest challenges for us all today. The UK Times reports on an idea which one UK Health Authority tried out which some would say is innovative but others would say its a total waste of public money. What do you think?

"Dismayed by the poor turnout at a series of public meetings to discuss the future of primary healthcare in its area, a health authority in Lancashire resorted to a tried and tested method of luring bottoms on to seats: bribery........."

Gr8 idea. Giv us £££ and we sit thru ur boring meeting

This example brings something important home to me about Engagement which we do well to remember:

Presence is necessary but not sufficient for engagement - Bums on seats does not an audience make.

For some more sustainable approaches to civic engagement check-out Biological civic engagement proposed by think-tank.

Tags: engagement

Bioteams Books Reviews

The Internet and social engagement

March 7, 2006 | article by Ken Thompson in Book Reviews (37)

Authentic social experience is beyond the web.In On the Internet by Hubert Dreyfus, a UC-Berkeley philosophy professor, provides a truely unique philosophical perspective on the internet. Dreyfus seriously challenges a number of widely held assumptions such as the usefulness of search engines, the effectiveness of distance learning and the possibility of meaningful virtual relationships.

Buy it now from:
Amazon.Com
Amazon.Co.UK

| Permalink

continue reading

Click here to check all Bioteams book reviews