Tropophilia

I’m continuing what I’m now calling “Jet-Set July” this week with a jaunt down to Austin, TX for the Netroots Nation conference.  Those of you who follow progressive political blogs will recognize this as The Conference Formerly Known As Yearly Kos (TM).  I’ve wanted to attend since the first Yearly Kos was held in Las Vegas two years ago, and I’m enormously grateful for the opportunity to be there this year.

I’m heading to Netroots Nation for what might seem like less-than-obvious purposes.  This is in many ways a politically-focused event, but I’m planning to attend sessions that emphasize progressive policy advocacy online, building and supporting communities of activists, and driving change with the most innovative and inclusived tools possible.  As someone who has been at times both inspired and flabbergasted by the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors’ creativity with or resistance to emerging technologies, I’m really hoping to reconnect with the folks on the cutting edge of these innovations.  I expect to return from Texas brimming with new ideas to test in my own field and state.

I focused my senior thesis on the use of web-based technologies on the campaign trail; at this point, I’m much more interested in how social technologies can be brought to bear on governance, advocacy outside of the campaign season, and building public awareness around pressing issues.  With those interests in mind, here are a few of the sessions I plan to attend this weekend:

Transparency, Participation and Reinvention in Government in the Next Administration Through Web 2.0 Tools and Culture

Working from the Inside Out: Success Stories in Netroots Organizing

Debunking the Issue Silo Myth: Why the Broader Progressive Movement is Green

Lobbying Congress: Advocacy and Digital Empowerment

Insanely Useful Tools You Can Use to Keep Track of Congress and State Lawmakers

Culture Clash or Fellow Travelers? How Should Progressive Non-Profits Engage the Netroots?

Image used under a Creative Commons license courtesy of Flickr user supervillain.