Executive Summary

This paper assesses the state of e-Participation between governments and citizens at large.  eDemocracy continues to be a growing phenomenon but has yet to engage any large, significant numbers in societies around the world. The paper recommends a three-tier approach to bring a wider number of people into the eDemocracy tent.  This paper was presented at a United Nations workshop on e-Participation.  The workshop was part of a larger conference organized by the state of Queensland, Australia, and the United Nations, called Engaging Communities.  The conference was held from August 14 to 17 in Brisbane and attracted 2200 participants with representatives from 35 countries.  Full details on the conference can be found at:  engagingcommunities2005.org.

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