:Title:    Blogging from NetSquared
:Author:   Haney Armstrong (CCAL30)
:Date:     Tue, 30 May 2006 10:42:50 PDT
:Modified: Thu, 01 Jun 2006 10:45:38 PDT
:URL:      http://www.omidyar.net/user/u903993724/news/3/

Now in San Jose at `NetSquared`_.  I'm going to put this info up in a quick and rough form to try to avoid falling behind.

.. _`NetSquared` : http://www.netsquared.org/conference

Intro given by Daniel Ben-Horin –  head of Compumentor/Techsoup and former head of Media Alliance.
---------


There is a focus in tech from stuff to people – now the non-profits are at an advantage – 

First session - Angela Glover Blackwell – Policylink – 
----------


http://www.netsquared.org/conference/conference-sessions/conversation-with-angela-glover-blackwell

http://www.policylink.org/

Community building towards taking action. 

They focus on region, economy, technology – so that everyone can participate and prosper - 

People have taken charge of their own participation – not allowing others to dictate that participation.

Examples – response to Katrina, immigration demonstrations, the Covenant with Black America – bottom up movement.

Race and poverty are the things that stump the US more than anything else – Katrina uncovered the depth of poverty.

People are uncomfortable with “policy” – she tries frame policy as simply taking preemptive action.

They realized that in the 90s that more poor people needed to be online.  We need to now take on the new technical shift and push resources to the non-profit community.

The ideas that voices can be heard directly via technology – is both very scary and very exciting.  It puts all our beliefs to a test.  Policylink is trying to respond to this possibility of not only greater participation but also making it possible for individuals to be agents for themselves.