The OuiShare Awards focus this year on rewarding change-making initiatives, in line with the OuiShare Fest theme "Lost in Transition". As there is an ongoing online vote, we would like to introduce you our 14 nominees and specifically ask them "What is the Change?" they bring through their initiatives. Read their answers and vote for your favorite projects until May 21st!
https://www.youtube.com/embed/c9Jxwq__k4I
Get to know Thumbs of Europe!
Nominated in the Collaborative Governance category, Thumbs of Europe is a platform for citizens to get informed about and vote on EU laws that shape their everyday lives. Maria Lastovka, Co-Founder & Community Manager at Thumbs of Europe answered our questions:
1. What got you started with your initiative?
"The first idea for Thumbs of Europe really came about because our platform developer Johann, who works in the tech-epicenter - the Silicon Valley - was not happy with the way European politics was communicated to the European voters: Very formal and technical - visually unattractive. His vision of creating a more approachable, easy-to-consume platform for citizens to get informed on mostly underrated EU laws was the key driver for the project. Thumbs of Europe was launched together with Fabian, graduates from the LSE’s European Institute, in October 2014. We also want to make it easy for citizens to quickly participate in the policy-making process by simply giving thumbs up or down for a particular legislative proposal. With Thumbs of Europe we are currently creating a participatory information-platform, which we aim to grow to become a vital player in the European public sphere."
2. What Change does your initiative bring?
"The Collaborative Economy with its technologies - like the digital platform Thumbs of Europe - enables people to get what they need from each other – rather than from a centralized institution. Citizens are not bound to raise their voice solely through a formal referendum facilitated by a centralized institution like the election committee of a federal government. Instead, Thumbs of Europe envisions strengthening citizens’ participation through easy-to-consume news on EU politics and its voting feature (thumbs up, thumbs down). We want to solve a social challenge in a new manner by providing easy access to policies that shape our everyday lives. We aim to disrupt the policy-making process on the European level through digital innovation in citizens’ participation: Politicians should know about their voters’ sentiments. And European citizens should know about the political discourse on EU laws in other European countries. Thumbs of Europe wants to create a European public sphere that is worthy of its name."
Would like to support Thumbs of Europe?
And join us at the OuiShare Fest 2015 for the pitchs session!