Mastodawn

Digital autonomy ?

"Australia’s digital policy shouldn’t be dictated by large platforms or external geopolitical actors."

"The “digital sovereignty” movement in the European Union (EU) can show us the way. European countries are gradually breaking up with American tech giants and pushing for local AI development, all in the name of achieving digital autonomy."

"The ultimate goal here is digital autonomy. It means reducing reliance on systems vulnerable to growing geopolitical and economic risks. If you make your own devices and host your data locally, you’re not at the mercy of multinational corporations whose interests may not align with your own."

"Decentralised social media ecosystems allow independently operated communities to communicate across shared protocols without being controlled by a single corporation. One such example is the Fediverse, which includes platforms like micro-blogging site Mastodon and video sharing site PeerTube." >>
https://theconversation.com/nearly-everything-we-use-online-is-owned-by-big-tech-theres-a-better-way-forward-282969

Federated Networks (The Fediverse):
https://jointhefediverse.net/learn/?lang=en-us

But in Bellingen, NSW they are clinging to foreign owned platforms. Here communication communicates via facebook or its is not. (Could be a Niklas Luhmann quote)
#communication #CommunicationSystems #DigitalSpaces #DigitalSovereignty #DigitalCommunities #DataSovereignty #OpenSource #DataPortability #BigTech #platforms #EconomicImperatives #PlatformCapitalism #MonopolisticPlatforms #CorporateOwnership #SeigniorialPower #seigneurialism #manorialism #PowerRelations #AI #SocialMedia #fediverse #governance #DiscursiveSpace #democracy #autonomy #agora #PublicSphere #PublicSpheresOfProduction

Nearly everything we use online is owned by big tech. There’s a better way forward

Having digital autonomy is more important than ever, and the European Union is showing how it can be done.

The Conversation

NewsletterTF May 3

Habermas, Post-Truth Philosopher, Dies Aged 96

Jürgen Habermas, known for his ideas on democracy and public discussion, died at 96. His work explored how people talk and agree.

#JürgenHabermas, #Philosophy, #Democracy, #PublicSphere, #RIP

https://newsletter.tf/philosopher-jurgen-habermas-dies-at-96/

NewsletterTF May 3

Jürgen Habermas, a very important thinker about how societies work and democracy, has passed away at age 96. He wrote many books that explained how open talk helps people make decisions together.

#JürgenHabermas, #Philosophy, #Democracy, #PublicSphere, #RIP
https://newsletter.tf/philosopher-jurgen-habermas-dies-at-96/

Famous Philosopher Jürgen Habermas Dies at 96

Jürgen Habermas, known for his ideas on democracy and public discussion, died at 96. His work explored how people talk and agree.

NewsletterTF

Show thread

the roamer Apr 13

@timrichards

The Fediverse is our coffee house! (Minus the coffee.)

#CoffeeHouses #PublicSphere #JürgenHabermas #MastodonCulture

BellingenNSW Apr 12

Fuel for discontent is building

"Where there is fuel for discontent, there is increasing risk that global challenges could spark a blaze." The Grattan Institute >>

https://theconversation.com/to-stop-australian-democracy-going-the-way-of-the-us-heres-what-we-need-to-do-280353
#inequality #PublicSphere #CivicEngagement #democracy #AntiDemocraticForces #discontents #PolyCrisis #environment #FossilFuels #climate #governance

To stop Australian democracy going the way of the US, here’s what we need to do

Australia is one of the world’s leading democracies, but we’re not immune from the pressures causing backsliding overseas.

The Conversation

Alberto Cottica Mar 23

15 cases of innovation in civic engagement from the Global South, in #openaccess

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17360527

#innovation
#civicEngagement
#publicsphere

At the Edge of Participation. How Research and Development is Promoting Civic Engagement and Enabling Collective Intelligence in the Global Majority

The UNDP Accelerator Labs network uses research and development to foster civic engagement and collective intelligence through innovative participatory approaches across diverse contexts across the globe. This report examines 15 cases of innovation around civic engagement, finds that they cluster around three patterns—enabling voice, collaborative design, and spurring community organizing– and discusses the impact of inclusive, community-driven solutions on sustainable development challenges. The conclusions identify ongoing questions for future research.

Zenodo

Association REDefine Mar 17

We like to think walls belong to the past.
They don’t.
They evolve.
What once looked like walls made of concrete now show up as narratives, algorithms, and silent lines we don’t question enough.
https://open.substack.com/pub/associationredefine/p/invisible-walls-fear-control-division?r=6l8ed8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

#Democracy #DigitalDemocracy
#MediaLiteracy #Disinformation
#Systemsthinking #PoliticalEducation
#AlgorithmicBias #PublicSphere

Chris Mar 15

The function of the public sphere is to ensure "the continued existence of the democratic political community" (p. 2).

#Habermas #Democracy #PublicSphere

Habermas, J. (2023), A New Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere and Deliberative Politics.

BellingenNSW Mar 14

A capacity for rational dialogue?

“Democracy depends on the belief of the people that there is some scope left for collectively shaping a challenging future.” Jürgen Habermas

"His abiding concern was the state of democracy and the fear of backsliding into the exclusionary and violent social order..." >>
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/14/books/jurgen-habermas-dead.html
#PublicSphere #PublicDiscourse #communication #dialogue #nationalism #violence #democracy #CriticalTheory

Jürgen Habermas Dies at 96; One of Postwar Germany’s Most Influential Thinkers

In dozens of books, he rejected postmodern cynicism about truth and reason, arguing that rational communication was the best way to redeem democratic society.

The New York Times