Sunshine Week 2008 Event Information
Speakers: Ann Beeson, Director of U.S. Programs at the Open Society Institute and previously Associate Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, Mickey Edwards, Director of the Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership and former Republican member of Congress from Oklahoma for 16 years (1977-92), and John Podesta, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for American Progress, Chief of Staff to President William J. Clinton from October 1998 until January 2001, and formerly in senior staff positions in Congress, will discuss executive branch power and secrecy, congressional rights and responsibilities, the role of the courts and of the public and public interest sector in combating government secrecy. Patrice McDermott, Director of OpenTheGovernment.org, will moderate the discussion.
II. Citizen Self-Help: Finding the Information You Need
We will be visiting and talking with creators of websites that help the public avoid having to file official requests or go to offices and meetings to learn what our government is doing: Sheila Krumholz (Center for Responsive Politics/OpenSecrets.org), David Moore (OpenCongress.org), Sean Moulton (FedSpending.org), and Daniel X. O'Neil (EveryBlock); Greg Elin of Sunlight Labs will moderate. These sites make hard-to-find government information -- federal, state and local -- easy for the public to find and use and may inspire you to do likewise. A quick report will be given, as well, on an initiative to develop a 21st Century Right-to-Know agenda and recommendations for the next President and Congress.
The event was held on March 19, 2008, at the Holeman Lounge of the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., and webcast to sites around the country.
The webcast is now available for viewing here at OpenTheGovernment.org (free; no registration required). The webcast may also be viewed at the National Press Club's registration/webcast site for a few months (registration required).
A DVD will be available for purchase in mid-April.
Resources and Legislation
Click here for a list of books and articles involving government secrecy, openness, and transparency; click here for a list of related legislation.
Background
The first national "Sunshine Week: Your Right to Know" was launched in March 2005 and will be celebrated in 2008 from March 16-22. Sunshine Week's intent is to raise awareness of the importance of open government to everyone in the community, not just journalists. Sunshine Week 2008 National Dialogue is brought to you in celebration of Sunshine Week by the American Association of Law Libraries, American Booksellers For Free Expression, American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, League of Women Voters, National Coalition Against Censorship, National Freedom of Information Coalition, National Press Club, OpenTheGovernment.org, Public Citizen, Special Libraries Association, Sunshine Week, the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), and the Sunlight Foundation.