civic collaboration

One Word Breaks the Code of Silence 04/09/2010

The Open Government West conference last week demonstrated the diversity of voices and perspectives involved in the Gov 2.0 movement, and the foreboding challenges ahead as we work across the public, private, non-profit, and civilian sectors.  How will a mass conglomeration of web and app developers, bureaucrats, non-profiteers, community activists, pensive loiterers, corporations, city council members, and CTO’s ever mobilize into one effective vehicle for opening government?

How will we ever satisfy everyone without falling into the proverbial black hole of satisfying no one?  So many interests, so many different lenses, thinking caps, needs and visions… shudder.  And snore.

But as I combed through the hours of video from the Open Government West conference last week, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that despite the heterogeneity of attendees, the extensive reiteration of only a couple words imbued optimism that maybe, just maybe, a mass conglomeration of hybrid ambitions could actually effect the change in the world we all want to see.

I love pop culture and Kelly Osborne’s “One Word,” (specifically the Chris Cox dance remix), seemed especially fitting for a 2 min video that to me, helped summarize the conference in that tasty and palatable way only a lowly pop culturist could enjoy.  But maybe you will as well.

Can you guess which word was heard over and over at the conference?