[Short note in English, for a special occasion]
Monday and tuesday, I was in Barcelona, with some hundreds of people dealing with the internet and politics. Activists, consultants, thinkers, administration execs.. All gather at the Personal Democracy Forum Europe. This is the european edition of the PDF, which is in my opinion one of the most inspiring events on the issue of the web changing democracy.
It is hard to sum up what such an event can bring. Let’s pick five things that I brought back from #pdfeu.
1. Energy
Connecting with all these people is a highly amazing experience. In our everyday lives, trying stuff, experimenting, we don’t always have time to feel the movement we are part of. Of course, we read the same blogs, we share trends, experiences, thoughts, online. But gathering in real life is something very powerful. In two days, you have the opportunity to discover, with real social contact, so bright stuff people have been, and the personalities that have. I am not the easy type with admiration and flattery, but well : people at PDF are inspiring, deadly.
The thing is : you feel you are part of a fantastic movement. And that would be enough : this feeling is worth the trip.
But still, there are others.
2. Inspiration
Last year, at PDFEU, it was still a lot about Obama. Obama has been a fantastic inspiration for many initiatives. But it also has been something stupid, a fashion, an illusion. Now is the time when we don’t have to invoke Obama to try smart stuff online, when we can say and admit that yes, Europe is different.
I have learned a lot from fellow europeans trying and doing stuff everywhere in Europe. Italian people building a strong support network around politicians, german guys beoing critical about a political social network, people organizing (or fighting for) transparency in Eastern Europe, people from the european Parliament or the commission, trying, trying, and achieving, sometimes. A huge load of fascinating initiatives happen everywhere in Europe, and there is no best way to discover and share them than to talk with the people who have been at hands. Learning, learning, from others.
We, at spintank, run campaings, we work with local or national (maybe european one day ?) governments. We work cith companies, too, and a lot of what we do is, in one way or another, inspired by what we have learnt here at PDF.
Also, there are people making good. And they’re inspirational too. Think of refunite, for example.
That’s a thing. I go in NYC every year at PDF for long term inspiration (and because I love New York). At PDF Europe, I learn from others sucesses and mistakes, right near.
3. Network
PDF is not that tmuch for business. You don’t go there to find customers (if you lead, like I do, an agency). The network you can build is that of a common ground, a common practice. Something you do together, and people you can ask for expert advice, inspiration. It is Europe, after all : markets are still very national, and local political cultures make it a non-free market. But this network is powerful. The european youth moves from one country to another, and we know that, in the long term, a common european public space is going to happen.
It will take time, but this small network is nice, friendly, a great source of help and inspiration.
And some become friends. Which is nice.
4. Concern
This web we all live in and work upon is a fantastic tool, a revolution. It is, also, something we care about : how deep is it really changing our democracies ? Is it really for the best or the worst ? What can we do about it ?
My talk monday morning was about it, but it was quite shared with many people there. Our concern is about the rise of extremists and populist movements that make such a damn good use of this public space and activism tools we bouild and experiment. Many breakout sessions have been discussing this matter. Feels logical : the rise of extremist movements is not a typical internet thing, but a concern to all our democratic societies, in these crisis times. It is, also, something uniting the USA and Europe, from Tea Party to Sweden.
5. Jamon
And of course, brought back some Jamon Iberico, Bellota, etc. Should wine be easier too bring back in your luggage, by plane, I sure would have brought some from. Barcelona in october is a friendly reminder of how summer was cool.
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+ : Nice venue, nice people, nice evenings. Will be there at PDF 11 in NYC and EU. And more ?