It sometimes feels as though our democracy is broken, and I wonder if it is our own fault. We have the right to know what our government does on our behalf, but we have become an apathetic citizenry, apparently not caring enough to speak up when we don’t like how politicians run the government or spend our tax dollars. When…
As part of our initiative to promote the people’s right to know, our researcher Lorenzo Domizi interviewed Finland’s first “Intelligence Ombudsman”, Mr. Kimmo Hakonen. As the Daily Finland reported, the watchdog position was established on 17 April 2019 “as part of the legislation that widened the powers of both the national security police as well as the military intelligence”. Mr.…
On April 23, the Italian Communications Agency (AGCom) issued an urgent warning to the government in respect of the imminent risk of closure run by Radio Radicale, asking to renew the convention with the radio station “at least until new criteria for allocation have been identified”. In a statement, AGCom wrote: “Failing to renew the convention would mean the interruption…
On December 21, a conference was held in Rome at the headquarters of the Nonviolent Radical Party Transnational Transparty (PRNTT) on the initiative for the transition to the rule of law through and the affirmation of the right to know. After the introductory remarks by Laura Harth NRPTT Representative at the United Nations, in which she focused on the Chinese…
“We had no instructions” senior Tory MP and former Justice Minister Ken Clarke said on Wednesday, November 15, in a debate on Brexit on the floor of the House of Commons. The British public was not the only one left in the dark. Even MPs had no instructions, given that a proper debate over the options and the consequences of the United…
This is a summary by Irene Guidarelli of a speech delivered by Cathy O’Neil in April 2017 in a TED Conference. Cathy is a mathematician, she runs the blog mathbabe.org and she’s the author of several books including the latest “Weapons of Math Destruction“. Algorithms are everywhere. They sort and separate the winners from the losers. The winners get the…
On Tuesday October 3rd 2017 the Financial Times published a very insightful article “Cutting through the Brexit cacophony” into the public’s mindset on Brexit if only they are properly informed. On the basis of a scientific study on a careful cross-section of the public, evidence clearly indicates that voters’ behaviour changes when debate enhances, pushing preference away from extreme positions…
On Friday, May 12, in the Defense Committee Room of the Senate of the Republic, in Rome, the Radical Party together with GCRL, Hands Off Cain, the Siracusa International Institute, SIOI and IAI held the conference “Information and Public Debate in XXI Century Consolidated Democracies. Lessons from Italy: What Problems and which Reforms?”. Politicians, academics and members of the media, as…
Thanks to Sen. Enrico Buemi In collaboration with Friday 12 May 2017, 3pm Defence Committee Room Palazzo Carpegna Senate of the Republic Via degli Staderari, 2 INFORMATION AND PUBLIC DEBATE IN 21st CENTURY CONSOLIDATED DEMOCRACIES. LESSONS FROM ITALY: WHAT ISSUES AND WHICH REFORMS? First session (3pm – 5pm) International principles, standards and issues Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata Ambassador, former Minister…