James Crabtree of the Work Foundation argues that the political potential of the internet doesn't lie in connecting people to conventional politics but in 'civic hacking'. Read on in openDemocracy .
Interesting article by Timothy Garton Ash which offers a different perspective on Europe's relationship with Islam. To read article click here
Using the example of Jamaica it tries to explain why many former European colonies have often remained poverty-ridden. According to 'Life and Death' the reason for the economic weakness of Jamaica and other third world countries is 'globalisation'. The vicious economic cycle created by short-term borrowing from the IMF and World Bank, failure to repay high-interest debts, exploitation by global companies and inability to build a decent infrastructure because of lack of funds, ...
A: Not when it's used to write bad poetry.Arty types and today programme listeners will all be anxious to know if there is any decent poetry which can express the complex political debates of the forthcoming war. There is a plethora:For belligerent bards click here.For peaceful poets click here or here.
Continuing the literature theme... BBC News Online are having a bit of fun wondering what the classics might look like in txt. This is my favourite:"With SINCERE apologies to Alfred, Lord Tennyson:0.5a leag 0.5a leag0.5a leag onwrdAll in T valy o DthRd T 600"^ T LB!"Chrg 4T gns" he sdIn2 T valy o DthRd T 600"But is predictive text cutting short a linguistic revolution?Read on here.
ADVANCE TITLE INFORMATIONLeading changeA guide to whole systems workingMargaret Attwood, Mike Pedler, Sue Pritchard and David Wilkinson,Whole Systems Development. With forewords by David Fillingham, Director NHS Modernisation Agency and Will Hutton, Chief Executive, The Work Foundation.There is continuing government pressure on public services to 'reform' and change.Expectations of new forms and standards of delivery, joined-up practice and the reconnectionof services to users are hig...
Educational leadership academic John MacBeath writes interestingly on the prerennially controversial issue of faith schools in Scotland. Jack McConnell has suggested shared facilities as a way to break down the barrier. Hardly radical, but it's a start suggest MacBeath in the Sunday Herald
In advance of World Book Day 2003 on Thursday, I thought it might be interesting to nominate our most important books of 2002/3... I'm not going to be any more restrictive than that. Post your ideas in the Comments section.
What would Jed Bartlet do?Paul Hirst speculates on openDemocracy:"With brains, principles and guts the fictional US President Jed Bartlet from the TV series The West Wing has all the qualities to deal with a major international crisis. While in the real world the UN is split, Nato falters and worldwide peace marches put political pressure on Bush and Blair (whose staff, apparently, are West Wing addicts) how would Bartlett deal with Saddam?"
check out the schoolworks game, which guides kids round a virtual school, helping them improve things along the way.