EU and US Perspectives . This panel focuses on new tools and methodologies for collaborative efforts, how these tools are being used to build civil society, and the Internets strengths and weaknesses for community development in a transatlantic context. The theme is exploring how electronic networks can be used to invigorate and deepen civil society.
New tools enhance communication possibilities and expand collaborative capabilities.
The question is learning to harness the technological opportunities into productive directions. The experiences of the United States and Europe are not identical in utilizing the Internet for purposes of social and political networking. The panel assesses available tools in terms of what they contribute to the process of collaboration, the policy framework in the US and EU toward collaborative endeavors that transcend national borders, the optimal strategies for facilitating social interaction through technology, and the Internet's impact on civil society. In illuminating these issues, panelists discuss cyberspace collaborations already in operation, tools in need of enrichment, and the factors hindering the Internet as a vehicle for cooperation at the transnational level. Just as with the personal computer and the telegraph before it, the Internet is impacting rules, structures and content of capitalism and democracy.