THE NEED FOR RADICAL CIVIC TECH.
By: Indy Johar
Tags: Civictech, Social Innovation, Government, Innovation

The following is an outline summary and iteration of a talk given at techforgood. It is worthwhile acknowledging THIS summary builds on an important talk given by Cassie Robinson. and this must be seen as a precursor to what is outlined below..

First, I want to start by making the case for radical civic technologies. I would propose it is increasingly clear, that the sustainabilty & thriv-ability of our society is a derivative function of the capacities of our bureaucracies and thereby our means of governance of public, shared and commons goods.

Further, I would propose most of the societal civilization threatening failures we see around us, be climate change, bio-extinction, air pollution, light pollution, plastics in our global food changes, inequality etc are fundamentally a symptom of our structural failure in governance. By which I mean a failure in the institutional architectures of societies, which either structure and ennoble us or their derivative agents to preserve and enhance the public good (as opposed to optimizing private gains) or frame the equitable space of negotiation for cohabitation in an increasingly finite world.

This is the fundamental domain of operation of civic tech leaders, changing & challenging the fundamental rules of the societies which have failed us and our future generations, the deep code structures of our economy. Reimagining —

Technologies with mobilize and manifest the rights of future generations. Technologies which enable the systemic self sovereignty of nature, Technologies and bureaucracy which unleash a self owning asset future. Remaking public accounting rules and the necessary digital institution infrastructures for data preventative economics, Providing an alternative to innovation economies beyond rivalrous economics toward non rivalrous economics. Recasting the ‘private” “limited” liability company towards an Public interest & enhancement incorporation, Building the digital bureaucracy for additive warranties for an open hackable making economy, Recasting business models and structuring of value from private interest to common interest etc.

We need to reimagine these foundational structures of society for complex, contextual and emergent world — where universal, ex-ante governance built on the foundations of individuality and isolate-ability are no longer fit for purpose.

We need to reimagine the means of governance in a new age of “near zero overhead cost of bureaucracy” and linked, contingent & parametric governance design.

We need to recognize increasingly that the fundamental challenge of governance innovation is the construction and assembly of civic legitimacy, which requires new open, civic means of making.

We need to recognize that these new societal infrastructures cannot be left in the hands traditional Venture Capital and Start ups with their structural tendency for rent seeking & monopoly leverage, they need to grown as 21st century utilities funded by Utility Capital.

This future demands civic tech take up the mantle of not just fixing the edge of social & societal failures but focusing on systemically AND structuring the society itself. It needs boldness.

This future demands urgency, a movement with a vision for radical democracy, and capital on enhancing and preserving the public, shared and collective good.

This future cannot be led by state or private, it most be led foremost by citizens, for citizens and with citizens.

This future requires radical investment and investors both focused on the public good and driven to unleash the equitable justice of new societal technologies.

Civic Tech must go beyond the comfort zone, it must break free of the containment field which has narrowed and silenced civil society to the hand maidens of the party politics in power. We must be bold and embrace the challenge we face as a society and herald a great transition which is both equitable, just and thriving for all. This requires both boldness and care — boldness of the world that is possible and care that we empower and unleash the capacity & affordances of all of society.

A big thank you to Tech for Good, @NewSpeakHouse, CAST, BGV & OF COURSE the brilliant @EllieHale and Dama Sathianathan and the amazing TECHFORGOOD community which turned up at the hottest day of the Year!