Daniel Mackisack
As seen in:
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Belligerent Optimist. Advocate of Sharing Stuff.
Articles by Daniel Mackisack
The "Good Guys" Always Win
It’s quintessentially American. But in geopolitics, it’s more than an aphorism – it’s a playbook. Being the “good guys” isn’t just ethical; it’s strategic. A common mistake of great powers is assuming dominance comes purely from economic and military might. History proves otherwise. Without trust, cooperation, and strategic alliances, power is unsustainable. Authoritarians and other malevolent forces suffer the same fate – they alienate, incentivise adversaries and sow the seeds of their own demise.
Participation Is Not a Panacea for Democratic Decline
Participation projects have the capacity to do amazing things. Many of us are fascinated to see what participation can achieve – innovating citizen engagement in ways that create a more democratic society, at a time when said innovation is sorely needed. But it can also end up distracting from a broader democratic decline. And there are even some individuals and organisations who may be less interested in what it can achieve, than what it can appease. Participation gives people a sense of agency.
The Kiwi students embarking on a gleeful lunar expedition Original
The Auckland University mechatronics and mechanical engineering students who are involved in Nasa's Great Lunar Expedition for Everyone, to send hundreds of tiny LunaSats to the surface of the Moon. From left, Oliver Vannoort, Drishti Murara, Sarina Todd, Henissa Tong, Ben Parnell.(Photo supplied for use with supplied article) Supplied Daniel Mackisack is a former diplomat and founder of Celestial Commons, a public interest advocacy network in the space sector.
Online and Electronic Voting Updates Across the Globe
In an era of fast paced digital and political change, the evolution of electronic voting has been a subject of intense interest and debate. In recent years, numerous countries have explored the potential of voting machines (e-voting) or online voting (i-voting), with equally mixed results and opinions. Some have made it a core part of an evolving electoral system, while others have hesitated or reversed course entirely.
Online and Electronic Voting Updates Across the Globe
In an era of fast paced digital and political change, the evolution of electronic voting has been a subject of intense interest and debate. In recent years, numerous countries have explored the potential of voting machines (e-voting) or online voting (i-voting), with equally mixed results and opinions. Some have made it a core part of an evolving electoral system, while others have hesitated or reversed course entirely.
How Liquid Democracy Won a Pub Quiz
It’s a Tuesday night just outside of Vienna. The teams are assembled. The hosts (Laura Giesen and myself) are prepared. And old rivalries start to flare up. The Innovation in Politics Institute is gathered for its yearly team retreat, and as is tradition, the first evening is concluded with a classic pub quiz. Except this time, there’s a twist.
Authenticity and Engagement - 6 Methods for Verifying Participants
While digital participatory projects hold immense potential for democratic engagement, they also face several challenges, not least of which lies in verifying the identities of those who participate. With the authenticity of participants playing a crucial role in maintaining trust, credibility, and the overall success of these initiatives, identity verification is key.
Four Alternative Social Media Platforms for Political Organisations
While not explicitly ‘democracy technologies’ in the sense >we would usually use the term, there is no denying the impact of social media and other digital communications platforms on the democratic space. That impact cuts both ways. As part of an ever broader and more complex public sphere, they play a huge role in the discourse (and meta-discourse) that feeds political processes.
What Can We Learn From The Civic Tech Field Guide?
As founder of the Civic Tech Field Guide, Matt Stempeck has seen the rise and fall and rise again of civic and democracy tech over the last decade and a bit. It’s a journey that has highlighted both the positive impact tech can make and the persistent need to stay ahead of actors that might use that same tech for less charitable purposes. From the beginning, there was a creeping sense that politics the old fashioned way, simply wasn’t going to cut it.
The Changing Infrastructure of Democracy
At a panel for the Innovation and Politics Awards and Democracy Technology Convention last Thursday, leaders from two of Europe’s most successful DemTech platforms (CitizenLab and Assembly Voting) sat down with two civil society leaders (IDEA and ACTE) in the same space for a conversation about the changing shape of democracy. The shared assessment? It’s not just the technological capacity for democratic citizen engagement that is improving.
The Growing Market for Democracy Technologies
It’s no secret that we here at democracy-technologies.org are firm believers in the potential of ‘Democracy Technologies’ (DemTech). We’ve cast our votes on it, so to speak. But there’s more than just enthusiasm and a gut feeling behind that vote. The market for DemTech really is growing. Here’s some of the evidence. Let’s start at the beginning. DemTech, has been (and is still by many) seen as a third smaller circle in a venn diagram, cutting across, and yet dominated by, GovTech and CivicTech.
6 Participation Tools That Use AI
With the boom in AI tech and consumer facing AI tools picking up ever greater speed, many participatory and deliberative software platforms have been working on AI projects of their own. The capabilities that AI brings range from highly sophisticated data and trend analysis to synthesising large volumes of input in deliberative processes. But in every case, there is a common theme – efficiency. Rather than being a stand-in for people, AI is used to process more data, more quickly.
Democracy Without Borders
For many, the idea of global governance is a scary one, to be avoided and rail against. Frequently discussed in purely undemocratic terms as an extension and expansion of power for global elites, it paints a picture of present day authoritarianism, only bigger. But for the Berlin-based organisation Democracy Without Borders, it means quite the opposite – the completion of the incomplete. A truly democratic world.
UN Space Conference Works To Headoff Future Conflcts In Space
Escalating tensions between the U.S. and China have brought fresh urgency to discussions at a United Nations working group on space law. The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, which recently wrapped up its 62nd legal subcommittee meeting, is under pressure from civil society groups to find common ground, ensure cooperation and address ambiguities in existing agreements that might lead to conflict.
Growing a Global Citizen Participation Platform
Wietse Van Ransbeeck: We’re currently 46 people, with a very international team. That’s something we’re super excited about. We have 26 different nationalities on the team, and it’s also been a very deliberate choice for us to get different cultural perspectives on democracy and digital democracy. We have colleagues in Uganda, Argentina and Chile, a team of 6 in the United States, and of course there are also a lot of people all over Europe.
Growing a Global Citizen Participation Platform
Wietse Van Ransbeeck: We’re currently 46 people, with a very international team. That’s something we’re super excited about. We have 26 different nationalities on the team, and it’s also been a very deliberate choice for us to get different cultural perspectives on democracy and digital democracy. We have colleagues in Uganda, Argentina and Chile, a team of 6 in the United States, and of course there are also a lot of people all over Europe.
Space Activists Take Action At United Nations Conference To Reduce Lunar Tensions
The escalating space race between China and the U.S. has attracted the attention of a United Nations working group and civil society activists. The UN Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space, a meeting held by the Office for Outer Space Affairs, is currently holding its 62nd legal subcommittee meeting in Vienna to write new rules regarding how space-faring powers deal with each other in space.
Space Activists Take Action At United Nations Conference To Reduce Lunar Tensions
The escalating space race between China and the U.S. has attracted the attention of a United Nations working group and civil society activists. The UN Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space, a meeting held by the Office for Outer Space Affairs, is currently holding its 62nd legal subcommittee meeting in Vienna to write new rules regarding how space-faring powers deal with each other in space.
Building Democracy Technology as a Non-Profit Organisation
Robert Bjarnason: Yes, we were quite pleased with that. Also, there’s a handbook by OECD about citizen participation, where Your Priorities comes out on top as well. We are finally in the news. Robert: We continue to improve the platform. We’ve been adding features. For example, we’ve launched a built-in alternative to Google Analytics on the platform. It’s based on a technology called Plausible, which is for understanding citizen engagement.
Building Democracy Technology as a Non-Profit Organisation
Robert Bjarnason: Yes, we were quite pleased with that. Also, there’s a handbook by OECD about citizen participation, where Your Priorities comes out on top as well. We are finally in the news. Robert: We continue to improve the platform. We’ve been adding features. For example, we’ve launched a built-in alternative to Google Analytics on the platform. It’s based on a technology called Plausible, which is for understanding citizen engagement.
People Powered Launches Updated Ratings on Digital Participation Platforms
People Powered has just released its latest annual Digital Participatory Platforms Ratings. This year marked the second time People Powered has conducted the evaluation, with 32 platforms being reviewed — up 6 from the previous year. Starting with a diverse committee of 6 civic tech experts representing Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, North America and Western Europe, the review was supplemented by surveys of both users and developers.
E-Voting, Trust, and the Holy Grail of Political Elections
Jan Wegner: We are in the e-voting business, so our core product is an online voting system or online voting platform that ensures all the principles of a democratic election are secure and guaranteed. We offer both online and live voting. The online voting system is asynchronous and could replace mail-in voting, whereas the live voting tool is used during events. Jan Wegner: We held our first online voting summit in November 2022.
E-Voting, Trust, and the Holy Grail of Political Elections
Jan Wegner: We are in the e-voting business, so our core product is an online voting system or online voting platform that ensures all the principles of a democratic election are secure and guaranteed. We offer both online and live voting. The online voting system is asynchronous and could replace mail-in voting, whereas the live voting tool is used during events. Jan Wegner: We held our first online voting summit in November 2022.
Focusing on impact before political results: Long-term engagement strategies
It’s easy to become caught up in election cycles in party politics, and representative democracy more broadly. Results need to be now, not later. But prioritising rapid (and often fleeting) political results, usually has an opportunity cost that is far more valuable. Let’s imagine a scenario. We’re up against the wall, in opposition, three months out from an election and five points down in every poll. Then something happens. Something that presents a fork in the road.
Delegative Democracy: An Introduction
First, let’s clear something up. In political science the concept of a ‘Delegative Democracy’ means something quite specific. However, there’s a bit of a problem. In the academic version, it refers to an authoritarian quasi-democracy with not a lot of actual delegation going on. In the real world however, a more innovative, more ambitious idea, or group of ideas, have been gaining a bit of traction, and using the term in a more unambiguously democratic way.
Will Strategic Trolling Affect Digital Participatory Democracy?
For as long as media and communication technologies have existed, information and disinformation have existed alongside one another, like Jekyll and Hyde. From the earliest stone tablets to the digital landscape. The problem being experienced today is not so different to that experienced half a millennia ago with the public printing press. There’s an explosion of information — with a lot of good stuff and a lot of nonsense.
Behind the Scenes on Open Source Democracy Technology
Motivations Democracy technology provides a great way to get normal people involved in democratic day-to-day decision making and make public organisations more trustworthy through transparency, by providing a direct way for people to affect the decisions being made.
Barcelona Voted First 'European Capital of Democracy'
Barcelona has been awarded the title of European Capital of Democracy for 2023/24. The result was announced at a press conference in Barcelona today. From September 2023 until August 2024, Barcelona will host a year-long programme of events and activities to strengthen European democracy, organised in cooperation with partner organisations and citizens, with visitors from throughout Europe invited to participate.
Experts Eye Opportunities To Avoid Lunar Disputes
“Most Critical Time Is Now,” Says Former NASA Astronaut. In a recent interview with Politico, NASA administrator Bill Nelson described the realities of a resurgent space race that pits the USA and China against one another in an effort to secure territory and resources on the Moon. While other experts have downplayed the chance of a lunar conflict the underlying issues remain very real.
Access, Accessibility and Alleged Fraud
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Experts Worry The Moon Could Be Next Target Of China's Territorial Ambitions
In a recent interview with Politico, NASA administrator Bill Nelson described the realities of a resurgent space race that pits the USA and China against one another in an effort to secure territory and resources on the Moon. While other experts have down played the chance of a lunar conflict the underlying issues remain very real. Both the US and China have plans to send multiple missions to the Moon over the next decade, raising concerns about a possible standoff.
'Fluid' Representation, Improved Deliberation and 'Liquid Democracy'
Moritz Ritter: Conceptually, liquid democracy integrates representative democracy with elements of direct democracy, and basically says that if you want, you can act as a direct decision maker. It has many elements that make it more ‘fluid’, allowing citizens to move between the role of voter, the role of representative and decision maker, or a more distant role, whenever they want.
'Fluid' Representation, Improved Deliberation and 'Liquid Democracy'
Moritz Ritter: Conceptually, liquid democracy integrates representative democracy with elements of direct democracy, and basically says that if you want, you can act as a direct decision maker. It has many elements that make it more ‘fluid’, allowing citizens to move between the role of voter, the role of representative and decision maker, or a more distant role, whenever they want.
Building Trust Through Transparent Voting
Shai Bargil: Sequent is a start-up that developed an online voting platform for public and private sector elections. In the public sector, this means municipal, provincial, state, and federal levels. In the private sector, it’s organisations that hold elections, such as professional associations, trade unions, political parties, cooperatives, and so on. What is special about our solution is two things. First, we are based on a cryptographic voting protocol.
Tech for Justice - Helping Zimbabweans With Civil and Constitutional Rights
The Democracy Innovation Award brings together people working on various initiatives in the civic space from across the world, and groups them into different categories, focusing on civic education, youth participation, or e-democracy. I was in the e-democracy category. After we participated in the first session, I got a call in the evening saying I was getting something. They indicated to me that I was in the final rounds, so I made my presentation and surprisingly, we won.
Challenges in Digital Participation Across Europe
Nermina Suljevic – Head of Department for Sustainable Development, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Our main concern was whether we had access to all age groups. Do we have elderly people? Can they access these tools? After COVID, I think this is something that actually changed a lot because now we have this older population using new technologies much more.
Democracy Technologies in Action Across Europe
Nermina Suljevic – Head of Department for Sustainable Development, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina “One good example is the use of the Consul platform. This is an open-source platform which is mostly used for budgetary participation, but we also use it in other ways. We used it when we had the Smart City initiative. First, we asked citizens what the three main problems in their community were.
The Crypto Community That’s Going To The Moon - Literally
By Daniel Mackisack Blockchain technologies power millions of transactions online every day. Soon they could power a real world effort to get people to the moon. MoonDAO is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) that runs on a blockchain and uses tokens to fundraise, pay for work and make decisions by vote.
The Crypto Community That’s Going To The Moon - Literally
“To the Moon!” is an expression in regular use among crypto enthusiasts, usually as a hopeful call for significant price increase. But one group has taken the phrase quite literally. MoonDAO is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) that runs on a blockchain and uses tokens to fundraise, pay for work and make decisions by vote.
Bolsonaro's Lies about Voting Machines Threaten Democracy
In a few days time, Brazilians head back to the polls to vote in round two of the presidential elections. Historically popular former president Lula da Silva is running against incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. It’s a hotly contested showdown illustrating a deep divide in Brazilian society that unfortunately mirrors political conflicts in many parts of the world at the moment – conflicts that are deeply entwined with an eroding sense of trust in the machinery of democracy.
This Week in Democracy Technology: 260,000 Euros Allocated in 2 Participatory Budgets
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Forensic Fact-Check: Did China's Evergrande Default?
November 12, 2021 3:53 pm By Daniel Mackisack The statement: Evergrande dodges default Over the last few days, the question of whether Evergrande defaulted has been widely reported. However, there appear to be two conflicting narratives. One says they did. The other more dominant narrative says they narrowly avoided it with a last-minute payment. Which was it? Watch the above video for our research process and decision on this rating using the Stone software. Our Rating: The Jury Is Out.
UNCOPUOS discusses how to tackle Space Mining in the coming years
This week, the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) is holding its annual meeting from the 31st of May to the 9th of June. Chief among the topics for consideration is a proposal to establish a permanent working group on Space Resources. The idea has been around in some form or another within the Committee and associated offices of the UN for a number of years, but was more recently floated in formal proposals.
Our answer to deforestation lies in space
Deforestation has increased drastically over the last decade and studies have found that this could have played a leading role in permitting the spread of the coronavirus. Through changing technology to a space-based approach we could collectively address these mounting global challenges, argues Daniel Mackisack. In case anyone needed another reason to protect the environment, here it is.
Our distance makes us feel better, but out hubris is dangerous
Federal agents disperse Black Lives Matter protesters in downtown Portland, Oregon, in July. At the weekend, one man was shot dead during clashes as supporters of US President Trump travelled through the city. Daniel Mackisack writes that the world is going through one crisis after another, including conflict and creeping authoritarianism.
Our distance makes us feel better, but our hubris is dangerous
Federal agents disperse Black Lives Matter protesters in downtown Portland, Oregon, in July. At the weekend, one man was shot dead during clashes as supporters of US President Trump travelled through the city. Daniel Mackisack writes that the world is going through one crisis after another, including conflict and creeping authoritarianism.
New Zealand, a small town in Colorado, and Covid-19
New Zealand has now gone 100 days without community transmission of Covid-19. Over the last few months, the country has emerged as a poster child for how to do things right during a pandemic. Through a strategy of “elimination” and a resolute attitude of “go hard and go early,” it effectively removed the threat, allowing society largely to go back to normal, including crowded bars and even more crowded stadiums.
How to Hack the Planet
Authoritarianism and inequality are a greater threat to security than any line of code. There was data breach the other week. This time, the Twitter accounts of famous celebrities like Elon Musk and Bill Gates fell victim to hackers asking followers to send bitcoin and double their money. Three men have since been arrested in connection with the attack and, after initial suspicion, it has been confirmed they had help.
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